Jan 13 (Reuters) - Smartphone shipments for Apple ( AAPL ) and Samsung

declined in the fourth quarter globally, as they grapple with intense competition from Chinese

companies including Xiaomi ( XIACF ), according to preliminary data from the International Data

Corporation (IDC) on Monday.

The global smartphone market rebounded strongly after two years of decline, with Chinese

smartphone companies rapidly expanding their market share through aggressive growth in low-end

devices and a strong focus on the domestic market.

"While we remain optimistic about continued growth in 2025, the threat of new and increased

tariffs from the new US administration has elevated uncertainty across the industry," said

Nabila Popal, senior research director for worldwide client devices at IDC.

Apple's ( AAPL ) global shipments fell by 4.1% to 76.9 million units in the fourth quarter, while

Samsung's shipments dropped by 2.7% to 51.7 million units, as competition from Chinese companies

such as Xiaomi ( XIACF ), Oppo, and Honor intensified, IDC reported.

In 2024, the iPhone-maker topped the global smartphone market with 18.7% share followed by

Samsung at 18% and China's Xiaomi ( XIACF ) at 13.6%.

However, among the top five smartphone brands last year, Apple's ( AAPL ) shipments fell by 0.9%

and Samsung's by 1.4%, while Xiaomi ( XIACF ) showed the fastest growth with a 15.4% increase in

shipments.

Chinese mobile makers shipped 56% of the global smartphones in the fourth quarter, marking

the highest combined volume ever in a quarter, as they expanded their footprint across Europe

and Africa, boosted by their low-end and mid-range devices.

"Despite the continued growth across several regions, we have seen a decreased demand for

foldables in the market, despite intensified promotions and marketing," said Anthony Scarsella,

research director for client devices, IDC.

Smartphone makers have started shifting research & design spend away from foldable

smartphones as consumer interest remains flat, Scarsella said.