Canalys, a renowned market research agency, has disclosed worrying numbers for the North American smartphone market in Q2 2023, calling it the “worst quarterly performance in over ten years.”
The data show a stunning 22% drop when compared to the same quarter the prior year. Canalys has predicted a 12 percent decline for the entire year of 2023.
Both 2022 and 2023 are expected to be difficult years for smartphone sales, with falls of 9 and 12 percent, respectively. Canalys, on the other hand, predicts a minor recovery in 2024, with a 3% gain in the smartphone market.
Apple Experiences a 20% Drop in Q2 2023, but Holds Dominate
Amid this downturn, Apple, the smartphone industry’s behemoth, witnessed a dramatic 20% drop in Q2, despite maintaining a commanding 54 percent market share.
Samsung, which finished second, experienced a dramatic 27 percent loss, with a 24 percent market share in Q2 2023. Following closely after is Motorola, which suffered a 25% decline, securing only an 8% market share.
Unexpectedly, TCL, best known for its TV goods and briefly dabbled in smartphones, experienced the greatest setback, falling by 30% and having only a 5% market share.
Google sees a 59% increase in Pixel sales; only one company maintains sales.
Surprisingly, Google was the only business to come out of this quarter undamaged. Despite being at the bottom of the smartphone sales lists, Google saw a spectacular 59 percent rise in Pixel phone sales, allowing them to capture 4% of the market.
This pattern is similar to the previous year, when Google increased its market share from 1% to 2%. At its present rate of expansion, the company could soon take fourth place in the market.
The chart’s most noticeable highlight is the “others” group, which saw a substantial 43 percent reduction, signaling increasing consolidation within the Android industry. This group is likely to include brands like OnePlus, HMD/Nokia, and low-cost sellers like Blu.
According to Canalys, the low-end industry is failing due to declining prepaid demand. Significantly, the average sell price has climbed year on year from $663 to $738, showing a growth in premium phone sales while budget suppliers face growing hurdles. Despite overall market losses, Canalys estimates a significant 25% and 23% increase in premium sector shipments for Apple and Samsung, respectively, in Q2 2023.