Digital Lifescapes

Smartphones are essential to mobile internet growth, and the related economic development that these devices enable within emerging markets. That being said, there's also a significant segment of the developed markets that favors lower-cost devices with 'good enough' features and performance. Mobile phone vendors shipped a total of 347.4 million smartphones worldwide in the first quarter of 2017 (1Q17), according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Smartphone Global Market Development According to the IDC assessment, consumers continue to show demand for smartphones and vendor flagship hype seems strong as ever. Worldwide smartphone shipments grew 4.3 percent in 1Q17, which was slightly higher than IDC's previous forecast of 3.6 percent growth. "The first quarter smartphone results further prove that the smartphone industry is not dead and that growth still exists," said Ryan Reith, program vice president at IDC . "...

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...

The worldwide smartphone market grew 23.1 percent year over year in the second quarter of 2014 (2Q14), establishing a new single quarter record of 295.3 million shipments, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Following a very strong first quarter, the market grew 2.6 percent sequentially, fueled by ongoing demand for mobile internet access and an abundance of lower-cost smartphones. Second quarter shipments were in line with IDC's forecast and all expectations are that the market will continue apace in the second half of the year -- surpassing 300 million units for the first time ever in a single quarter in 3Q14. "A record second quarter proves that the smartphone market still has plenty of opportunity and momentum," said Ryan Reith, program director at IDC . Despite a challenging quarter for Samsung, and to a lesser extent Apple, the strong market demand boosted results for most smartphone vendors. Emerging markets, suppor...