China’s smartphone sales declined 14% y-o-y in 2022 to reach their lowest level in a decade, according to Counterpoint Research’s Market Pulse Service.
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“The 2022 was also the fifth consecutive year of y-o-y sales declines in China. Macroeconomic headwinds and the impact of COVID-19 led to the sales plunge,” claims Counterpoint Research.
In Q4 2022, China’s smartphone sales declined 15% y-o-y. Therefore, sales declined y-o-y in double digits in every quarter of 2022.
The sudden relaxing of the COVID-19 policy in December resulted in a surge in cases and led the market to decline 5% q-o-q to record its lowest quarterly sales in the year, the report highlights.
The research firm analysed that since the spring of 2022, many cities in China, were being subjected to COVID-19 restrictions, which negatively impacted consumer sentiment and further delayed smartphone replacements.
In 2022, Vivo retained top spot with a 19.2% market share in China, followed by Apple at 18% and Oppo at 17.5% came third.
Apple declined 3% y-o-y in 2022 but was able to outperform the market to become the number two brand in China for the first time for a full year. It also reached its highest-ever quarterly share, capturing 23.7% of the sales in Q4 2022.
Honor was the only brand in 2022 to have positive growth at 38% y-o-y. This growth was mainly due to a lower base in 2021, said Counterpoint.
Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi saw y-o-y declines of 23%, 27% and 19% respectively in 2022 as demand dropped amid economic uncertainty.
