According to IDC, the number of smartphones sold this year will hit its lowest level in a decade. However, the decline doesn’t seem to be bad for Apple.

Like the PC industry and the components that go with it, the smartphone market is not experiencing a heyday. Due to economic uncertainty and inflation, consumers and businesses are thinking twice before investing in new hardware and the numbers reflect that. IDC estimates that 1.15 billion new smartphones will ship by the end of 2023.

That’s down 4.7 percent from 2022, which was also not a top year for smartphone sellers. IDC even revised its previous forecast that deliveries would fall “only” by 3.2 percent. The number of smartphones shipped could reach its lowest level in a decade. Although the number of shipments and the number of sales don’t necessarily have a one-to-one relationship, one often gives an indication of the other.

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There are also mitigating factors for manufacturers. Precisely because a smartphone is considered a luxury purchase, users want to use their devices longer. Therefore, they are also willing to pay a higher price for higher quality devices. As a result, the decline in devices sold in terms of sales can still be partially compensated.

Apple Benefits

In every crisis there is a winner and in the smartphone industry that is clearly Apple. Apple-branded devices are selling well this year, and Apple could be one of the few major manufacturers to end the year on a positive note. Finally, the iPhone 15 is knocking on the door and the new iPhone often makes for a year-end highlight at Apple. Apple could even become the top smartphone seller on an annualized basis for the first time in its history, surpassing Samsung.

For the time being, IDC’s view does not extend beyond the end of this year. However, the analysis agency had good news for the PC industry, because 2024 should bring improvement. Smartphone sellers will also want to use this.