iPhone Shipments Suffered Double-Digit Drop Over Holiday Quarter, Says IDC - MacRumors

Worldwide smartphone shipments suffered their worst quarterly driblet connected grounds implicit the vacation period, according to IDC, and Apple was not immune to the cooling user request amid the planetary economical downturn.

The probe steadfast estimates that Apple shipped 72.3 cardinal iPhones successful the December quarter, down year-on-year from 85 cardinal units, representing a 14.9% driblet successful shipments compared to the aforesaid 4th a twelvemonth ago.

Other large smartphone brands suffered akin double-digit setbacks. Samsung's shipments fell by 15.6% year-on-year, and Chinese mobile makers OPPO and vivo suffered astir equivalent declines, with Xiaomi performing worst implicit the 4th with a 26.3% driblet successful shipments.

Overall, planetary smartphone shipments declined 18.3% successful the December 4th compared to a twelvemonth earlier, to a small implicit 300 cardinal units. The driblet marks the largest-ever diminution successful a azygous 4th and contributed to a steep 11.3% diminution for the year.

"We person ne'er seen shipments successful the vacation 4th travel successful lower," Nabila Popal, probe manager astatine IDC, said successful a press release. "However, weakened request and precocious inventory caused vendors to chopped backmost drastically connected shipments."

In summation to ostentation and economical uncertainties, lockdowns successful China were different origin that wounded the industry, including Apple's iPhone shipments, she said. "Heavy income and promotions during the 4th helped deplete existing inventory alternatively than thrust shipment growth."

Riots broke retired successful precocious November astatine the world's largest ‌iPhone‌ mill successful the Chinese metropolis of Zhengzhou, wherever Foxconn workers were unhappy with restrictions and unpaid bonuses. ‌iPhone‌ accumulation astatine the mill successful Zhengzhou was said to person been importantly affected by the protests, starring to lengthy shipping delays implicit the vacation period.

According to IDC, 2022 ended with planetary smartphone shipments of 1.21 cardinal units, which represents the lowest yearly shipment full since 2013 owed to importantly dampened user demand, inflation, and economical uncertainties.

Despite the hard vacation period, Apple's marketplace stock remained steady, and the institution maintained its presumption arsenic the apical smartphone shaper for the December 4th with 24.1% marketplace share, up 1% from a twelvemonth ago. For the year, Apple reached 18.8% marketplace stock compared to 17.3% the erstwhile year, coming 2nd lone to Samsung, which took 21.6% marketplace stock successful 2022 compared to 20% implicit 2021, according to IDC estimates.