The world of smartphones has been experiencing a great deal of turmoil as of late. The dip initially began during the pandemic, and despite a hopeful uptick in the subsequent year, 2022 has proven to be even more disappointing with all things having been considered and taken into account. Consumers seem to be rejecting the pricey models that are available on the market.
A recently published IDC report has now revealed that global smartphone shipments declined by as much as 18.3% in the fourth quarter of 2022 as compared to the same quarter in 2021. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that this is the single biggest year over year decline that has ever been experienced by this niche.
All in all, we saw around 1.21 billion smartphones getting shipped during that period. That might sound high to some, but in spite of the fact that this is the case it is the lowest number that has been seen since 2013, and it suggests that OEMs are going to have to wait longer for things to get back to normal than might have been the case otherwise.
Apple continued to top the market with an impressive 73 million shipments. That’s still a 14% decline, but Apple mostly outperformed the wider market which is interesting because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up indicating Apple’s general resistance to economic headwinds.
Chinese companies such as Xiaomi and Oppo saw the worst decline of all. They experienced around 20% dips in their shipments which definitely does not bode well for a burgeoning Chinese smartphone industry that many thought would give industry stalwarts such as Apple and Samsung a run for their money.
It’s quite clear that the smartphone industry is going through a rough time. 2023 will prove to be a stress test that might not let all major companies find their way through. We will have to wait to see the results from this year to understand where the industry might be headed.
Read next: These Are The 2022's Fastest-Growing Digital Platforms
A recently published IDC report has now revealed that global smartphone shipments declined by as much as 18.3% in the fourth quarter of 2022 as compared to the same quarter in 2021. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that this is the single biggest year over year decline that has ever been experienced by this niche.
All in all, we saw around 1.21 billion smartphones getting shipped during that period. That might sound high to some, but in spite of the fact that this is the case it is the lowest number that has been seen since 2013, and it suggests that OEMs are going to have to wait longer for things to get back to normal than might have been the case otherwise.
Apple continued to top the market with an impressive 73 million shipments. That’s still a 14% decline, but Apple mostly outperformed the wider market which is interesting because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up indicating Apple’s general resistance to economic headwinds.
Chinese companies such as Xiaomi and Oppo saw the worst decline of all. They experienced around 20% dips in their shipments which definitely does not bode well for a burgeoning Chinese smartphone industry that many thought would give industry stalwarts such as Apple and Samsung a run for their money.
It’s quite clear that the smartphone industry is going through a rough time. 2023 will prove to be a stress test that might not let all major companies find their way through. We will have to wait to see the results from this year to understand where the industry might be headed.
Read next: These Are The 2022's Fastest-Growing Digital Platforms
