Worldwide smartphone shipments fell 11% amid unfavorable economic conditions and sluggish seasonal demand in the first quarter of 2022, according to the Canalys research group. But it was a pretty good period for the iPhone.
Samsung led the market with a 24% share, up from 19% in quarter four of 2021 as the vendor revamped its 2022 portfolio, reports Canalys. Apple came second, with a solid first quarter thanks to the growing demand for its iPhone 13 series. Apple saw its worldwide market share grow from 15% in the first quarter of 2021 to 18% in the first quarter of 2022.
Xiaomi stayed in third place due to the stellar performance of its Redmi Note series. OPPO (including OnePlus) and vivo completed the top five with 10% and 8% shares.
“Despite the looming uncertainty in global markets, the leading vendors accelerated their growth by broadening device portfolios for 2022,” said Canalys Analyst Sanyam Chaurasia. “While the iPhone 13 series continues to capture consumer demand, the new iPhone SE launched in March is becoming an important mid-range volume driver for Apple. At a similar price point to its predecessor, it offers an upgraded chipset and improved battery performance and adds the 5G connectivity that operator channels are demanding.”
