While global smartphone sales in 2022 fell by 12% in 2022 due to the economic crisis, Premium (high-end) models are still doing very well according to Counterpoint. Sales of smartphones sold above $600 rose by a modest 1%, but this segment now contributes 55% of sales for the first time.
By volume, the premium segment accounts for more than a fifth of total smartphone sales worldwide.
Global Premium Market Sales and Revenue Contribution, Counterpoint Research
To explain the growing share of high-end smartphones in revenue, the analyst explains that affluent people who buy high-end smartphones have been less affected by macroeconomic difficulties than customers who invest in low-end devices. of range.
Another explanation: as smartphones occupy an increasingly central place in the lives of customers, they are willing to spend more on their devices and keep them longer. This is also one of the reasons why the $1,000+ price segment has seen the fastest growth (38% YoY) in 2022.
Finally, this trend towards “premiumisation” is now observable in all geographical regions.
Apple still in the lead
On the manufacturer side, Apple’s sales increased by 6% year-on-year in the high-end market, which enabled it to increase its market share a little more, and to take three-quarters of it.
A feat when you know the production difficulties that Apple faced in the last two quarters of 2022 in China.
The Apple brand is followed by Samsung, whose sales fell 5% year-on-year in 2022. The launch of the Galaxy S22 series in 2022, much later than that of the S21 series in 2021, partly explains this . But Samsung welcomes the growth in sales of foldable smartphones, however.
Finally, Google is experiencing significant growth, while its installed base is low. The successes of the Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro explain this trend.
Market shares of smartphone OEMs for the high-end segment, Counterpoint Research.
On the mobile OS side, Android is losing ground to iOS in the high-end segment. iOS accounts for three-quarters of smartphone sales in the high-end market.
Share of global premium market sales, iOS vs Android. Counterpoint Research