Lockdown and supply chain issues shrank smartphone shipments by 8.9 percent in Q1 2022

The global smartphone market is in a right old slump, with sales down by 8.9 per cent year on year in Q1.

New stats from IDCs Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker reveal a third consecutive quarter of decline as shipments fell to 314.1 million units.

The firm sites numerous factors for the drop, most notably supply chain disruption caused by lockdowns in China along with generally depressed consumer confidence and inflation.

“Although some decline was expected in Q1, due to the ongoing supply and logistical challenges and a difficult year-over-year comparison, things seemed to have taken a turn for the worse,” said Nabila Popal research director at IDC.

“Consumer sentiment across all regions, and especially China, is broadly negative with heavy concerns around inflation and economic instability that have dampened consumer spending. This is now coupled with the rising costs of components and transportation and the recent lockdowns in Shanghai, which are exacerbating an already difficult situation.”

In terms of market share, vendor positioning was not altered much during 1Q22. Samsung is still top at 23.4 percent, followed by Apple at 18 percent, with Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo in the next three positions with 12.7 percent, 8.7 percent, and 8.1 percent shares respectively.