The ongoing global economic downturn continues to impact consumer confidence in the market. TrendForce reports that the global production volume of smartphones in 1Q23 was only 250 million units—marking a 19.5% YoY decrease. This represents not only the greatest annual decrease but also a historic low in quarterly production since 2014.
Furthermore, considering factors such as pricing and the absence of certain essential features, TrendForce anticipates a modest shipment volume of approximately 200,000 units for Apple Vision Pro in 2024.
TrendForce research reveals that following significant production reductions by US and Korean manufacturers beginning in May, some suppliers have increased their wafer prices. This development has led to a slight elevation of market prices in China compared to those seen in March and April.
TrendForce reports that May proved to be a turning point in the lithium salt market, highlighting a notable surge in prices. The price of battery-grade lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide in China skyrocketed from less than CNY 200,000/ton (~USD 28,000) to over CNY 300,000/ton (~USD 43,000).
This resulted in a significant 47.3% decline in Q1 revenue, reducing it to US$1.998 billion. However, after the Q1 inventory liquidation, there’s been a projected slight uptick in purchasing demand for server ODM orders in Q2. Consequently, enterprise SSD suppliers’ revenue is anticipated to revert to a growth trajectory in the second quarter.