Unsurprisingly, the end of 2022 was very prolific for Apple, which generally takes advantage of the release of its new generation of iPhone to increase its market share. This time, the Cupertino company even managed to pass Samsung, which still maintains its first place over the whole year. 2023, on the other hand, promises to be a game-changer for the entire industry.
It is now a habit to see Apple go up in the ranking of the best sellers of smartphones at the end of the year. There’s nothing supernatural about it: it’s just the market’s reaction to the release of a new iPhone. Of course, 2022 followed this traditional pattern: as soon as the iPhone 14 hit the market, Apple’s shares soared. And this, despite persistent supply problems.
Also, for the last quarter of 2022, Apple grabs 25% market share. A nice performance which still allows to pass in front of Samsung, which thrones for its part with 20% of market share. The other manufacturers are far behind. Xiaomi is third with 11% market share, followed by OPPO (10%) and Vivo (8%).
Related: Samsung Forecasts Sharp Drop in Smartphone Sales in 2023, Going for Foldables
Apple overtakes Samsung in the last quarter of 2022
Despite everything, Samsung unsurprisingly maintained its position as market leader for the whole year, with 22% market share. Apple is a good second with 19% market share, followed by Xiaomi and its 13% market share. The Cupertino company should keep its ranking for the start of 2023, given that the supply worries are in theory over for the iPhone 14.
2023 could also be a somewhat special year for the smartphone market. Samsung has already been pessimistic about its sales forecasts, and it is not Le Xuan Chiew, an analyst at Canalys, who will contradict him. “Establishing strong partnerships with the distribution network will be important to protect market share, as difficult market conditions […] can easily lead to difficult negotiations”explains the latter.
