Global smartphone shipments experienced their largest decline on record in late 2022, falling nearly 20% in the fourth quarter, according to market research firm International Data Corporation, which released its latest quarterly report on Monday, monitoring cell phone sales Worldwide.
IDC data showed smartphone shipments fell 18.3% year over year in the latest quarter, marking the biggest drop on record in a single quarter. The decline was partly responsible for the 11.3% annual decline in 2022, which saw just 1.21 billion units shipped, the lowest annual total since 2013. According to the report, only 300.3 million units were shipped in the fourth quarter of 2022″.
The report attributed the declines to a convergence of economic factors, such as falling consumer demand, inflation, a looming recession, and global supply chain issues, which have put downward pressure on his expectations for 2023.
“For the first time, holiday quarter deliveries were down from the previous quarter,” said Nabila Popal, director of research at IDC, in the report. “However, weak demand and high inventory caused sellers to reduce shipments significantly. Strong sales and promotions during the quarter helped deplete existing inventory rather than fuel shipment growth.”
The “IDC” report indicated that even “seemingly immune” tech giant Apple has been hit by economic uncertainties that have also plagued the smartphone market, as unexpected factory closures in led to delays in shipments of “Apple” products before 2022.
However, there may be a silver lining for consumers, as the ‘IDC’ report indicates that people could be in able to find more generous offers and promotions continuing into 2023 as the market thinks of new ways to promote promotions and upselling.
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