For the first time, Apple has ranked number one globally in smartphone shipments for the first quarter of this year, as the company captured about 21% of worldwide shipments and grew by 9% annually. Samsung placed a close second with 21% as well, and then Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo.

The milestone comes as the best-selling smartphone worldwide is the iPhone 17 during Q1, and during this time, the iPhone 17 line claimed the top 3 spots in the tracker for global handset model sales. The company being able to protect its margin and keep the premium pricing helped significantly against the competition.

Shortages of NAND and DRAM memory continue to affect the whole market, with chipmakers shifting their priorities to customers in AI data centers instead of manufacturers for smartphones. The rising costs and shortages will affect Apple later this year, with the shortage possibly lasting until late next year.