Canalys, a market research organization, released the latest report on the global smartphone market for the whole year of 2022 and Q4. Compared with the same quarter of 2021, the market has shrunk by 17% in the fourth quarter of 2022. In terms of the full-year 2022 shipments, they fell 11% to 1.2 billion units.
In terms of brands, in the fourth quarter of 2022, Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi ranked the top three. Apple’s share soared to 25%, surpassing Samsung. Compared with the fourth quarter of 2021, Apple’s share increased by 2%, while the market shares of Samsung and OPPO increased by 1%; VIVO remained unchanged, and Xiaomi decreased by 2%.
Also read: Global smartphone market shipments will continue to drop next year
“Smartphone vendors have struggled in a difficult macroeconomic environment throughout 2022. Q4 marks the worst annual and Q4 performance in a decade,” said Canalys Research Analyst Runar Bjørhovde. “The channel is highly cautious with taking on new inventory, contributing to low shipments in Q4. Backed by strong promotional incentives from vendors and channels, the holiday sales season helped reduce inventory levels. While low-to-mid-range demand fell fast in previous quarters, high-end demand began to show weakness in Q4. The market’s performance in Q4 2022 stands in stark contrast to Q4 2021, which saw surging demand and easing supply issues.”
But these are the numbers for the fourth quarter only. In terms of the whole year of 2022, Samsung, Apple, and Xiaomi rank among the top three. They captured 22%, 19%, and 13% of the market, respectively.
We should also mention that three out of five of the top brands come from China. This clearly shows the potential of this country and the brands founded there. Moreover, when taking into consideration the results for the entire year, Xiaomi showed astonishing achievements. This is twice more important because there were serious problems in the Indian market, which is a top priority for Xiaomi.
