Global Smartphone Sales To Decline 12% in 2020 Due to Coronavirus: IDC By Techtonic group According to IDC, the global smartphone market will decline 11.9% YoY in 2020 , with shipments totaling 1.2 billion units. The decline will apparently be largely due to the recession brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. As per the report, the market will decline 18.2% in the first half of the year as the macroeconomic impact of the pandemic continues to affect consumer spending. "What started as a supply-side crisis has evolved into a global demand-side problem. Nationwide lockdowns and rising unemployment have reduced consumer confidence and reprioritized spending towards essential goods, directly impacting the uptake of smartphones in the short term" , said senior IDC research analyst, Sangeetika Srivastava. She, however, exuded confidence that 5G will be a catalyst for growth even as consumer sentiment remains depressed. "5G is expected to be a ...