It is no secret that the smartphone industry is losing its pace. Trade war and other variables in the market have only hurt the prospects further. The latest figures from IDC show that Apple’s iPhone shipment (QOQ) has declined across multiple regions including Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

As per the report, Apple’s shipment for the fast quarter of 2019 has been reduced by 2.4 million iPhone units across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). In other words, iPhone shipments have taken a plunge of 22.7% in EMEA as compared to the same time frame in 2018(Q1).

Apple’s market share has also reduced considerably. This quarter Apple managed to ship 7.8 million smartphones in the EMEA region, as opposed to 10.2 million handsets last year. This translates to a decrease in market share from 18.5% to 14.74%.

The IDC report also talks about how the market is being affected in the recent past. Furthermore, the report elucidates how consumers are holding on to devices for much longer while Apple is losing its market share to Chinese competitors.

Our take

The EMEA smartphone market has shrunk by 3.3%. Also, the average prices have declined across the Middle East and Western Europe. Meanwhile, the average price has not decreased in Central and Eastern Europe marker.

In order to ratchet sales, Apple needs to pull up its sock and offer good promotions and reduce the price. Apple’s software superiority is clearly being challenged by the likes of Android phones. The company also needs to rethink its strategy in countries with high custom duties.

On the brighter side, Apple seems to be doing well in the Services division. Services like iCloud, Apple Music, Apple News+ are generating considerable revenue for the company. It is also worth noting that the average price for iPhones has gone up and perhaps this is something that will soften the blow for Apple.

[via IDC]