Smartphone shipments within the domestic market declined over 13 percent on-year in the second quarter, recent data showed, as demand remained sluggish due to the economic downturn with high interest rates and inflation.

The total number of smartphones shipped came to approximately 2.8 million units for the April-June period, down 13.2 percent from a year ago, as “demand for smartphones continued to slow down amid economic uncertainties,” the Korea branch of International Data Corporation said.

However, shipments of premium smartphones, priced at $800 or above, such as Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Ultra series and the iPhone Pro and Pro Max series, jumped 18.7 percent from a year ago, as demand for high-end phones remained strong. The premium category took up 57 percent of the total number of products shipped. (Yonhap)