Global smartphone shipments to fall by 12 per cent in 2020, says IDC

According to a recent report by IDC, global smartphone shipments will fall by around 12 per cent to 1.2 billion units in 2020. This predicted fall in shipments has been attributed to lower consumer spending due to the economic impact of the COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted business supply chains, delivering a big financial blow to even the big players like Apple and Samsung. Further, the pandemic has caused a decline in consumer spending globally.

Meanwhile, according to research firm TrendForce, global smartphone production will record a 16.5 per cent year on year (YoY) decline in quarter ending in June 2020. This follows a 10 per cent drop in global output recorded in the quarter ended March 2020.

However, shipments from China’s factories to vendors rose 17% in April from a year earlier, suggesting signs of an early rebound in domestic demand in the world’s largest smartphone market.

As per IDC study, China will record a single-digit decline in this year. Further, the company does not expect growth to return until the first quarter of 2021.