Cell phone shipments continue to decline in Latin America, although a rebound is expected in the second half of the year.
The market research company Canalys showed the outlook for cell phone shipments in the first quarter of 2023, with a 10% drop compared to the same period in 2022.
Samsung in the lead. Motorola and Xiaomi on the podium
Samsung remains the leader in the region, with 38% of the market share and 10.5 million shipments. Despite this, Canalys shows a drop of 21% compared to the beginning of 2022.
Motorola did increase its shipments, with 7%, consolidating itself as second in the region. Xiaomi , for its part, experienced a 15% drop in its shipments, but remains third.
“ Samsung has positioned itself as the first in each of the quarters for more than a decade of a strong position developed with good channel management that has allowed a broader presence of the brand, even with intensifying competition. Despite falling 21% in the first quarter of 2023, Samsung remains without a strong challenger at the top. Motorola had a strong start to the year, driven mostly by new E and G series products, performing well in Argentina , Brazil and Mexico . Xiaomi secured third place despite facing local headwinds in Mexico , Colombiaand Peru , countries that represented more than 60% of its shipments last year,” said Miguel Perez, senior consultant at Canalys .
Apple grew alongside OPPO
Both Apple and OPPO have grown in Latin America, with OPPO bridging the gap between the two brands.
“ Apple continues to expand its presence in the region and its shipments grew 13% in the first quarter of 2023. Although the purchasing power in Latin America is restricted compared to other developed countries, the region has Apple ‘s attention in its growth strategy , especially when the brand experiences a difficult environment in North America and Europe. OPPO was the brand that grew the most among the top five sellers, increasing its shipments by 35%. Since its entry, OPPO has prioritized growing its base in Mexico , but has expanded its presence in Colombia , Peru and Chile .”, Pérez added.
local leaders
Canalys shows the panorama in five markets: Brazil , Peru , Mexico , Colombia and Argentina .
Samsung maintains its leadership in all these markets, except in Colombia where Xiaomi climbed to first place. Peru also represented the only one of these markets where the Korean company increased its shipments.
Motorola is quite solid in the region, while OPPO achieves a third place in a strong market: Mexico .
