Report: Smartphone sales sag as consumers delay purchases

The new Apple iPhone 14 Pro on sale at the company’s Fifth Avenue store in New York, US. Apple has dialled back production of its recently launched iPhone model while it evaluates demand, news website The Information reported, citing sources. — Bloomberg

SAN FRANCISCO: Global smartphone sales have slumped this year amid a “gloomy economic outlook”, prompting people to spend money on essentials instead of the latest gadgets, according to a market tracker.

Smartphone sales in the recently ended quarter were 9% less than in the same period a year earlier, hitting a low not seen since 2014, according to research firm Canalys.