Counterpoint: In 2023, China's smartphone sales volume decreased by 1.4% year-on-year.
In 2023, China's smartphone sales volume decreased by 1.4% year-on-year, achieving quarterly growth for the first time in over two years. Apple and Huawei led in sales, with Apple's sales in the fourth quarter dropping by 9.0% year-on-year, while Huawei's sales increased by 71.1%. Honor maintained strong growth. It is expected that the Chinese market will see its first low single-digit year-on-year growth since 2018 in 2024. The U.S. smartphone market saw a recovery in the fourth quarter of 2023, with Apple's market share reaching a new high since 2019. Android phone sales declined, along with a decrease in U.S. carrier upgrade rates and device sales. Smartphone shipments in Indonesia decreased by 1% year-on-year, with growth in the mid-range and high-end markets. Transsion Group saw a 34% year-on-year growth. In 2023, 5G smartphone shipments increased by 10% year-on-year. Consumer confidence in Thailand is expected to improve.
Zhitong App learned that Counterpoint Research recently released a summary of the 2023 smartphone shipment report for various markets. In 2023, the smartphone sales in China decreased by 1.4% year-on-year, compared to a 13.9% decline in 2022. In the fourth quarter of 2023, smartphone sales in China increased by 6.6% year-on-year, marking the first quarterly growth in over two years. Apple topped the list, followed closely by Huawei. Apple's sales in the fourth quarter decreased by 9.0% year-on-year, while Huawei's sales grew by 71.1% driven by its 5G chips. From the third quarter to the fourth quarter, Honor maintained strong growth. It is expected that the Chinese market will see a low single-digit year-on-year growth for the first time since 2018 in 2024.
In the US smartphone market, there was a recovery in the fourth quarter of 2023, with Apple's market share reaching a new high since the fourth quarter of 2020.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, Apple's sales share soared to 64%, the highest level since the fourth quarter of 2020. Due to weak demand from low-end original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), Android phone sales declined in the fourth quarter. US carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all reported a decline in upgrade rates and device sales. With the economic recovery, it is expected that the US smartphone market will achieve low single-digit growth in 2024.
Indonesia saw a 6% decline in smartphone shipments in 2023.
Compared to a 10% decline in the first half of 2023, smartphone shipments in Indonesia in the second half of 2023 decreased by 1% year-on-year. In the second half of 2023, the mid-range (400-600 USD) and high-end (>600 USD) segment markets grew by 13% and 11% respectively. Transsion Group maintained strong momentum in 2023, with a 34% year-on-year growth. Shipments of 5G smartphones in 2023 increased by 10%.
Due to the improvement in consumer confidence at the end of the year, the smartphone market in Thailand is expected to grow by 2% YoY in 2023. In the same year, the sub-segment market for smartphones priced below $200 saw a 17% YoY growth, while all other price segments experienced a decline. Samsung leads the smartphone market in Thailand with a 21% market share, despite an overall 4% decrease in brand shipments. In the sub-segment market below $200, 5G smartphones saw a remarkable growth of 139%.
In Colombia, the smartphone shipments in Q4 of 2023 dropped by 8.4% YoY, marking the lowest performance since 2020.
In Bangladesh, the smartphone shipments in 2023 decreased by 25% YoY, with vivo securing the top spot in the market.
In Europe, smartphone shipments in Q4 of 2023 declined by 3% YoY, showing signs of recovery.
These trends indicate the dynamics of the smartphone market in different regions and the strategies of key players in response to market challenges.
- In the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, the smartphone market has shown strong growth, with TECNO surpassing Samsung for the first time to take the lead.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, smartphone shipments in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region increased by 30% year-on-year and 9% quarter-on-quarter. The full-year shipment volume in 2023 increased by 11% year-on-year, reflecting the continuous growth in market demand and improved consumer confidence. Shipments of 5G smartphones in this quarter increased by 60% year-on-year, mainly driven by Samsung and Apple. TECNO saw a 77% year-on-year growth in the fourth quarter, surpassing Samsung to become the market leader for the first time. Honor, with the launch of multiple new products in different price segments, achieved the highest year-on-year growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2023.
- In the Latin American smartphone market, there was a 3% year-on-year decline in 2023, but with intensifying competition, the market is expected to grow.
Counterpoint predicts that the Total Addressable Market (TAM) for smartphones in this region will achieve low single-digit percentage growth in 2024. Smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2023 increased by 4.2% year-on-year, marking the second consecutive quarter of growth in the region. Samsung still holds the top position in the region, with a market share of 30.5% in the fourth quarter of 2023, down from 39.2% in the same period in 2022. Apple had its best quarter ever with a market share of 7.7%. Honor ranked fifth in the fourth quarter of 2023 with a market share of 4.6%, its highest level in history.
- The Indian smartphone market continued to perform steadily in 2023, with Apple's shipments surpassing ten million units for the first time.
Samsung led the market in 2023 with an 18% share, claiming the top spot for the first time since 2017. Vivo ranked second in 2023 with a 17% share and dominated the entry-level to high-end market segment (30,000 to 45,000 Indian Rupees) with a 33% share. Apple's shipments surpassed ten million units, helping the company secure the top spot in annual revenue for the first time. The market share of 5G smartphones in 2023 exceeded 52%, with a 66% year-on-year growth.
