TechnologyChina smartphone shipments slump toward 10-year low
Consumer shift toward thrift compounds structural weakness in demand
Oppo and other Chinese smartphone makers saw a significant drop in shipments in the first half of 2022. © Reuters
TAKASHI KAWAKAMI, Nikkei staff writer
GUANGZHOU -- Smartphone shipments in China are on track to fall to their lowest point in a decade this year as market saturation, longer waits between upgrades, and increasingly budget-conscious consumers combine for what could prove a prolonged downturn.