According to the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, 285,8-million smartphones shipped in China in 2022, down 13,2% year-on-year to below the 300-million mark for the first time in 10 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 10 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 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,” says Will Wong, senior research manager for Client Devices at IDC Asia/Pacific. “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.