In exciting news from Omdia's latest research, the fourth quarter of 2023 saw a surge in smartphone shipments, hitting a total of 328 million units. This marks an impressive 8.6% increase compared to the same period in 2022. It's a significant turnaround as it ends a streak of nine consecutive quarters where shipments were declining year-on-year. The growth is seen as a sign of stability following a period of high demand in late 2020 to mid-2021, followed by supply chain challenges in 2022.
Most major smartphone makers, except Samsung, experienced year-on-year growth. Xiaomi, Transsion, and Huawei saw particularly robust growth rates of over 20%. However, despite this growth, the total shipments for 2023 actually dipped by 3.5% compared to 2022, totaling 1,164.7 million units.
Apple took the lead in the fourth quarter of 2023, shipping 78.7 million units with the release of the iPhone 15 series. This marks a 6.5% increase from the previous year and represents Apple's best quarter since late 2021. On the other hand, Samsung experienced a 9% decline in shipments compared to the fourth quarter of 2022, resulting in a 12.9% drop in total shipments for 2023.
This decline for Samsung could be attributed to reduced demand for mid-range and budget smartphones amid global inflation and rising living costs. Meanwhile, Xiaomi maintained its shipment numbers, signaling a recovery from a period of declining market share. Transsion saw remarkable growth, becoming the fourth largest OEM in the fourth quarter of 2023.
According to Zaker Li, a principal analyst at Omdia, Transsion's growth can be attributed to several factors, including addressing inventory issues early, meeting consumer needs amid inflation, and a robust market expansion strategy.
Oppo and vivo also saw slight increases in shipments, indicating a gradual recovery. However, Honor recorded only a small increase, while Motorola and Huawei saw significant rises in shipments, reshuffling the rankings in the last quarter of 2023. Realme, despite a late growth spurt, experienced the largest decline in shipments throughout 2023.
Overall, the smartphone market shows signs of recovery and adaptation to changing global conditions, with Apple taking the lead in an increasingly competitive landscape.
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