Indonesian smartphone shipments fell to a two-year low in Q1 mostly due to the impact of Covid-19 (coronavirus), IDC figures showed, with analysts predicting little hope of recovery until Q3 at the earliest.

Shipments of 7.5 million units were down 7.3 per cent year-on-year, with IDC noting regular seasonal factors combined with the effects of the pandemic late in the quarter, with demand and component supplies taking a hit in March when lockdown measures were implemented.

Risky Febrian, market analyst for client devices, expects the sector to “continue to experience turbulance caused by various economic factors”, particularly with the spread of the virus “yet to be contained”.

A bright spot was a move to implement IMEI registration, Febrian said, noting this would help to reduce “imports of gray units and promote the consumption of smartphones made locally”.

The analyst company noted manufacturers with domestic factories performed best during the quarter: Vivo, for example, topped the shipments table, leapfrogging Oppo, which also has domestic manufacturing facilities (see chart, below, click to enlarge).

IDC attributed Samsung’s decline primarily to the pandemic’s impact, but noted its Galaxy A-series continued to be a highlight. Vivo’s success was put down to a heavy focus on marketing and promotional campaigns around low- and mid-tier smartphones, while Oppo’s “volume driver” was its A-series, with a push into the high-end not necessarily in line with a country IDC branded “price conscious”.

Affordability was a key factor for Xiaomi, while realme felt the effect of Covid-19, offset to a degree by the launch of new models and expansion of its “brand presence online”.