“Consumers will pay less for new smartphones”

The average amount consumers around the world spend on a smartphone according to IDC drop to $376. In 2022, an average of $415 was paid for a phone.

Average prices have risen in recent years, partly due to the arrival of higher-end smartphones costing more than a thousand euros, such as the Pro and Ultra models And folding phones.

No recovery yet this year

IDC expected phone sales to rise again this year, but that forecast has been revised down. A drop of 1.1% is expected, or a total of 1.19 billion smartphones worldwide. IDC thinks the phone market won’t recover until 2024.

“Due to rising costs and continued weak consumer demand, manufacturers are quite cautious about 2023,” said Nabila Popal, research director at IDC. “However, we remain confident that the global market will return to growth in 2024.”

More foldable phones

Foldable phones are still a growing segment. IDC expects 22 million units to be sold this year, an increase of 50%. Other manufacturers will launch new foldable phones in the coming months, including OPPO and Honor. Samsung and Motorola will also release new versions of theirs later this year. foldable smartphones.

very bad year

Phone sales fell so hard in the second half of 2022. In the fourth quarter, it’s down more than 18% compared to the same period of the previous year. For the whole of 2022, the number of smartphones shipped fell by more than 11% to 1.21 billion, the lowest annual number since 2013.

In the first half of this year, according to IDC, the percentage sales decline will continue in “double digits”. Samsung’s flagships and new iPhone 15s won’t appear until after the summer.

Use the phone longer

The drop in phone sales is not only due to inflation and an uncertain economic outlook. Consumers are also using the same device for longer and longer, so they put off a new purchase. In large countries, consumers now use their smartphones for an average of more than 40 months (nearly 3.5 years).