Global smartphone shipments dip 11% due to market blues

The global shipments of the smartphone have dipped 11% in the first quarter of 2022 due to unfavourable economic conditions and sluggish seasonal demand, Canalys claimed in a report. Samsung, however, managed to retain the top position in terms of market share with 24% stake against 19% in the fourth quarter of 2021.   

Analysts at the research firm claimed that the global smartphone market was held back by an unsettled business environment in Q1 as the markets saw a spike in Covid-19 cases. Though, minimal hospitalisations and high vaccination rates helped normalise consumer activity quickly. 

Furthermore, Vendors face major uncertainty due to the Russia-Ukraine war, China’s rolling lockdowns and the threat of inflation. All this added to traditionally slow seasonal demand, as claimed by Canalys.

“Vendors must equip themselves to respond quickly to emerging opportunities and risks while staying focused on their long-term strategic plans. The good news is that the painful component shortages might improve sooner than expected, which will certainly help relieve cost pressures,” said Canalys VP Mobility Nicole Peng.

Samsung led the market with a 24% share, up from 19% in Q4 2021 as the vendor revamped its 2022 portfolio. Apple came second, largely due to the growing demand for its iPhone 13 series. Xiaomi stayed in third place due to the stellar performance of its Redmi Note series. OPPO (including OnePlus) and Vivo completed the top five with 10% and 8% shares respectively. 

“Despite the looming uncertainty in global markets, the leading vendors accelerated their growth by broadening device portfolios for 2022,” stated Canalys analyst Sanyam Chaurasia.

“While the iPhone 13 series continues to capture consumer demand, the new iPhone SE launched in March is becoming an important mid-range volume driver for Apple. Samsung ramped up production of its popular A series to compete aggressively in the mid-to-low-end segment while refreshing its 2022 portfolio, including its flagship Galaxy S22 series,” he said, adding that while Chinese vendors are still suffering supply constraints at the low end, their global expansion is being hampered by a slowdown in their home market.