Global smartphone unit shipments 2012-2022, by price category

In 2018, mid-tier smartphones were the highest selling price category worldwide. Out of more than 1.55 billion smartphones sold, nearly 520 million were mid-tier smartphones, surpassing the low-end category for the first time. As overall smartphone sales have been plateauing worldwide, the expansion of mid-tier and high-end devices contributes to the continual growth in global revenue from smartphone sales each year, reaching over 500 billion USD in 2018.

 

Smartphone price categories

  As the market shifts away from low-end smartphones, the average global selling price has now surpassed 300 U.S. dollars. Though a high price is not always the only indicator of a top-tier device, the high-end category consistently includes high-spec, well-known models such as the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy models. In contrast, the mid-tier category differs more by region, as a low-end phone in North America and Western Europe, for instance, might be considered mid-range in emerging economies with lower smartphone penetration.