Downloading movies to own rather than paying for a short-term rental period will drive video-on-demand spending over the next decade, according to a study released Tuesday by Screen Digest in the U.K. and U.S.-based Adams Media Research. The study suggested that the Apple iTunes model, where consumers purchase content outright rather than a temporary download, would drive movie VOD. "Video-on-demand technology is spreading rapidly, and will become pervasive in the decade ahead," said Adams Media Research's president and senior analyst Tom Adams. "But turning that technology into a substantial movie market is going to require a complete reassessment of the industry's 10 year-old assumptions about VOD."
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...