Canalys: Southeast Asia smartphone shipments in Q3 2022 were 23.5 million, down 4% year-on-year

The continued deterioration in consumer demand caused Southeast Asia’s smartphone shipments to fall 4% year-on-year to 23.5 million units in the third quarter of 2022, the lowest level in the region since the first quarter of 2020.

Samsung expanded its lead with 5.9 million units shipped. OPPO ranked second with 4.5 million units shipped, accounting for 19% of the market share. Vivo ranked third with 3.5 million units shipped. Xiaomi (3.1 million units) fell to fourth place, and realme (2.1 million units) ranked fifth.

Chiew Le Xuan, research analyst at Canalys, said: "Post-pandemic inflation is likely to persist until late 2022. Global macroeconomic headwinds pose a significant risk to Southeast Asian countries, negatively impacting consumer confidence and smartphone vendors' operating costs. In addition, inventory, inflation and interest rate hikes have tilted smartphone spending towards the low-end market. Smartphone vendors launched a variety of new low-end products in the third quarter, a defensive strategy to protect their share as the market encounters demand headwinds. OPPO has always adhered to its strategy of staying away from the ultra-low-end, focusing its investment on enhancing channel confidence and brand upgrading. In the high-end segment, Samsung has leveraged its extensive resources in online marketing and customized pop-up stores to market its new foldable products, and retail channels have returned to pre-pandemic levels. The strong demand for Apple's iPhone 14 Pro series in Singapore and Thailand once again shows that the high-end market is not hindered by inflation."

Chiew Le Xuan added: "Despite short-term macroeconomic headwinds and consumer price sensitivity, Southeast Asia remains a bright investment location and is becoming increasingly strategic for suppliers such as Apple and Samsung."

Source: Canalys