Smartphone Shipments Suffer Largest Ever Decline in Q4 - PCMag

Inflation and the economical downturn led to the smartphone market suffering its worst-ever shipment diminution successful Q4 2022, according to probe steadfast IDC. 

Smartphone shipments past 4th lone reached 300.3 cardinal units, down 18.3% from the twelvemonth before, marking the “largest-ever diminution successful a azygous quarter,” IDC announced(Opens successful a caller window) connected Wednesday. 

During the quarter, each the apical smartphone vendors, including Apple, experienced shipment drops successful the treble digits. In addition, Q4 was the sixth consecutive 4th of diminution for the smartphone market. 

Rival probe steadfast Canalys reported(Opens successful a caller window) akin shipment numbers for the period, and said Q4 marked the worst show successful a decade.  

Looking astatine the numbers crossed the entirety of 2022, smartphone shipments reached lone 1.2 cardinal units, down 11.3% from the twelvemonth before. According to IDC, 2022 represents “the lowest yearly shipment full since 2013 owed to importantly dampened user demand, inflation, and economical uncertainties.” 

“We person ne'er seen shipments successful the vacation 4th travel successful little than the erstwhile quarter. However, weakened request and precocious inventory caused vendors to chopped backmost drastically connected shipments,” said IDC researcher Nabila Popal. 

As a result, IDC expects the smartphone marketplace mightiness not spot shipment maturation until the precise extremity of 2023. One crushed is persistent inflation, which is stunting user demand. Another origin is that galore smartphone owners person decided to clasp disconnected connected upgrading. 

“We proceed to witnesser user request dwindle arsenic refresh rates ascent past 40 months successful astir large markets,” said IDC expert Anthony Scarsella. “With 2022 declining much than 11% for the year, 2023 is acceptable up to beryllium a twelvemonth of caution arsenic vendors volition rethink their portfolio of devices portion channels volition deliberation doubly earlier taking connected excess inventory.”

The bully quality is that consumers whitethorn find charismatic discounts oregon trade-in offers for caller smartphones arsenic vendors effort to spark growth, IDC added. dff

The quality comes up of Samsung's Feb. 1 Unpacked event, wherever it's expected to announce its adjacent flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S23.