Tokyo-based IT research firm IDC Japan Co., Ltd. has published a report on the shipment volume of traditional smartphones in the domestic market for Q4, that is the October to December period in 2022 and for the entire year 2022.
The report reveals a 15.8 percent YoY drop in the total shipment volume of conventional mobile phones and smartphones for Q4 2022, amounting to 8.6 million units shipped during the period. Within this, smartphone shipments made for 8.5 million units, which again is a 16.0 percent YoY decrease. The drop in shipment volume can be attributed to several factors, such as the cessation of discount campaigns by various distributors and mass retailers, the hike in prices of new products due to global inflation, and the anticipated decline in demand.
In the fourth quarter of 2022, Apple held the top spot as the leading vendor with 51.2 percent market share, followed by Sharp with 1.2 million units shipped (13.8 percent share), Samsung with 750,000 units shipped (8.7 percent share), FCNT with 730,000 units shipped (8.5 percent share), and Sony with 560,000 units shipped (6.5 percent share).
For the full year of 2022, the total shipment volume was 34.3 million units, indicating an 8.1 percent decrease from the previous year. Apple maintained its leadership with 16.6 million units (48.4 percent share), with Sharp making up the second spot with 3.8 million units (11.1 percent share). FCNT, Samsung, and Sony followed behind with 3.5 million units (10.3 percent share), 3.1 million units (9.0 percent share), and 2.6 million units (7.5 percent share), respectively.
Despite a 3.8 percent decline in shipments compared to the previous year, Apple managed to ship 16.6 million units, which is considered a positive outcome in recent times. Meanwhile, FCNT, Samsung, and Sony experienced notable increases in shipments, with FCNT rising by 34.1 percent year-on-year and Samsung by 17.7 percent year-on-year.
To sum up, despite facing challenges such as global inflation, supply chain disruptions, and rising material costs, the domestic mobile phone market maintained its high level in 2022. Additionally, the price of smartphones is declining rapidly, and manufacturers are eager to explore new technologies to increase the value of their devices.
