Global smartphone shipments down 6.6% in Q1 2019—6th straight quarter of decline
The woes of the global smartphone market continued in the first quarter of 2019, continuing now a year and a half of decline amid factors of saturation, diminishing innovations, and the onset of 5G.
"This quarter's results are a clear sign that 2019 will be another down year for worldwide smartphone shipments," IDC stated in a press release April 30. "The only highlight from a vendor perspective was Huawei, which made a strong statement by growing volume and share despite market headwinds."
Geographically, it was the U.S. market that felt the worst of the decline in Q1 2019, with smartphone volumes down 15% year-over-year. IDC mentioned that slowing replacement rates continue to weigh on the U.S. market, and that Apple iPhone challenges contributed to the poor Q1, they weren't the only major vendor struggling. Samsung, LG, and others witnessed declining volumes in Q1.
"The less than stellar first quarter in the United States can be attributed to the continued slowdown we are witnessing at the high end of the market," said Anthony Scarsella, research manager with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. "Consumers continue to hold on to their phones longer than before as newer higher priced models offer little incentive to shell out top dollar to upgrade. Moreover, the pending arrival of 5G handsets could have consumers waiting until both the networks and devices are ready for prime time in 2020."
See IDC's Q1 2019 worldwide smartphone shipment figures for the leading vendors below, which include that Huawei's shipments surged more than 50% year-over-year, while Apple's dropped more than 30%:
