According to the IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, the Australia smartphone market remained flat with 7.38 million units in 2022, a meager growth of 0.1% on year.
Usually, the fourth quarter of the year is a strong period with year-end holiday sales and promotions. However, fourth-quarter 2022 shipments saw a decline of 5.8% on year with 2.2 million units.
"This drop can be attributed to the tapering consumer demand and cautious spending due to rising living costs, high inflation and growing macro-economic concerns," said Yash Gupta, lead analyst for Mobile Phone Research at IDC Australia.
Top-5 smartphone vendor highlights
Apple was a bright spot as its shipment increased 1.6% on year in the fourth quarter of 2022. The new iPhone 14 series did well in the market, fully utilizing the year-end holiday sales. Apple's overall shipment grew 4.3% on year for the full year of 2022, broadly outperforming the other vendors and holding a 49.4% market share in 2022.
Samsung declined 24.8% on year in the fourth quarter of 2022. Its low-end models such as Galaxy A13, A23, and A33 did well in the market but the mid-segment models such as Galaxy A53 and A73 saw softening demand. The Galaxy S22 series also had a slowdown in demand in comparison to the previous variant. The Galaxy Flip and Fold series had a great run in the third quarter but subsequently slowed down in the fourth quarter. Samsung's overall shipment declined 4.7% on year in 2022 with a market share of 28.9%.
Oppo declined 8.1% on year in the fourth quarter of 2022, holding a 4.7% market share. It had increased its portfolio with Reno and Find series but its affordable smartphone range such as the A16s, A57, A77s, and A54 were the main workhorses across its portfolio. Overall, in 2022, Oppo had a 12.1% on-year increase and held a 5.1% market share.
Google had a strong quarter in the fourth quarter of 2022 with an increase of 80.1% on year and accounting for 4.1% of the market. Its supply improved significantly, and Pixel 7 series did well in the market. Google's overall shipment grew by 52.6% on year, with a 2.6% market share.
HMD (Nokia) faced a steep shipment drop of 16.6% on year in the fourth quarter of 2022, due to a lack of innovation in their product and marketing to attract young buyers. In 2022, its shipments declined by 7.1% on year with a 3.4% market share.
The overall smartphone market in Australia is expected to remain muted, declining by 1.3% in 2023 due to high inflation and low consumer confidence. As rising cost of living puts pressure on household budgets across the country, consumers will remain cautious in their device purchases, impacting overall smartphone shipments during the year.
IDC: Australia smartphone market shipments by top-5 vendors, 2022 (k units) | |||||
Company | 2022 shipments | 2022 market share | 2021 shipments | 2021 market share | Y/Y |
1. Apple | 3,649 | 49.4% | 3,498 | 47.5% | 4.3% |
2. Samsung | 2,131 | 28.9% | 2,235 | 30.4% | (4.7%) |
3. Oppo | 375 | 5.1% | 334 | 4.6% | 12.1% |
4. HMD | 249 | 3.4% | 268 | 3.6% | (7.1%) |
5. Google | 191 | 2.6% | 125 | 1.7% | 52.6% |
Others | 782 | 10.6% | 896 | 12.2% | (12.7%) |
Total | 7,379 | 100% | 7,360 | 100% | 0.3% |
Source: IDC, compiled by DIGITIMES, March 2023
IDC: Australia smartphone market shipments by top-5 vendors, 4Q22 (k units) | |||||
Company | 4Q22 shipments | 4Q22 market share | 4Q21 shipments | 4Q21 market share | Y/Y |
1. Apple | 1,328 | 60.4% | 1,306 | 56% | 1.6% |
2. Samsung | 421 | 19.2% | 560 | 24% | (24.8%) |
3. Oppo | 102 | 4.7% | 111 | 4.8% | (8.1%) |
4. Google | 89 | 4.1% | 49 | 2.1% | 80.1 |
5. HMD | 84 | 3.8% | 100 | 4.3% | (16.6%) |
Others | 173 | 7.9% | 206 | 8.8% | (16%) |
Total | 2,199 | 100% | 2,335 | 100% | (5.8%) |
Source: IDC, compiled by DIGITIMES, March 2023
