Digital Lifescapes

According to the latest global market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), vendors shipped a total of 334.9 million smartphones worldwide during the first quarter of 2016 (1Q16) -- that's up slightly from the 334.3 million units in 1Q15, marking the smallest year-over-year growth on record. The minimal growth in this quarter is primarily attributed to strong smartphone saturation in developed markets, as well as a year-over-year decline from both Apple and Samsung, the two market leaders. The biggest change to the market, however, was the addition of lesser-known Chinese brands OPPO and vivo, which pushed out previous fourth and fifth place players Lenovo and Xiaomi, respectively. Market Development in China Matures As the China market matures, the appetite for smartphones has slowed dramatically as the explosion of uptake has passed its peak. In 2013, China's year-over-year shipment growth was 62.5 percent; by 2015, it had dropped to 2.5 percent. Conversely, ...

The mobile communication subscriber landscape continues to shift and evolve as more markets reach saturation point across the globe. Most vendors have adjusted their product lines to incorporate low-cost mobile phone models that appeal to consumers in emerging nations, but a few still prefer to rely on the perception that their devices are worth a premium price. However, over time, these vendors must innovate to deliver greater value, and thereby maintain their profit margins. Brand cachet is very subjective -- even the most committed fans have their limits. Ultimately, everything is subject to change, including gadget fandom. According to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), vendors shipped a total of 337.2 million smartphones worldwide in the second quarter of 2015 (2Q15) -- that's up 11.6 percent from the 302.1 million units in 2Q14. Following an above average first quarter (1Q15), smartphone shipments were still able to remain slightly above th...

According to the latest global market study by Juniper Research , smartphone shipments reached 316.6 million in the third quarter (Q3) of 2014, representing 13.1 percent y-o-y growth and 5.5 percent q-o-q growth. The biggest gainers of market share this quarter are those capitalizing on expanding Asian markets -- such as Xiaomi, the Chinese ODM. The company sold 19 million new devices in Q3 -- that's a 25.8 percent increase in sales on last quarter. Combined Lenovo-Motorola shipments are estimated to be in excess of 23 million devices this quarter, with Motorola on-track to return to profitability in Lenovo's target of 4 to 6 quarters. Lenovo is now well-positioned to expand into India and other Southeast Asian markets, where the Android-based Moto X and Moto G have a large consumer base, as well as a positive brand presence in the U.S. market. Apple experienced strong growth following the iPhone 6 launch, posting its highest ever Q3 results, representing a 16.2 percent...