Canalys has published its latest smartphone sales report in China. It focuses on the last quarter of 2022 and the whole fiscal year. And the results are unwelcoming.
The market saw a 14% drop in overall shipments. It dipped below 300 million units for the first time in almost a decade.
During Q4 2022, Apple was the top smartphone maker with a 22% market share. Yet, shipments declined by 24%.
The Chinese market is significant for smartphone manufacturers. The Asian country is the biggest market in the world. About 25% of all smartphones worldwide are sold there.
Canalys reveals most vendors have been dealing with inventory issues in 2022 and some had trouble clearing out stock.
China is moving towards a premium market. Makers are launching products with better ecosystem experiences.
The analysts pointed out the Xiaomi-Leica partnership with the 13 Pro smartphone, and Oppo with the expansion of its foldables portfolio to include the Find N2 Flip.
vivo remains at the top for the year. But Honor, Apple, and Oppo are very close behind.
All four manufacturers have a similar market share of around 18%. This is followed by Xiaomi with 13%.
Most companies had a yearly decline in shipments. Apple had a minor increase. Honor skyrocketed with a massive 30% jump. The company was making its first steps in 2022.
| Vendor | 2022 shipments (million) | 2022 market share | 2021 shipments (million) | 2021 market share | Annual growth |
| vivo | 52.2 | 18% | 71.5 | 21% | -27% |
| Honor | 52.2 | 18% | 40.2 | 12% | 30% |
| Apple | 51.3 | 18% | 49.4 | 15% | 4% |
| Oppo | 50.4 | 18% | 50.5 | 21% | -27% |
| Xiaomi | 38.6 | 13% | 52.5 | 16% | -19% |
| Others | 42.6 | 15% | 52.5 | 16% | -19% |
| Total | 287.3 | 100% | 332.9 | 100% | -14% |
Expectations for 2023 are that demand might need one year to bring numbers back above 300 million.
Still, the overall market results should increase as the effect of the pandemic is not much of an issue. The supply chain will soon stabilize. And business activities and consumer confidence are likely to return.
