According to PhoneArena , the report shows that global monthly smartphone sales increased by 5% in October, marking the first month of year-over-year growth since June 2021. This ends a streak of 27 consecutive months of negative growth.

PHONEARENA SCREENSHOT

The smartphone industry has faced a number of challenges in recent years, including supply chain disruptions, inventory build-up, and long replacement cycles. However, a report from Counterpoint Research shows some positive signs.

Specifically, after achieving significant growth in October, the upward momentum is expected to continue expanding in the fourth quarter of 2023. This trend is considered a potential sign that the market will gradually recover in the coming quarters.

Growth in October was driven by emerging markets, with continued recovery in the Middle East and Africa, Huawei’s return to China and the start of the festive season in India. Huawei saw strong growth in smartphone sales in China in Q3, with a remarkable 37% increase. The popularity of the Mate 60 series contributed to this impressive growth.

With smartphone saturation relatively high, developed markets saw a slower recovery. However, the launch of Apple's iPhone 15 series became a contributing factor, especially as early-day delays in iPhone 15 deliveries helped overall October sales.