Apple’s iPhone stays strong as global smartphone sales slump

Best Picture, star Troy Kotsur is the first Deaf male actor to win an Oscar

The latest Canalys data once again confirms that when the chips are down consumers will pay for quality and longevity as they prepare for challenging times. Even as global sales of smartphones slumped, more people purchased iPhones than ever before.

Quality counts in challenging times

Apple’s famed ex-designer, Jony Ive, once explained why this is the case, saying:

“As consumers we are incredibly discerning, we sense where has been great care in the design, and when there is cynicism and greed.”

This commitment continues to drive dividends, it seems.

The deal here is that as global sales fell 11 percent, sales of Apple and Samsung devices climbed. iPhone 13 pushed much of Apple’s demand. Apple took 18% of global smartphone sales, the analysts said.

“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.”

But long-term challenges remain

Samsung isn’t doing too poorly on strength of it’s A-series devices, Canalys claims.

The longer term is a little challenging, they warn, particularly around component and production supply:

“The global smartphone market was held back by an unsettled business environment in Q1,” said Canalys VP Mobility Nicole Peng.

When the chips are down consumers will pay for quality and longevity

“Markets saw a spike in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant, though minimal hospitalizations and high vaccination rates helped normalize consumer activity quickly. Vendors face major uncertainty due to the Russia-Ukraine war, China’s rolling lockdowns and the threat of inflation. All this added to traditionally slow seasonal demand.

[Also read: Apple as a service could yield $5k/year from some customers]

“Vendors must equip themselves to respond quickly to emerging opportunities and risks while staying focused on their long-term strategic plans. The good news is that the painful component shortages might improve sooner than expected, which will certainly help relieve cost pressures.”

Updated since publication, because headline was wrong.

Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.