New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS): Apple became the leader of the global smartphone industry in 2023 for the first time, driven by an all-time high, 20.1 per cent market share for the company, a new report said on Tuesday.

Samsung, which has been the global smartphone leader for years, slipped to the second spot with 19.5 per cent market share.

The global smartphone shipments declined 3.2 per cent year over year to 1.17 billion units in 2023, according to the report from the International Data Corporation (IDC).

"Not only is Apple the only player in the Top 3 to show positive growth annually, but also bags the number 1 spot annually for the first time ever," said Nabila Popal, said research director with IDC's Worldwide Tracker team.

Apple achieved this fest despite facing increased regulatory challenges and renewed competition from Huawei in China, its largest market.

"Apple's ongoing success and resilience is in large part due to the increasing trend of premium devices, which now represent over 20 per cent of the market, fueled by aggressive trade-in offers and interest-free financing plans," Popal added.

The overall shift in ranking at the top of the market further highlights the intensity of competition within the smartphone market.

"Apple certainly played a part in Samsung's drop in rank, but the overall Android space is diversifying within itself," said Ryan Reith, group vice president with IDC's IDC's Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers. Chinese brand Xiaomi was third with 12.5 per cent share globally, said the report.