US smartphone sales have slumped in January as "volume-driven low-end coupled with delayed upgrades" plunged demand for the devices, according to the new study from Counterpoint Research.

According to the research, smartphone sales have plunged by 10% to drop to nearly half of its sales in the same period in 2017.

This is despite the Samsung Galaxy S24 performing well in the US market in the first two weeks after its launch. Counterpoint expected that sales from some brands to rebound this February.

The research firm noted that smartphone sales have begun decreasing since the pandemic boom has started to slow down.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has surged demands for smartphones in the span of two years as more people seek entertainment and communication channels while stuck in their houses.

iPhones Top Global Market Sales for Smartphones

While other phone brands' sales have been seeing a decline last month, Counterpoint reported market growth on Apple's iPhones.

The iPhone 14 continues to be the top market contributor with a 19% part in smartphone sales in 2023.

It was followed by iPhone 13 and iPhone 15, both of which were compared heavily due to their similarities.

It is worth noting, however, that the majority of the iPhone sales came from "a significant boost from emerging markets like India and the Middle East and Africa."

Samsung, in turn, gained a significant market outside of China and South Korea with "affordability driving sales in emerging markets like Brazil, India, Mexico and Indonesia."

Also Read: Apple Tops Samsung as World's No. 1 Phone Manufacturer in 2023

Modern Smartphone Suffer Delayed, Underwhelming Upgrades

Delayed and underwhelming upgrades have been often the complaints of many users in the latest installments of major smartphone brands.

These issues are often seen with Apple and Samsung devices, but have also spread across other companies offering much cheaper smartphones.

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