It looks like it will be a sad quarter for smartphone manufacturers around the world.
According to a recent report, the global smartphone shipments will be hitting a decline during this current quarter, or from the months of April to June. The reason behind the decline of shipments is because of the global chip shortage that is affecting a number of smartphone manufacturers like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo.
The report also shared that smartphone deliveries were able to recover 47% on a year-over-year basis in the first quarter. This is based on the consumer recovery from the start of the health crisis.
The report shared that the three top phone shippers during the first quarter of 2021 were Samsung, Apple, and Xiaomi. Samsung was able to steal back the top spot from Apple after having shipped 75 million units and earning an annual gain of 15.9%. Apple was able to ship 49.5% more iPhone devices in the first quarter, with a total of 56 million units.
It can be recalled that Huawei used to belong to the top spot of smartphone manufacturers too. But ever since it faced a trade ban with the US, it lost its spot to other Chinese firms.
With the current shortage on chips and other parts, however, it looks like it’s a fair game for smartphone manufacturers. It’s possible that business will start to pick up in the second half of the year, when smartphone companies launch new models. But right now, it’s all a guess.
