According to CounterpointResearch‘s Market Pulse Service, worldwide smartphone sales fell to 96 million units in May. The figure represents a 4% decrease from April and a 10% decrease from the May 2021 figures. Remarkably, this is only the second time in the past ten years that the figure has fallen below 100 million units. has fallen for the period .
Counterpoint Research Monthly Market Pulse – May 2022
The 96 million is the second consecutive monthly decline and an eleventh consecutive month of annual sales decline. Despite the strong rebound after the first wave of COVID-19 in 2020, smartphone sales are still not back to pre-pandemic levels. Ongoing supply chain problems are stabilizing, although rising inflation levels coupled with factory slowdowns in China and the crisis in Ukraine are the main factors limiting smartphone demand.
Due to reduced demand, smartphone vendors are experiencing an inventory build-up, which is expected to take its toll in smartphone shipment data in the second quarter. Outlook Analysts at Counterpoint predict that the situation will improve in H2 as supply chains normalize and factories in China are operating at full capacity.
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