Samsung Galaxy S25 shows why Honor is eating its lunch in SA
Lindsey Schutters
Smartphone market seeing steady growth, as bigger screens rule
The global smartphone market is expected to see steady if unspectacular growth in the next few years, as consumers turn increasingly to large-screen handsets known as "phablets," a market tracker said last week.
© thodsapol thongdeekhieo via www.123RF.com
A report by the research firm IDC said phablets - with displays larger than 5.5 inches (14 centimetres) - will account for some 40% of the 1.5 billion smartphones sold in 2017, and that the phablet share will rise to more than half by 2019.
The overall smartphone market is on a modest growth pace of around three percent that will boost global sales to 1.7 billion by 2021, according to IDC researchers.
But growth is coming from the large-screen devices as sales dip for conventional handsets with displays of 5.5 inches or less, IDC said.
"In 2012, phablets were just one percent of smartphone shipments and now they are approaching 50 percent of the market just a few years later," said Ryan Reith, an IDC analyst.
Consumers continue to consume more video
"Consumers continue to consume more video entertainment, gaming, social media, and other data-heavy applications on their smartphones making the display size and type a critical factor in smartphone buying decisions," Reith added.
IDC said iPhone buyers are following this trend, with the larger-screen Apple handsets to account for 41% of sales volume in 2017 and 50% or more in 2018.
IDC said the large-screen and "premium" devices entering the market are likely to boost the average price of smartphones.
"There is no doubt that 2017 gave birth to the new ultra high-end segment of the smartphone market," said Anthony Scarsella, an IDC research manager.
Consumers willing to swallow the cost
"The latest flagship devices from Samsung, Apple, Google, LG, and others have pushed the high end to the $850-plus level for the first time. Despite these price hikes, consumers look as if they are willing to swallow the cost just to have the latest and greatest device in their pockets."
Average selling prices for smartphones are expected to rise to $317 by 2021, up from $282 in 2016.
IDC estimated the market share for Android-powered devices to be 85.1 percent this year, and mirror the overall market over the next few years to hit 85.3% by 2021.
The market share for Apple is estimated at 14.8% in 2017, and seen slipping to 14.6% by 2021, IDC said.
Source: AFP
Source: I-Net Bridge
For more than two decades, I-Net Bridge has been one of South Africa’s preferred electronic providers of innovative solutions, data of the highest calibre, reliable platforms and excellent supporting systems. Our products include workstations, web applications and data feeds packaged with in-depth news and powerful analytical tools empowering clients to make meaningful decisions.
We pride ourselves on our wide variety of in-house skills, encompassing multiple platforms and applications. These skills enable us to not only function as a first class facility, but also design, implement and support all our client needs at a level that confirms I-Net Bridge a leader in its field.
Go to: http://www.inet.co.zaRelated
Samsung Galaxy S25 shows why Honor is eating its lunch in SA 1 day Huawei throws weight behind Nova 13 to drive market comeback 11 Feb 2025 Honor puts established Android players on notice with X9C 3 Feb 2025 Vivo X200 Pro makes SA debut with steep price 22 Jan 2025 Honor gets new CEO and brings new phones to SA for Chinese New Year 21 Jan 2025 Forget Galaxy AI, Good Lock is finally going global 2 Jan 2025 MTN brings 5G to the people with R2,500 ZTE device [updated] 28 Nov 2024 How our leaders are solving Africa's smartphone struggle #AfricaTechFestival 14 Nov 2024
