Smartphone sales fall to 10-year low in China

Smartphone sales in China have dropped by 13% year-on-year to 2022; the biggest decline in ten years, according to research firm IDC.

The total number of these devices shipped was 286 million, compared to 329 million phones last year. This means the 2022 sales total is the lowest since 2013, and the first time since then that annual sales have fallen below 300 million.

According to IDC, this reduction in sales is due to multiple lockdowns, as well as other restrictive measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which have negatively affected both the Chinese economy in general and consumer mood.

The best-selling smartphone brand in China last year was Vivo, with 18.6% market share. However, the company's global sales fell 25.1% year-over-year.

Among the other brands that sold the most smartphones in China, Honor occupies the second place, whose sales grew by more than 34%. The third place is shared by Apple and Oppo, each with a 16.8% market share. The Chinese Xiaomi occupies only the fifth place, with its 13.7% market share, on this list.

In addition, American Apple and Chinese Xiaomi are among the top three smartphone manufacturers in the world market. Apple is the first in the world in terms of sales, and Xiaomi is the third.

Earlier, IDC released data on global smartphone shipments, which fell 11.3% in 2022 and, also, became the worst since 2013.