What you need to know
- The global smartphone market fell by 12% compared to the same quarter last year.
- Samsung has regained its top spot as the smartphone vendor that shipped the most smartphones.
- Apple and Xiaomi follow in the second and third places, respectively.
It's no secret that the smartphone industry hasn't been in the best shape lately. The market has suffered from a decline in shipments over the past year, and the latest figures reveal that 2023 didn't start on an overall positive note. Although, there is some good news for Samsung.
According to a preliminary report from Canalys, Samsung took the top spot for smartphone shipments in Q1 2023, a title Apple held during Q4 2022. Samsung accounted for 22% of shipments, with Cupertino closely behind at 21% and Xiaomi trailing at 11%.
However, despite Samsung's fairly triumphant quarter, smartphone shipments overall declined by 12% compared to the same quarter in 2022, highlighting the struggles companies are still facing amid lower demand.
Canalys analyst Sanyam Chaurasia attributes lower inventory levels to "sluggish end-user demand," which affects all levels of the supply chain.
"The local macroeconomic conditions continued to hinder vendors' investments and operations in several markets," says Chaurasia. "Despite price cuts and heavy promotions from vendors, consumer demand remained sluggish, particularly in the low-end segment due to high inflation affecting consumer confidence and spending."
However, things may be looking up, as noted by Canalys analyst Toby Zhu, who notes improved demand for "certain smartphone products and price bands," among other variables.
"Canalys predicts that the inventory of the smartphone industry, irrespective of channel or vendor, can reach a relatively healthy level by the end of the second quarter of 2023," remarks Zhu, who notes that it's still too early to predict whether consumer demand will recover.
The report comes shortly after Samsung signaled a weak profit guidance for its most recent quarter due to declining semiconductor demand. However, the company's lifeline remains its smartphone business thanks to the popularity of the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Canalys also notes that despite the struggling market, Samsung is the only top vendor to achieve quarterly growth.
Samsung is expected to announce its full Q1 2023 financial earnings on April 27.
Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra is the ultimate Android phone when it comes to photography and productivity, thanks to the 200MP camera sensor, built-in S Pen, and the amazing performance of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
