Coronavirus Wreaks Havoc on Smartphone Sales

A new report by Strategy Analytics claims global smartphone sales have plummeted 38% year over year, falling from 99.2 million units in February 2019 to just 61.8 million units last month. The news comes in the shadow of the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic that continues to wreak havoc across the global.

This precipitous fall can be blamed on two main factors:

1. Consumers are unwilling to visit retail stores or make purchases in economic uncertainty
2. Supply chains have broken down with factories unable to manufacture components and devices

And things could get worse: although China has largely recovered, European countries such as Italy and Spain are reeling and the United States is struggling to contain the virus. New York City, San Francisco, LA, and other large cities are essentially on lockdown with all except essential business closed and more government mandated shutdowns are being announced every day.

It was only 3 weeks ago that I purchased the Galaxy S20 Ultra in hopes of using its amazing camera on my travels but now I’m stuck inside taking 8K videos of chicken nuggets cooking in the oven. I have my health and humor for now, but trust me- I’m taking this very seriously.

The United States Government has warned that the Coronavirus fallout could last for months but economists are worried the effects could be much deeper and longer lasting. Meanwhile the Center for Disease Control is grappling with limiting transmission and keeping Americans alive.

A record number of unemployment claims and the public fear of mass layoffs is likely to suffocate the sale of high-end smartphones, possibly continuing the trend towards consumers choosing value devices. As the Coronavirus looms the fate of the smartphone market hangs in the balance.

A great resource for following geo-based Coronavirus news and statistics is Bing’s COVID-19 Tracker that currently lists the following stats:

• Total Confirmed Cases: 267,920
• Active Cases: 166,130
• Recovered Cases: 90,603
• Fatal Casers: 11,187

Please be safe, take social distancing seriously, wash your hands often, and wash your smartphone too!

Let us know what Android Apps & Games you’re enjoying while you quarantine and chill!