Samsung Overtakes Apple as World's Top Phonemaker
Vocabulary
Repeat each word, definition, and example sentence after your tutor.
retailer
Noun
ˈriˌteɪlər
a person or business that sells things to customers for use or consumption, rather than to be sold again
Our company is the biggest food retailer in Austria.
overtake
Verb
ˌoʊvərˈteɪk
to become bigger or more successful, important, etc. than someone or something else
Overtaking the United States, China became the world's biggest emitter of carbon dioxide in 2006.
manufacturer
Noun
ˌmænjəˈfæktʃərər
a person or company that makes products to be sold
Make sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions when installing the car seat.
target
Verb
ˈtɑːrgɪt
to select as the object of attention, an attack, etc.; to aim or direct something
Companies in fourteen countries were targeted by a group of hackers.
feature
Noun
ˈfiːtʃər
an important quality of something
This phone's high-quality camera is one of its most impressive features.
investor
Noun
ɪnˈvestər
a person or organization that puts money into businesses, property, etc., in order to make more money
We have a meeting with the investors next week, so we better start preparing for it.
Exercise 2
Article
Samsung Overtakes Apple as World's Top Phonemaker
Apple has lost its spot as the world's bestselling phonemaker after a decrease in sales in the first quarter of 2024.
Samsung is back as the number one retailer, with 20.8% of the market share, with Apple taking 17.3%.
This is according to data published by market research company International Data Corporation (IDC).
Global shipments of all smartphones increased by almost 8% between January and March, IDC said.
South Korea's Samsung had been the top retailer for 12 years until the fourth quarter of 2023, when it was overtaken by Apple.
However, Samsung shipped fewer units in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, as Chinese companies Xiaomi and Transsion saw big increases in shipments.
Xiaomi shipped almost 41 million units at the start of this year — a 34% increase from 2023 — while Transsion shipped 85% more units in the first quarter of 2024.
That makes Transsion, based in Shenzhen, the world's fastest-growing phone manufacturer. According to the Financial Times, it's targeting the market in Southeast Asia after becoming Africa's top smartphone maker with its low-cost devices.
Apple's sales in China have fallen since the Chinese government banned some devices made by foreign companies from certain workplaces.
Meanwhile, Samsung released its Galaxy S24 models at the start of the year, and these have sold well.
These new models included features like automatic phone call translation powered by artificial intelligence (AI), as well as new video editing software.
Reuters reports that investors are waiting to see how Apple uses AI in its devices.
IDC also said that around the world people are happy to pay more for their devices because they now plan to keep them longer.
Discussion
1.
What are your thoughts on Samsung becoming the world's bestselling phonemaker?
2.
If you were to get a new phone tomorrow, which brand would you go for?
3.
What features would you like your next phone to have?
4.
How do you imagine AI will change smartphones?
5.
Would you rather invest in Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, or Transsion?