Smartphone sales in 2022 lowest since 2013
Smartphone sales in 2022 were very low. Since 2013, we have not had such a small number of smartphones sold worldwide. The largest share of profit belongs to Apple. The smartphone market showed a decline of 18 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year. 304 million phones were sold in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Smartphone sales
In the fourth quarter, Samsung had to lose out to Apple, which is quite common in itself. The beginning of the year is usually more for Samsung, which also traditionally releases its flagship at that time. Apple usually follows in September with its new iPhone and therefore mainly has the last part of the year in its power. Also in 2022, because Apple had a number 1 position in the fourth quarter.
Phone shipments in 2022 fell 12 percent to 1.2 billion units. That was last so low in 2013. The income from smartphones also fell sharply. 9 percent to be exact to $409 billion. That was last this low in 2017. All this while Apple achieved its highest global share in smartphone shipments, revenues and operating profit of all time.
All this is evident from Counterpoint’s Market Monitor. Senior Analyst Harmeet Singh Walia says: “Due to the war in Ukraine, inflationary pressures, economic uncertainty and macroeconomic headwinds, consumer confidence remained weak in 2022 and smartphone users were less likely to buy a new phone. The smartphone market remained under pressure in Q4 2022 as the cost of living, the tight labor market and a decline in consumer purchasing power resulted in a significant drop in phone shipments from each of the top five smartphone players.”
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Production problems
There is also a disadvantage to these figures, because the total average sales price of telephones increased by 5 percent in 2022 compared to 2023. So why did Apple do so well? Research director Jeff Fieldhack said: “By skillfully managing its manufacturing woes, Apple weathered a year already marred by economic and geopolitical turmoil better than other major smartphone players. The iPhone Pro series continued to thrive. and its share of iPhone shipments could have been even higher had it not been for production problems due to the corona outbreak at the Zhengzhou factory, where the bulk of the Pro series is produced. Pro series moved to January.”
Have Android vendors managed their production problems less skillfully? Unfortunately, the research says nothing about that.
