The latest research from Canalys shows that worldwide smartphone shipments fell 11% year-on-year, in the first quarter of 2022.
The measurement company blamed the drop on “unfavorable economic conditions and sluggish seasonal demand.” “The global smartphone market was held back by the volatile business environment in the first quarter,” said Nicole Peng, Vice President of Mobility at Canalys. The CEO pointed to factors such as the COVID-19 case mutation brought on by the Omicron variant, Door lock comes in ChinaRussia’s continued invasion of Ukraine, and the specter of inflation.
All of these issues add to the traditional character of a slow quarter, Peng said.
Despite the tumultuous situation, both top contenders are trying to gain more market share. Samsung, which still holds the top spot, holds a 24% market share, up from 22% a year ago. Meanwhile, Apple’s share in second place rose to 18% from 15% in Q1 2021.
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Canalys analyst Sanyam Chaurasia called the continued success of the iPhone 13 and the March launch of the iPhone SE as key drivers of Apple’s growth this quarter. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Galaxy A series continues to compete well in the “mid-range to low-cost segment”, helping the company to grow strongly.
The rest of the top 5 for Q1 is occupied by Chinese smartphone manufacturers, with Xiaomi in third with 13% (down from 14%), OPPO clinging to fourth with 10% (down from 11%). ) and Vivo rounded up the list in fifth to 8% (down from 10%).
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Even though Q1 was a quarter of a loss compared to most of its competitors, Canalys thinks Q2 is a good time to prepare for a future recovery. Nicole Peng notes that “suppliers must arm themselves to react quickly to emerging opportunities and risks while staying focused on their long-term strategic plans.”
One of these opportunities, she believes, could soon come in the form of the long-awaited “painful component shortages” that all electronics manufacturers have been facing since the early days of this year. The first day of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Canalys has released a complete breakdown of Q1 2022 sales in its press release.
