【1982 Archives】

2018 was "the worst year ever for smartphone shipments982 Archives" according to the research firm IDC.

Total shipments fell by 4.1 percent compared to 2017, as both Apple and Samsung struggled to drum up strong sales for their products, IDC reported on Wednesday. (The year before, annual growth in the smartphone sector was pretty much flat.)

"Globally the smartphone market is a mess right now," IDC analyst Ryan Reith said in a statement. "Outside of a handful of high-growth markets like India, Indonesia, Korea, and Vietnam, we did not see a lot of positive activity in 2018."

So why the shipment drop? According to IDC, people are holding off upgrading to the newest phones like they used to. Many consumers also have gripes with the rising prices.

Another big factor is the economic uncertainty, particularly in China, which accounts for about 30 percent of the world's smartphone consumption. The country had an "even worse 2018 than the previous year," with shipments down over 10 percent, the research firm said.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

IDC wasn't alone in its assessment. Canalys, a separate research firm, also reported a 4.6 percent year-over-year decline in the smartphone market. "It is no shock to smartphone vendors that the market has passed its peak," said Ben Stanton, an analyst with Canalys. "People are clearly keeping phones for longer as product innovation slows."

The challenges facing the smartphone market are expected to continue into 2019. To generate sales, vendors will have to come up with more attractive products that better balance new smartphone features with compelling design and affordability, IDC said.

"The arrival of both 5G and foldable devices later this year could bring new life to the industry depending on how vendors and carriers market the real-life benefits of these technologies," according to IDC analyst Anthony Scarsella.

"However, we expect these new devices to elevate average selling prices as new displays, chipsets, and radios will bring an increased price," he added.

In 2018, Samsung remained the leading smartphone vendor; Apple came in second place and Huawei was a close third.

Huawei's smartphone shipments experienced the most year-over-year growth among the top five vendors, Canalys said, due to big gains in China and foreign markets. "However, moving into 2019, it now faces a critical challenge, as political tensions, security concerns, and disputes over intellectual property theft threaten to disrupts its remarkable momentum," the research firm said.

---

Featured Video For You

---

ASMR Unboxing the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 slider phone

---

Topics iPhone

• Entertainment
• Social Good
• Life
• Science
• Games
• Tech
• Digital Culture
• Deals

• 44 GPU Fortnite Benchmark: The Best Graphics Cards for Playing Battle Royale
• Will Smith and the 'Fresh Prince of Bel
• The secret weapon that will make your next computer super fast
• New York to London in three hours? This jet could get you there
• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for April 23, 2025
• This fake news simulator is the depressing video game America deserves
• Paper artist transforms historical landmarks into silly scenes
• Insatiable 'Overwatch' players are speedrunning the hero menu, of all things
• Best Kindle Unlimited deal: Get 3 months of Kindle Unlimited for 99 cents
• The 'Halo' World Championship photos are so sad

• J.K. Rowling sends a truly spell
• All the weirdest beauty trends 2018 has given us so far
• I stan Bonnie, the cow who pretended to be a deer
• Opera browser integrates Yats for emoji web addresses
• After 'Wordle' and 'Dordle' comes 'Quordle'. Obviously.
• California broke an unenviable climate change record this winter
• 'The Book of Boba Fett' review: Disney's Star Wars fan service is suffocating
• Young Trump supporters in D.C. are having a hard time dating
• The 21 best video games for couples to co
• 'Horizon Forbidden West' has its own Lego set

• WhatsApp launches 'Advanced Chat Privacy' to protect sensitive conversations
• Tinder scammers fool 30 men into sending money over
• Sarah Silverman's show 'I Love You, America' headed to Hulu
• Fitbit Alta HR Review: Good tracking, but lacks actionable insights
• 5 Ways to Access a Locked Windows Account
• 9 amazing Uwe Boll facts from Vanity Fair's epic profile
• Tinder scammers fool 30 men into sending money over
• 5 words you should never use in a job interview
• Best Fire Stick deal: Save $20 on Amazon Fire Stick 4K
• Destructive winds lash Australia as Cyclone Debbie hits

• Researchers map the koala genome in the name of saving the species
• Burglar, betrayed by baggy pants, gets caught hanging upside down
• Chrissy Teigen politely lets Fox News know that she 'detests' them
• Facebook is putting its latest Snapchat clone front and center
• Ireland fines TikTok $600 million for sharing user data with China
• Tesla rival continues to be a bad Tesla rival
• Stop working like a sucker and get paid to build Lego models instead
• Miles Teller is the latest movie star to join an Amazon show
• Amazon Big Spring Sale 2025: Best portable speaker deal
• iOS 10.3 is here: Everything you need to know