Analysts: smartphone demand to start recovering in September

Many vendors in the electronics market started talking about a decrease in demand for smartphones in the current quarter, but representatives of NH Investment & Securities in a study came to the conclusion that the bottom will soon be passed, and by September the demand for smartphones will begin to recover, albeit unevenly.

First of all, in the second quarter, Samsung Electronics, a major player in this segment, will have to face a decrease in shipments of smartphones by 15% to 61 million units. Chinese manufacturers will drop to the minimum volume of deliveries in May and June; after which the segment as a whole will demonstrate a recovery in demand. It is still difficult to predict the number of smartphones that will be in sale at the end of the year.

"Investors were most interested in the following points related to the handset industry. 1) the extent of the recent slowdown in smartphone shipments at SEC and Greater China companies; 2) the timing of global smartphone shipment recovery; and 3) the timing of major XR model launches and the necessary conditions for the XR industry; to expand into the mass market".

Analysts predict that smartphone demand will begin to increase in September

In the upper price segment, the decline in demand for smartphones is not so noticeable, so the iPhone 14 Pro debuting in the fall should be warmly received by the market, according to experts. In the medium term, smartphones with foldable displays will become popular, and the emergence of Apple's augmented reality device will increase consumer interest in this category of products. The Apple headset should be official no later than the first half of next year, as experts expect.

"There is also an opinion that the foldable smartphone; and XR markets will take the lead in the overall hardware market; as the smartphone market slows over the mid/long term. In particular, in the case of XR devices, Apple’s product launch should drive market expansion. We note the possibility of such a product release at the end of this year at the earliest; or 1H23 at the latest".