In this worsening global economic climate, it is no surprise that demand for smartphones was low during this holiday season. According to market research firm IDC, global smartphone shipments plunged in the fourth quarter of 2022, with companies shipping 300.3 million smartphones, an 18.3% year-over-year decline, marking the single largest decline ever in a quarter.
This decline was part of a larger trend of weakened demand and high inventory that caused smartphone vendors to drastically cut back on shipments. A total of 1.21 billion smartphones were shipped in 2022, which represents the lowest annual shipment total since 2013. IDC research director Nabila Popal stated that inflation concerns may push the recovery for the smartphone market out to the end of 2023.
Apple and Samsung struggle to maintain their market share
For Apple, one of the most notable factors contributing to this decline was a series of supply chain issues in December. The world’s largest iPhone manufacturing plant in Zhengzhou, China, suffered a Covid outbreak and worker protests, which delayed the manufacturing of iPhones and made it difficult for the company to keep up with holiday demand. However, despite these challenges, Apple maintained its spot as the largest smartphone maker, shipping 72.3 million iPhones in the fourth quarter, though this still represented a 14.9% year-on-year decline.
Samsung, the largest Android manufacturer, shipped roughly 10 million fewer units in Q4 of 2022, but the company’s market share grew from 18.8% in Q4 2021 to 19.4% in Q4 2022. Chinese smartphone brand, Xiaomi, which came in third, shipped 33.2 million units in the fourth quarter, down 26.3% year on year. This was the largest decline among the top five smartphone players, which also included Chinese smartphone makers Oppo and Vivo.
With new devices from Samsung launching soon, it will be interesting to see how the market changes in 2023. IDC predicts that 2023 will be a “year of caution” as smartphone makers look to avoid “excess inventory.” Some experts speculate that “generous trade-in offers” could be a way for manufacturers to push newer models, as customers are now keeping their smartphones for longer.

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Source: ndroidheadlines.com