Smartphone – Shipments down 6% – Is Apple now going all the way to the top?

Smartphone – Shipments down 6% – Is Apple now going all the way to the top?
San Francisco, 8/18/2023
According to preliminary figures from Counterpoint Research’s latest Global Smartphone Shipment Forecast, 2023 is likely to be the weakest year for global smartphone shipments in a decade.

This year’s deliveries are expected to fall 6% to 1.15 billion units. This comes after U.S. smartphone shipments plummeted 24% year over year in the second quarter of 2023, the third straight quarter of declines.

Even as inflation falls, consumers are reluctant to upgrade their phones, which Counterpoint says is driving replacement cycle rates to record highs around the world. Meanwhile, Chinese smartphone sales, which previously peaked at 450 million a year, have fallen to 270 million a year.

However, Apple is poised to outperform the competition as it prepares to launch the iPhone 15 in September. According to Counterpoint’s Jeff Fieldhack, Apple could top global annual shipments for the first time in 2023 due to its strength in the premium phone market. He expects Apple’s promotions to be “aggressive” this year as the company tries to attract the large number of iPhone 12 users who may want an upgrade. Apple is also well positioned in China as the premium smartphone segment gains more market share.

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