IDC: Smartphone Market Sees Unprecedented 18.3% Decline in Last Quarter of 2022
IDC: Smartphone Market Sees Unprecedented 18.3% Decline in Last Quarter of 2022
The IDC smartphone tracker reported a fairly lower record for global smartphone shipments for the fourth quarter of 2022, as the market contracted 18.3% to 300.3 million shipments. All five major brands suffered double-digit declines on an annual basis from the fourth quarter of 2021 and the total figure represents the largest quarterly decline.
The sharp drop in shipments in the fourth quarter contributed to the annual contraction of 11.3% compared to 2021 figures. A grand total of 1.21 billion smartphones were shipped in 2022 compared to 1.36 billion in 2021.
| Company | Fourth quarter 2022 shipments (millions) | Q4 2022 market share | Q4 2021 shipments (millions) | Q4 2021 market share | Annual growth |
| Apple | 72.3 | 24.1% | 85.0 | 23.1% | -14.9% |
| Samsung | 58.2 | 19.4% | 69.0 | 18.8% | -15.6% |
| Xiaomi | 33.2 | 11.0% | 45.0 | 12.2% | -26.3% |
| Oppo | 25.3 | 8.4% | 30.1 | 8.2% | -15.9% |
| long live | 22.9 | 7.6% | 28.3 | 7.7% | -18.9% |
| Others | 88.3 | 29.4% | 110.2 | 30.0% | -19.8% |
| Total | 300.3 | 100% | 367.6 | 100% | -18.3% |
Focusing on the preliminary figures for the fourth quarter of 2022, Apple once again led the market with 72.3 million shipments and a market share of 24.1%. Samsung was second with 58.2 million phones shipped and a market share of 19.4%. Xiaomi came in third with 33.2 million shipments and 11% of the market and the company saw the biggest drop in shipments from its Q4 2021 values at -26.3%. Oppo (25.3 million) and vivo (22.9 million) complete the top five rankings.
The combined shipment figures for the year 2022 show that Samsung is the leader with 260.9 million units and a market share of 21.6%. Apple was second with 226.4 million and 18.8% of the market while Xiaomi secured 153.1 million shipments and a 12.7% reduction in the overall market.
| Business | 2022 shipments (millions) | Market share 2022 | 2021 shipments (millions) | Market share 2021 | Annual growth |
| Samsung | 260.9 | 21.6% | 272.1 | 20.0% | -4.1% |
| Apple | 226.4 | 18.8% | 235.8 | 17.3% | -4.0% |
| Xiaomi | 153.1 | 12.7% | 191.0 | 14.0% | -22.7% |
| Oppo | 103.3 | 8.6% | 133.6 | 9.8% | -22.7% |
| long live | 99.0 | 8.2% | 128.3 | 9.4% | -22.7% |
| Others | 362.7 | 30.1% | 399.1 | 29.3% | -9.1% |
| Total | 1205.5 | 100% | 1359.8 | 100% | -11.3% |
Oppo (103.3 million) and vivo (99 million) complete the top five, with the two companies recording the largest annual declines at -22.7% and -22.8% respectively.
Commenting on the drop in shipping values, IDC analysts suggest that lower consumer spending and rising inflation levels were the main causes of the drop in demand for new devices. Users are also keeping devices longer, with the refresh rate cycle increasing to 40 months (3.3 years) for some users. Looking ahead, IDC predicts that vendors will try to redesign their device portfolios while retail channels will need to better allocate their existing inventory.
Source
Tech