The ‘gray’ picture of the global mobile market: Discounts and promotions will be the main trends at the end of the year

The global smartphone market has been hit hard in the past few years, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by a decrease in supply due to chip shortages. Manufacturers spent the whole of 2021 “grabbing” with difficulties, then saw users tighten their wallets due to dismal economic conditions.

Most major manufacturers are struggling to return to pre-pandemic sales levels. In the third quarter of this year, overall smartphone market sales fell 9% compared to the same period in 2021. This is the biggest single-quarter decline for the mobile industry since 2014.

It is difficult to see the king of sales in the smartphone market in the third quarter of 2022 as the real winner. Instead, the winner of the “silver medal” deserves praise. Not only is the manufacturer expanding its market share in the top 5, its sales also continue to increase compared to a year ago.

Apple is now only 4 percentage points behind Samsung, instead of 6 percentage points a year ago. The third quarter is said to be the lowest period for Apple, when most users will wait for the launch of new iPhones to accumulate purchases in the fourth quarter.

Even during this period, the company still managed to increase its market share, but the number one position in the market in the fourth quarter seems to be within reach of the “missing apple”.

Meanwhile, with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 on shelves globally in the last quarter, Samsung should have done better than just increasing 1 percentage point of market share (from 21 to 22%). ).

Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo still maintain their positions in the top 5 of the largest manufacturers in the market with the market share almost unchanged. In which, Oppo decreased by 1 percentage point in market share, Vivo by 2 percentage points while Xiaomi kept its market share at 14%.

In the short term, there is no positive signal for mobile manufacturers. Canalus analysts predict smartphone demand will remain low, not only in the final quarter of 2022 but into 2023 as more and more consumers shift their focus away from buying electronic devices. consumption to other “essential expenditures” such as food, heating, and gasoline.

This is clearly a sad and seemingly inevitable reality for an industry that exploded not so long ago.

Discounts and promotions may be the main trend for the fourth quarter of this year. This seems to be the only way for mobile manufacturers (including Apple) to maintain sales and market share in the current gloomy context.