"There is gold to be mined in understanding the consumer�s decision-making process. -- Cable TV operators, Internet service providers, wireline and wireless network operators, and other mass-consumer communications companies face an array of high-stakes bets in their quest for revenue growth. Mercer�s Customer Value Engineering� approach helps lower the risk of these bets by integrating the insights and interactions of both customer demand and the microeconomics of service delivery."
The global smartphone market closed 2025 with a story less about recovery and more about transformation. Premium product, ecosystem lock-in, and manufacturing scale are now the forces shaping competition. For business and technology leaders, the latest IDC market study data confirms that smartphones remain a critical indicator of consumer demand, supply chain health, and AI commercialization at the edge. Smartphone Market Development Global smartphone shipments grew 2.3 percent year-over-year in Q4 2025, reaching 336.3 million units and bringing full-year volumes to 1.26 billion units — a modest 1.9 percent annual increase, according to IDC. This smartphone growth emerged despite a memory shortage crisis, tariff volatility, supply chain disruption, and macroeconomic headwinds. What stabilized demand? Two factors: sustained growth in premium devices and strong foldable momentum, combined with accelerated purchases as consumers bought ahead of anticipated price increases. Buyers weren...