According to a new report by research firm Omdia, the global smartphone market in Q4 2022 stood at 301.5 million units. This number is the same as Q3 2022, but the YoY (year-on-year) figures are down by 15.4%. While the fourth quarter usually sees a jump in shipment numbers, Q4 2022 saw a drop of 0.7% compared to Q3 2022.
It was Apple that ruled Q4 2022 with 74 million units of iPhones sold, and its shipments increased by 41.6% from the previous quarter. But it saw a decline of 13.3% YoY. Speaking of the South Korean giant Samsung, it dropped from first place to second place recording a shipment of 58 million units in Q4 2022. It witnessed a drop of 15.4% YoY.
Overall, the 2022 smartphone market saw a downfall, and it was the worst year as it recorded overall shipments of 1.207 billion units, a year-on-year decrease of 9.9% from 1.34 billion units last year. However, Samsung's final smartphone shipments in 2022 will be 259 million units, taking it to first place. But when comparing the numbers with 2021, which was 272 million units, the 2022 numbers are down by 4.8%.
The Chinese smartphone OEMs such as Xiaomi, Vivo, and OPPO were the most affected. The smartphone shipment numbers for Xiaomi stood at 33 million, Vivo at 24 million, and Oppo at 23 million. Honor is the only major player that managed to stay afloat and record YoY growth, reaching 59 million units in 2022, compared to 40 million units in 2021. Realme ranked eighth with sales of 11 million units, a decline of 16.9% from the previous quarter.
