• MEA smartphone shipments declined 6% YoY in Q4 2024 as festive sales and discounts were unable to offset lingering economic challenges.

• Average selling price (ASP) was up 7% YoY, driven by high-end and premium demand.

• 5G penetration increased to 37% from 30% a year ago, boosted by attractive prices for budget models.

• The top three brands – TECNO, Samsung and Xiaomi – all saw market share gains, at the cost of smaller brands.

London, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, New Delhi, San Diego, Seoul, Taipei, Tokyo – February 24, 2025

Smartphone shipments in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region fell 6% YoY in Q4 2024, according to Counterpoint’s latest Market Monitor Service report. This marks the region’s second consecutive quarter of YoY declines, as festive sales failed to offset lingering inventory and economic challenges. Additionally, the strong performance in the year-ago period made YoY comparisons difficult.

Commenting on the market’s dynamics during the quarter, Senior Research Analyst Yang Wang said, “The MEA smartphone market is undergoing a shake-up, with smaller brands struggling to compete against global players, which is impacting inventory and distributor dynamics. Nevertheless, stock clearance remained a top priority, with discounts, festive offers, financing options and localized marketing playing a major role in driving sales. These efforts are paving the way for a better balance between market share and profit margins in 2025.”

The average selling price (ASP) of smartphones rose 7% YoY in Q4 2024, as more consumers shifted towards higher-end ($400-$700) and ultra-premium (>$1,000) models. Apple and Samsung benefitted the most from this trend. Buyers prioritized 5G, enhanced cameras, and smoother displays, while demand for budget LTE smartphones declined. Meanwhile the mid-range segment shrank, as consumers either upgraded to more advanced models or held on to their current devices.

5G adoption grew rapidly, especially in budget-friendly models ($100-$150), as brands actively pushed 5G-enabled devices amid a decline in component prices. Brands also focused on faster charging, AI-powered cameras, and more durable designs to attract buyers. Early trends indicate that MEA consumers have embraced 5G devices enthusiastically, despite the limited availability of 5G networks.

Looking ahead, we expect the MEA smartphone market to resume growth in 2025, driven by positive economic fundamentals, such as mild inflation, easing supply chain disruptions, and lower energy costs. Government initiatives in infrastructure, digitalization and urbanization should further support consumer sentiment and smartphone sector growth. However potential risks remain, such as geopolitical tensions, currency depreciation, and trade barriers, which could still derail the region’s recovery.

Insights on key brands during Q4 2024

• Transsion’s market share in the MEA region declined to 34% in Q4 2024, down from 36% in the year-ago period. TECNO registered robust growth in the mid-range, while Infinixgained traction in the mid-premium category. However, itel declined across all price bands due to shrinking LTE demand and increased competition. Both Infinix and itel struggled due to a lack of refreshed models and cannibalization from TECNO. Inventory challenges persisted as Transsion faced sell-out struggles in its African home market throughout the year.

• Samsung slipped to the second place with a 19% market share, losing ground to fast-growing Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, realme and HONOR. Samsung streamlined its lineup and reduced its active models to 81 from 106. Nevertheless, the brand saw robust growth in the >$400 segment. ASP rose 27% YoY to $487, driven by demand for the higher-end Galaxy A series and the AI-powered Galaxy S24 series, supported by aggressive marketing and trade-in offers.

• Xiaomi was the biggest market share gainer throughout 2024, ending Q4 2024 with a 15% YoY shipment increase. Growth was fueled by new launches in the Redmi Note and POCO series, along with strong sales of both new and existing models. Xiaomi expanded 5G adoption, strengthened offline retail, and promoted AI-driven cameras and battery optimizations, leveraging targeted marketing to stay competitive.

• Apple’s shipments fell 2% YoY in Q4 2024. However, the brand’s market share advanced to 8.8%, up 0.4% YoY. Strong demand for the iPhone 16 and 15 series was offset by weaker sales of older models. Apple focused on trade-in programs, financing options, and carrier partnerships to sustain demand. It also expanded retail availability and leveraged events like the Dubai Shopping Festival to boost sales.

The comprehensive and in-depth ‘Q4 2024 Market Monitor Smartphone Tracker’ is available for subscribing clients.
Feel free to contact us at press@counterpointresearch.com for questions regarding our latest research and insights.

The Market Monitor research relies on sell-in (shipments) estimates based on vendors’ IR results and vendor polling, triangulated with sell-through (sales), supply chain checks and secondary research.
You can also visit our Data Section (updated quarterly) to view the smartphone market shares for the World, US, China and India.

Background

Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the TMT (technology, media and telecom) industry. It services major technology and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects and detailed analyses of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are seasoned experts in the high-tech industry.