Who will sell the most smartphones in 2022?
Samsung and Apple succeed and grow in a global market that shrinks by 11% in 2022. Their top 5 competitors Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo are lagging behind.
Which companies managed to sell the most in the smartphone market in 2022? No surprises really. The three winners are the same as last year, according to analyst firm Canalys. The first three are Samsung, Apple and Xiaomi. Then Oppo and Vivo complete the top 5.
If the rating has not changed, the numbers show that the first two systematically dominate. In global sales, Samsung increases by 20-22%, Apple by 17-19%, Xiaomi by 14-13%, and Oppo and Vivo decrease by 9%.
It would be easy to assume that the two leading giants have won it all, but the situation is more complicated than that. Smartphone shipments fell 11% to less than 1.2 billion in 2022.
Apple is the undisputed champion of the fourth quarter
Given that the iPhone release schedule has clearly shown that Apple often outperforms the fourth quarter, it’s also worth noting that Apple ended the year on a high note. With a market share of 23% in 2020 and 2021, the apple brand finally took the top spot with 25% of sales this year.
In the fourth quarter, Samsung continued its upward trajectory, falling from 19% to 20%, as did Oppo in fourth place, which improved from 9% to 10%. Vivo continues to account for 8% of sales, while Xiaomi holds a narrow third place with 11%.
How can such performances be explained?
One would be inclined to blame this decline on a lack of creativity by brands, but business analytics, meanwhile, question the complex economic environment. “In 2022, in a difficult macroeconomic environment, smartphone vendors struggled. The fourth quarter represents the worst annual and quarterly results in the last decade,” Canalys analyst Runar Bjrhovde said. According to the company, 2023 will be equally difficult.
“The channel has been very cautious in taking new inventory which contributed to weak deliveries in the fourth quarter. The holiday sales season, supported by strong promotional incentives from retailers and channels, helped reduce inventory levels. While low-to-mid-tier demand declined rapidly in the previous quarters, high-end demand began to decline in the fourth quarter. Market performance in Q4 2022 is markedly different from Q4 2021, where demand increased and supply issues eased.
Who will sell the most smartphones in 2022?
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The smartphone market as a whole is struggling. However, not everyone experiences this collapse as quickly as others. Vivo, Xiaomi and Oppo see sharp declines, but Samsung and Apple maintain sales despite the crisis.
The smartphone market stumbled slightly, declining 11% in 2022. At least that’s what research firm Canalys claims, as it tracks manufacturers’ smartphone shipments, a reliable indicator of global sales volume.
They claim that 1.2 billion phones have been sold worldwide. Moreover, we can easily estimate the number of phones sold by Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo, as the company also reports the top 5 market shares during the year.
“Vendors will approach 2023 with caution, prioritizing profitability and protecting market share,” Canalys Research analyst Le Xuan Chiew said. “Suppliers are reducing their costs to adapt to the new market reality. As difficult market conditions for channel partners and suppliers can easily lead to difficult negotiations, building strong channel partnerships will be essential to maintaining market share. »
How many smartphones were sold in the top 5
Remember that these are estimates, especially since Canalys takes care to round from time to time to show percentages. The result of the calculation is:
- Samsung: about 264 million (22%);
- Apple: about 228 million (19%);
- Xiaomi: about 156 million (13%);
- Oppo: about 108 million (9%).
- Vivo: about 108 million (9%).
Compared to 2021, when 1.35 billion smartphones will be sold, according to Canalys:
- Samsung: about 274.5 million (20%);
- Apple: about 230.1 million (17%);
- Xiaomi: about 191.2 million (14%);
- Oppo: about 145.1 million (11%);
- Vivo: about 129.9 million (10%).
“Although inflationary pressures are gradually easing, the impact of interest rate hikes, economic slowdowns and an increasingly tight labor market will limit market potential,” Chiew added. “This will have a negative impact on saturated markets such as Western Europe and North America, where the mid- and high-end dominate. While China’s reopening has boosted domestic consumer and business confidence, government stimulus is expected to take effect in only six to nine months, and demand in China will remain difficult in the near term. Still, some regions are expected to experience growth in the second half of 2023, with Southeast Asia in particular seeing an economic revival in China and a revival in tourism, which is helping boost business activity.
Chinese brands face huge losses
Therefore, it is clear that all brands in the top 5 are affected by the decline in sales. Not everyone is affected in the same way. Apple lost 0.91% and Samsung lost 3.83%. The percentages for Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo are 18.41% loss for Xiaomi, 16.86% loss for Vivo and 25.57% loss for Oppo, the latter being the worst loss in history.
These numbers certainly explain the regression of Chinese manufacturers in 2022, which often prevents them from launching many models on the world market, a problem that especially affects models that serve as a reference for brands. Examples include the unreleased Xiaomi 12S Ultra, Oppo Find N and Vivo X90.
