According to the latest report released by Canalys, global smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2022 will drop by 18% to 297 million units. Due to weak demand, total shipments by manufacturers will be less than 1.2 billion units in 2022, resulting in a 12% decline in global annual shipments. The top five manufacturers in 2022 are the same as in 2021. Samsung ranked first with a 22% market share with shipments of 280 million units. Although the new crown epidemic has brought great restrictions on China’s manufacturing and the existing weak demand problems, resulting in Apple’s first double-digit decline in the fourth quarter of 2022, its annual shipments still reached 232 million units, accounting for 1.5% of the market share. 19%, ranking second. Xiaomi ranked third with 153 million units shipped and a 13% market share. OPPO and vivo ranked fourth and fifth with 10% and 9% market share respectively.
Canalys analyst Sanyam Chaurasia said: “At the end of 2022, shipments in major markets have fallen sharply, and both Samsung and Apple have been hit hard. Although there were some signs of stabilization in the third quarter, the Asia-Pacific region and Europe will be the first in 2022. The market performance in the fourth quarter was the worst ever. The serious inventory backlog in the leading markets, such as India and mainland China, led to disappointing market performance in the last quarter of this year. At the same time, the economic downturn also led to North America and Consumer spending is down in Latin America. Vendors must carefully plan their new product launches as retailers and telcos are reluctant to increase inventory levels.”
Le Xuan Chiew, research analyst at Canalys, said: “Looking forward to 2023, Apple and Samsung will be better positioned to navigate the ongoing uncertainty based on their dominance in the high-end market. Despite pressure from weaker overall demand, the popular iPhone Pro models will help Apple expand its revenue share. At the same time, unexpected supply challenges for Pro models have prompted Apple to accelerate production diversification, which will help it reduce supply risks and deal with ongoing geopolitical tensions .Samsung has also achieved sustained profitability by strengthening its high-end product portfolio and using the Fold product line to create a high-end market segment. On the other hand, Chinese manufacturers are still vulnerable to adverse trends in the international market and brutal competition in the domestic market. In addition to poor demand In addition, channel inventory, margin pressure and operational efficiency also pose challenges to its expansion strategy.”
Canalys analyst Amber Liu said: “2023 will be a difficult year. Recent macroeconomic trends indicate that the risk of a global recession is increasing. The road to recovery in the smartphone market is full of uncertainties. Vendors and channels will pay close attention to market dynamics and maintain a cautious attitude. Smaller players must focus on finding opportunities through streamlined product portfolios and efficient channel management to ensure profitability. On the other hand, popular brand owners will explore how to Demand is driven by its established IoT ecosystem, differentiated high-end products, and effective channel and promotional strategies.”
