Smartphones Back 5ccb439aa4785

Global smartphone shipments down 6.6% in Q1 2019—6th straight quarter of decline

May 2, 2019

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.

International Data Corporation (IDC) shared the preliminary findings of its Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker on April 30, showing that smartphone vendor shipments sunk 6.6% year-over-year in Q1 2019—the sixth straight quarter of decline and an acceleration from Q4's 4.9% dip. IDC's data showed that vendors shipped a total of 310.8 million units this past quarter. It follows a 4.1% total decline in 2018 shipments compared to 2017

"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%:

About the Author

Mike Hockett | Former Editor

Mike Hockett was Editor in Chief for EE from September 2018 to Sept. 2019. Previously he served as editor for two manufacturing trade publications: Industrial Distribution, and Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operation. He began in sports writing for a trio of newspapers in Wisconsin and Iowa and earned a BA degree in print journalism from UW-Eau Claire.

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