Sales of smartphones continued to shrink globally in the recently-ended quarter as consumers watched their spending, market tracker Counterpoint reported.

Smartphone sales fell 8 percent, marking the ninth consecutive quarter of decline in year-over-year comparisons, according to research by Counterpoint's Market Pulse service.

The decline was “largely due to slower-than-expected recovery in consumer demand,” the group said in its findings.

Samsung continued to lead the smartphone market, accounting for a fifth of the sales in the recently-ended quarter.

Apple was listed as second with 16 percent of the market. Its newest iPhone 15 models have been well received so far. (AFP)