• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechBest Companies

Samsung Is Back Atop the Smartphone Market

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 11, 2017, 11:37 AM ET

It didn’t take long for Samsung to regain its footing and once again reign over the smartphone market.

Samsung (SSNLF) sold more smartphones than any other device maker in the first quarter, earning the company 26.1% market share worldwide, according to data from research firm TrendForce. Apple captured the second spot on 16.9% market share during the period.

The companies were followed by Chinese handset makers Huawei and Oppo, which secured 11.4% and 8.1% market share, respectively.

The first quarter stood in stark contrast to the fourth quarter of 2016 when Apple stood atop the market with 20.3% share. Samsung at the time had 18.5% market share.

Samsung came under fire late last year after the company’s flagship Galaxy Note 7 handset suffered from flaws that caused its battery to overheat and in some cases, catch fire. Samsung, which sold millions of Galaxy Note 7 units before the flaws were apparent, was forced to recall and recover those devices.

Those troubles, coupled with a popular iPhone 7 release that saw the handset’s sales soar during the holiday season, were enough to knock Samsung from the top of the heap.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

According to TrendForce, Samsung was able to regain its footing on the back of its Galaxy J series of devices, smartphones sold in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world that come with lower-end features and cheap prices to target budget-conscious shoppers around the world. And although TrendForce notes that Samsung was the only company to actually boost its smartphone production volume in the first quarter, the researcher believes it has some work to do “to fully recover” from the Galaxy Note 7.

Not even Samsung’s recently announced, high-end Galaxy S8 line of devices could be enough, TrendForce says. The researcher believes the Galaxy S8 will help Samsung maintain relatively flat sales in the upcoming quarters, but won’t significantly increase the company’s sales.

Apple (AAPL), meanwhile, will continue to see smartphone sales slide until the company announces new handsets later this year, TrendForce says. This year’s new iPhones, which are expected to be announced later this year and ship in the third quarter, could put a damper on sales of other devices as consumers wait to see what Apple has planned, the research firm predicts.

For its part, Apple hasn’t confirmed it’s even working on an iPhone. However, several reports have surfaced, suggesting the company is working on three new iPhones for this year, including one that could come with a different design and curved display. The remaining two handsets will reportedly come with modest upgrades over last year’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
Even with $850 billion to his name, Elon Musk admits ‘money can’t buy happiness.’ But billionaire Mark Cuban says it’s not so simple
By Preston ForeFebruary 6, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Gen Z Patriots quarterback Drake Maye still drives a 2015 pickup truck even after it broke down on the highway—despite his $37 million contract
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 7, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Elon Musk warns the U.S. is '1,000% going to go bankrupt' unless AI and robotics save the economy from crushing debt
By Jason MaFebruary 7, 2026
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nestlé’s CEO drinks 8 coffees a day, but says Gen Z staffers are his secret to staying sharp by ‘learning constantly’
By Emma BurleighFebruary 5, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Larry Ellison and Jeff Bezos have seen more than $66 billion swiped from their net worths since the start of this year as AI-driven slump sees tech billionaires’ wealth free-fall
By Emma BurleighFebruary 6, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of February 6, 2026
By Danny BakstFebruary 6, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Tech

nfl
CommentaryTV
The Super Bowl was made for TV and instant replay was made for visual AI. Here’s how it could be better and what it would look like
By Jason CorsoFebruary 8, 2026
20 minutes ago
monkey
CybersecurityAnimals
One way AI won’t ruin the world: tools to crack down on the $23 billion animal trafficking trade
By Eve Bohnett and The ConversationFebruary 8, 2026
1 hour ago
heacock
CommentaryLeadership
I’m a CEO who grew a ‘boring’ air filter business into a $260 million company, and AI is going to help blue-collar, everyday people just like me
By David HeacockFebruary 8, 2026
1 hour ago
AITech
Meta’s multi-million-dollar Super Bowl ads may not just be about its smart glasses—but about selling Wall Street on Zuckerberg’s AI future
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 8, 2026
3 hours ago
Mark Cuban
SuccessView from the C-Suite
In the AI era, Mark Cuban, Mary Barra, and even Sam Altman have one tip for Gen Z: unplug and go analog
By Preston ForeFebruary 8, 2026
4 hours ago
Successwork-life balance
NBA star Metta World Peace says Kobe Bryant taught him that no matter how hard you work, someone else is working harder
By Orianna Rosa RoyleFebruary 8, 2026
5 hours ago