Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL | AAPL Price Prediction) is in trouble in its home market. Research firm Canalys reports that Apple’s market share in the US fell 11% in Q2 compared to Q2 2024. Long-time rival Samsung had a market share increase of 38%.
Total US smartphone shipments grew only 1% in Q2 to 27.1 million. Apple still leads the market with 13.3 million shipments. Samsung was second with 8.3 million.
There is a theory for why the market share numbers have changed so much. Samsung has new smartphones that are like nothing the industry has had in the past.
The Its Z Fold 7 can be turned into a tablet. Samsung describes it as a “pocketable workstation,” with a best-in-class camera and video capture, and the longest-lived battery in the industry. It also has the Galaxy AI feature. Samsung’s traditional Galaxy line competes with the iPhone 16.
CNBC believes that the Galaxy lineup has many more products than the iPhone 16 does. While that is speculation, it is a reasonable, educated guess. Canalys analyst Runar Bjorhovde. “There is an idea that you can target people at every single price point, and you can meet them at every spot.” There is also speculation that Apple will release a foldable phone of its own.
Apple is still plagued by two problems. The first is whether each generation of the iPhone is different enough than the one before it. Many of the features of the iPhone 16 are similar to those of the iPhone 15. At some point, a better camera and faster processor will not be enough to support Apple’s normal upgrade sales cycle strongly.
Apple’s single most difficult hurdle is that the iPhone does not have leading-edge AI. The iOS that Apple says will correct this won’t be released until next year.
For Apple to be considered the leading smartphone company in the world, it can’t afford substantial erosion of share in its home country.
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