GfK: Smartphone sales fell in 2018 but sales increased

In 2018, 1.44 billion smartphones were sold worldwide, according to research company GfK. That is a decrease of three percent compared to 2017. The total turnover did increase due to price increases of high-end devices.

The decline in the number of smartphones sold was offset by a 5 percent increase in sales to $522 billion, GfK writes. The increase in turnover is due to more expensive smartphones being sold. In the fourth quarter of 2018, smartphone sales fell by seven percent compared to the end of 2017.

About 12 percent of smartphones sold in 2018 were priced at $800 or higher. In 2017, that percentage was still 9%. Manufacturers have increased the prices of their flagship devices in recent years to compensate for declining sales.

The segment of smartphones costing between $150 and $400 accounted for a 46 percent share in 2018. In 2017, that was 44 percent, showing that smartphones in this category have also become more popular. In the fourth quarter of 2018, the average selling price of a smartphone decreased by two percent compared to the end of 2017 to USD 384, according to GfK figures.