South Korean newspaper Maeil Business News wrote that Samsung has cut its 2022 smartphone production forecast from 310 million to 280 million units. The source said that in absolute terms, this is still a large number of devices, but the drop in output is also very sharp. The American edition of The Verge suggests that electronics manufacturers are starting to prepare for the worst of the world economy.

It is reported that Samsung will reduce the production of smartphones in all segments, from flagship to budget. At the same time, according to reporters from The Verge, it seems less logical to reduce the production of the latter. In an unstable economic situation, people buy more affordable smartphones than expensive ones. On the other hand, current flagship owners are unlikely to decide to buy cheap devices unless there is a good reason. The American publication thinks it would be easier to wait a year or two until the world economic situation improves.

It is reported that Samsung is not the only company affected by the ongoing pandemic in the global economy, unstable geopolitical conditions and rising inflation. Apple expects more modest sales this year as it plans to produce roughly the same number of smartphones as in 2021 (around 220 million). That’s about 20 million less than analysts estimated.