Global Smartphone Shipments Hit 10-Year Low Last Year... Down 11%

Canalys Announcement... Q4 Shipments Down 17%
Samsung Electronics Leads with 22% Market Share

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] Smartphone shipments in 2022 decreased by 11% compared to the previous year, marking the lowest level in the past decade.

On the 19th, market research firm Canalys announced that global smartphone shipments in 2022 fell below 1.2 billion units.

Shipments in the fourth quarter decreased by 17% compared to the same period last year.

Canalys stated, "Distribution channels were cautious in securing new inventory, leading to the decline in fourth-quarter shipments," adding, "This contrasts with the fourth quarter of 2021, when smartphone demand increased and supply eased."

By manufacturer, Samsung Electronics ranked first in the global smartphone market in 2022 with a 22% market share, an increase of 2 percentage points from the previous year.

Apple ranked second with a 19% market share, up 2 percentage points from the previous year.

Following were Xiaomi (13%), Oppo (9%), and Vivo (9%).

In the fourth quarter of 2022, Apple took first place with a 25% market share, up 2 percentage points from the same period last year. Apple typically releases new models in September, resulting in higher fourth-quarter market share. Canalys explained that despite manufacturing issues caused by the Foxconn factory incident in Zhengzhou, China, Apple achieved the highest quarterly market share ever in the fourth quarter.

Samsung Electronics ranked second with a 20% market share, up 1 percentage point from the same period last year.

They were followed by Xiaomi (11%), Oppo (10%), and Vivo (8%).

Canalys forecasted that the smartphone market will either maintain its current state or experience slight growth this year.

Canalys stated, "Although inflationary pressures will gradually ease, interest rate hikes, economic recession, and labor market downturn will limit the growth potential of the smartphone market. However, some regional markets, such as Southeast Asia, are likely to grow in the second half of this year."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.