Counterpoint Research: Global smartphone shipments are expected to reach 1.15 billion units in 2023, a 6% year-on-year decrease

The smartphone market has never been so bleak. According to the latest preliminary data from Counterpoint Research on global smartphone shipments, global smartphone shipments will fall by 6% in 2023 to 1.15 billion units, the lowest level in the past decade. The report pointed out that various regions are facing macro issues, which have extended the replacement cycle of smartphones to record levels.

Counterpoint said that Asia (excluding China and India), North America and China are likely to be the main drivers of negative growth. We remain cautious about the first quarter of 2024, and the pace of recovery in 2024 may be delayed.

“There’s been a disconnect between economic conditions and consumers purchasing phones, with phone upgrade rates hitting record lows across all carriers so far this year,” said Jeff Fieldhack, research director for North America.

At the beginning of this year, IDC pointed out that although the 2022 epidemic had a great impact on China's smartphone market, in essence, the impact of the epidemic only played a role of adding insult to injury. After all, before the outbreak of the epidemic in 2020, China's smartphone market had already begun to decline continuously, and the outbreak only caused a greater decline.

Therefore, the main reason for the continuous decline of China's smartphone market is what the entire industry has always known:

The market is saturated and the replacement cycle is lengthening;

Technological development has encountered bottlenecks, and new product innovation is insufficient;

The driving force of 5G is lower than expected, and there is a lack of new killer applications;

Various factors such as product quality is getting better and better and performance surplus;

As well as problems such as declining consumer income and lack of consumer confidence caused by the epidemic.

IDC predicts that the outlook for China's smartphone market in 2023 is still not optimistic, and it is difficult to see an immediate and significant rebound. Only with the gradual improvement and increase of the overall economic environment and income, and the restoration of consumer confidence, will market demand be expected to truly rebound in the second half of this year .

Zikuai Technology