Smartphone Vendors Adjusting Tacks Amid Falling Demand: Canalys

Worldwide smartphone shipments fell 9% year on year in Q2 to about 287 million shipments on economic headwinds and regional uncertainty, Canalys analyst Runar Bjorhovde emailed Monday. Samsung had 21% market share in the quarter, up 3 points from Q1 2021; second-place Apple gained 3 points to 17% share. Leading Chinese brands “continued to struggle” with Xiaomi (17%), Oppo (11%) and vivo (10%) having double-digit shipment declines, Canalys said. “Vendors were forced to review their tactics in Q2 as the outlook for the smartphone market became more cautious,” said the analyst, saying economic headwinds, sluggish demand and "inventory pileup” forced vendors to quickly reassess portfolio strategies for 2022. “The oversupplied mid-range is an exposed segment for vendors to focus on adjusting new launches, as budget-constrained consumers shift their device purchases toward the lower end,” Bjorhovde said.