Moscow, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — The Russian smartphone market contracted year on year in Q3 2021 as supply shortages curtailed imports, according to International Data Corporation (IDC).

IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker reports that slightly more than 8 million smartphones were sold in Russia in Q3, substantially down from the 9.4 million units sold in Q3 2020.

The tracker also reports that the average sales price of a smartphone in Russia rose year on year in Q3. The average retail price before tax was $290, down from the $321 of Q2 but well above the $232 of Q3 2020.

The total smartphone market is now valued at $2.3 billion — more than it was in Q3 2019, before the start of the COVID-19 crisis.

In another development, feature phone sales rose to nearly 3.3 million in Q3 in Russia. This marks a potential turnaround for this segment after a long decline.

In terms of vendors, Xiaomi’s share suffered in Q3 due to supply issues. The vendor fell to second position behind Samsung, which regained its leadership of the Russian smartphone market.

Samsung, however, still faces hurdles in Russia. A local court has blocked sales of more than 60 of the vendor’s models that incorporate Samsung Pay. A Swiss company claims Samsung has infringed its copyright.

“The global component shortage hit supply hard in Q3,” says Natalia Vinogradova, program manager at IDC Russia. “In the first half of the year, the shortages did not affect all brands and overall shipments were strong. But in Q3 the supply issues struck nearly all vendors, including Xiaomi, which had not suffered supply problems earlier in the year.”

“Russia was impacted more by shortages than many other countries because it’s a less important market for flagship smartphones,” says Simon Baker, program director for IDC Europe, the Middle East, Africa. “Manufacturers have also been prioritizing 5G-capable devices, but Russia continues to lag in setting up 5G infrastructure.”

Initial shipments of Apple’s iPhone 13 range were strong, but the new models appeared only at the end of Q3. The success of the model in Russia will depend on sales during the winter holiday season.

“Q4 is usually the biggest sales period of the year,” notes Vinogradova. “But the component shortages look as if they will continue and may even worsen.”

About IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker

IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker fills the demand for detailed and timely information on the total mobile phone and smartphone markets for handset vendors, software developers, service providers, component suppliers, and investors. It provides insightful analysis through quarterly market share data by region. The tracker delivers a quarterly web database that details the performance of the market's individual players and answers important product-planning and product-positioning questions.

For more information on IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker or other IDC research services, please contact Vice President Karine Paoli on +44 (0) 20 8987 7218 or at kpaoli@idc.com. Alternatively, contact your local IDC office or visit www.idc.com.

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights.

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