Camera sales drop 4% while smartphone sales rise 32%

Smartphones crop camera sales


By Andrew Hudson Published: October 25, 2012 Updated: January 9, 2017

By Andrew Hudson Published: October 25, 2012 Updated: January 9, 2017

It’s confirmed: The rise of smartphones (aka smartcameras that can make phone calls) is taking a bite out of the traditional camera market. Canon, Inc. has reduced their forecast for camera sales due to the wider use of Apple iPhones et al.

“We lowered our camera sales projection because of slower economic growth and an increasing use of smartphones that’s eroding demand.”
— Toshizo Tanaka, Chief Financial Officer, Canon Inc., Oct 24, 2012.

How much? Here are some numbers:

“Global camera sales are expected to fall 4.3 percent this year to 115.2 million units, according to market researcher IHS. Industrywide camera shipments fell 25 percent in August from a year earlier, according to the Camera & Imaging Products Association in Tokyo. By comparison, global sales of smartphones … rose 32 percent to 146.1 million units in the second quarter, according to market researcher Strategy Analytics.”
Mariko Yasu, Bloomberg Businessweek, Oct 25, 2012.

Sources: PetaPixel, Bloomberg Businessweek. Images from Canon and Apple.

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