According to research firm Counterpoint analysis, global smartphone shipments in 2023 will hit the lowest level in a decade, down 5% year-on-year to 11600 million units, a decrease of 26% from the peak in 2017. Although in Q4 2023, shipments increased by 3% year-on-year to 31.2 billion units, but it could not recover the decline of the whole year.
Shipments in North America and Europe have stagnated this year, but China and emerging markets such as the Middle East, Africa, and India have begun to recover as new growth drivers for the smartphone market.
According to agency statistics, Apple led the market share in the fourth quarter with the new iPhone 15 series, but shipments still fell by 3% year-on-year, mainly due to Huawei's aggressive expansion in China and the postponement of smartphone upgrades in Japan. In the fourth quarter of 2022, the iPhone 14 Pro series accounted for 61% of the entire iPhone 14 series, but in the same period in 2023, the share of the iPhone 15 Pro series is expected to grow to 65%.
Looking ahead to 2024, the agency expects Huawei to achieve an annual growth rate of 37% with the launch of the Mate 60 series and new products, provided that the production of Kirin SoC can be guaranteed. Apple's sales growth in 2024 will be hampered by high U.S. interest rates, which hit consumer spending and competition in China's high-end phone market intensifies. However, India is expected to be a new growth point for Apple's mobile phones, and iPhone shipments in India are expected to increase by 23% in 2024.
Agency**, global smartphone shipments will grow by 3% to 119.9 billion units.