US smartphone shipments declined YoY for the fourth straight quarter in Q3 2023 amid weak consumer demand.
Google, Samsung and TCL were among the brands recording the steepest YoY declines, while Motorola and Nokia HMD managed growth amid a challenging market environment.
Apple’s iPhone shipments declined 11% YoY, in part due to the later launch date of the iPhone 15 series compared to the iPhone 14 series.
Weak upgrade rates at the carriers were the main source of weak smartphone shipments, signaling that consumers are opting to hold on to their devices for longer.
Aside from inflation and limited benefit of upgrading, subscriptions for every little thing are depleting discretionary income.
We are well past the point where there is real marginal utility in an upgrade every 2 years.
I expect most people are moving to 3 and 4 year upgrade cycles.
I have been on a 3 year replacement cycle of unlocked phones for most of the last decade on my personal phones. I buy whatever lower mid-range android phone looks the best at the time.
My workphone is a flagship due to the insane business discounts they get ($320 for a S23 at launch).
I am currently carrying a Nokia G50 and the S23. I honestly don’t see much difference in daily performance. The G50 makes clearer phone calls. The S23 is a little bit faster.
I am debating going to a 4 year cycle now.
Smartphones are ridiculously expensive now. I usually get one of last year’s refurbished flagships.
People just don’t have the spending money anymore for phones. Especially given how expensive the flagships are.
I need to replace my Pixel 6 Pro soon (cracked screen, issues with phone in general) and out of curiosity I checked iPhones. The last few versions all have very similar specs, I could get a 12 and wouldn’t be missing too much. I can see why people would constantly upgrade.
I think market saturation is also a factor.
