China's Smartphone Market Fell 13.2% to a Decade Low in 2022, IDC Reports

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For more information, contact:

• Michael De La Cruz  Email: mdelacruz@idc.com
• Will Wong  Email: wwong@idc.com  Phone number: +65 8515 4671
• Maggie Xie  Email: mxie@idc.com  Phone number: +86 10 5889 1558
• Xi Wang  Email: xiwang@idc.com  Phone number: +86 10 5889 1528
• Miguel Carreon  Email: mcarreon@idc.com

SINGAPORE, 30 Jan 2023 – According to the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, 285.8 million smartphones shipped in China in 2022, down 13.2% year-on-year (YoY) to below the 300 million mark for the first time in ten years. In 4Q22, the market declined 12.6% YoY to 72.9 million units.

Both full-year 2022 and 4Q22 shipments were near their decade-ago levels as the strict COVID policy and the economic slowdown discouraged demand. Even though smartphones are nearly ubiquitous in China today, the full-year market size neared the level ten years ago when two out of five mobile phone shipments were still feature phones.

Honor was the only Top 5 player that achieved growth in 2022 due to a low comparison base year and its aggressive product portfolio development. In 4Q22, Apple’s iPhone assembly facility in Zhengzhou managed to return to its normal pace in December despite the COVID-induced disruptions in the prior month. The production recovery, along with the Singles’ Day online shopping festival, allowed Apple to maintain a seasonal quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) growth.

“The historically low shipments raise an alarm bell for smartphone vendors to rethink how to build a more sustainable business model and a more targeted marketing strategy,” said Will Wong, Senior Research Manager for Client Devices at IDC Asia/Pacific. Wong adds, “On the positive side, the end of the zero-COVID policy provides a tailwind to the market, though a quick rebound is unlikely as consumers spend on areas like leisure and services instead.”

To know more about the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, please contact Will Wong at wwong@idc.com. For media inquiries, please contact Miguel Carreon at mcarreon@idc.com  or Michael de la Cruz at mdelacruz@idc.com.

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