2022 Global Smartphone Shipments Were the Lowest in Nearly a Decade

The smartphone industry capped off another dismal year with a 17% year over year drop for Q4. That number puts the full year's shipping figures 11% below 2021, per new numbers from Canalys, which refer to it as "an extremely challenging year for all vendors." From a report: It's been one thing after another from the industry. Slowing figures pre-dated 2020, while the pandemic and its various knock-on effects have continued tossing up roadblocks. For 2022, the same macroeconomic headwinds that have impacted practically every facet of life took their own toll on the industry. Notably, the figures for the quarter and the year were at their lowest in nearly a decade. The firm tells TechCrunch, "we have to go back to 2013 to find lower numbers -- and back then the market situation was very different as the technology was a lot more emerging." Apple returned to the top spot for Q4, at a quarter of the total market. Samsung held onto No. 2, but still captured the top spot for the entirety of 2022.

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