Apple now has the lion’s share of the global smartphone market, knocking Samsung off the top spot for the first time in 12 years.

The American phone giant accounted for more than a fifth of phones shipped last year, according to data from the International Data Corporation (IDC).

Samsung took 19.4% of the market share with Chinese phonemakers Xiaomi, OPPO and Transsion following behind.

Smartphone sales have been faltering as many people upgraded in the pandemic.

The IDC reports that almost 1.2 billion smartphones were sold last year – a drop of more than 3% on the previous year. It is the lowest amount sold in a decade, with many consumers tightening their purse strings in the face of economic challenges and high interest rates. Experts predict the market will recover this year.