Smartphone market suffers 9.7% fall in Q3 2022; Apple only vendor to record positive growth

Worldwide smartphone shipments declined 9.7 per cent year over year to 301.9 million units in the third quarter of 2022, according to the data from International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

Among the top five players in the smartphone market, Apple emerged as the only company to register positive growth of 1.6 per cent at 51.9 million shipments in this year's Q3. All other top vendors suffered year-on-year declines. Samsung saw a 7.8 per cent negative year-on-year change, while Xiaomi dropped 8.6 per cent. Vivo saw a 22.1 per cent drop, whereas OPPO witnessed a 22.3 per cent year-on-year decline.

Nabila Popal, research director with IDC's Worldwide Tracker team said that majority of the decline came from emerging markets where lack of demand, rising costs, and inflation impacted consumers with lesser disposable incomes. She added that while Apple is the only vendor to deliver positive growth this quarter, it still faced challenges as its growth was stunted in many markets, including China, due to the poor macroeconomic situation.

Samsung held the top spot with a 21.2 per cent share in vendor positioning, Apple came in second with a 17.2 per cent share, while Xiaomi came in third with a 13.4 per cent share. Vivo and OPPO both ended the quarter in the fourth position, each with an 8.6 per cent share. While Samsung and Xiaomi registered single-digit declines, Vivo and OPPO continued to suffer high double-digit falls.

The drop marks the largest-ever third-quarter decline and the fifth consecutive quarter of decline for the smartphone market as shipments continue to struggle amidst weakened global demand and economic uncertainties.
 

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