According to the latest report from International Data Corporation (IDC), the worldwide smartphone shipments are expected to decline by 3 percent in 2018 before returning to low single-digit growth in 2019 and through 2022.

While the on-going U.S.-China trade war has the industry on edge, IDC believes that continued developments from emerging markets, mixed with potential around 5G and new product form factors, will bring the smartphone market back to positive growth.

As per the report, the smartphone shipments are expected to drop to 1.42 billion units in 2018, down from 1.47 billion in 2017. However, IDC expects year-over-year shipment growth of 2.6 percent in 2019. Over the long-term, smartphone shipments are forecast to reach 1.57 billion units in 2022.

The Chinese market, which represented around 30 percent of total smartphone shipments in 2017, is now showing signs of recovery. However, it is still forecast to be down 8.8 percent in 2018 — worse than the 2017 downturn but is expected to have a flat 2019 and then back the to positive territory through 2022. The U.S. market is also forecast to return to positive growth in 2019 after experiencing a decline in 2018.

The report adds that in Q3 2018, the 6-inch to less than 7-inch screen size band became the most prominent band for the first time with more than four times year-over-year growth. The research firm believes that larger-screen smartphones will lead the charge with volumes of 947.1 million in 2018, accounting for 66.7 percent of all smartphones, up from 623.3 million units and a 42.5 percent share in 2017.

Read More: Xiaomi President hints 48MP camera smartphone launch in January; Could it be the Xiaomi Mi 9?

It further reports that by the year 2022, shipments of these larger-screen smartphones will move up to 1.38 billion units or 87.7 percent of overall shipment volume. As per the IDC forecast, Android’s smartphone share will remain stable at 85 percent while the iOS smartphones are forecast to drop by 2.5 percent in 2018 to 210.4 million.

The post Worldwide smartphone shipments to decline 3% in 2018, will return to growth in 2019: IDC appeared first on Gizmochina.

A latest quarterly report from research firm Strategy Analytics shows that the global smart speaker shipments grew at an astonishing rate of 197 percent year-on-year, reaching a record 22.7 million units in the third quarter of 2018.

With such growth, it is on track to surpass 100 million units in use during the final quarter of this year. According to Canalys, the market grew 187 percent in Q2 2018, with shipments of 16.8 million units.

David Mercer, Vice President at Strategy Analytics, said:

The number of smart speakers in use globally will crash through the 100 million unit barrier this month and exceed 125 million by the end of the year. The market has reached this key milestone faster than pretty much any other consumer technology device to have launched over the past decade.

In Q3 2018, the category was led by Amazon with over 32 percent market share and 7.2 million shipments. The second position was grabbed by Google that holds around 23 percent market share and shipped 5.2 million units.

Alibaba ranks third with 9.5 percent market share and 2.2 million shipments. Another Chinese brand, Baidu, was the biggest mover in the quarter with an increase in its market share from 1 percent in Q2 2018 to 8 percent in Q3 2018 and 1.9 million shipments.

After Alibaba and Baidu, China-based Xiaomi stands fifth with 8.4 percent market and 1.9 million shipments — same as Baidu. This is a significant increase in shipments from Xiaomi as it reportedly shipped 0.1 million units in Q3 2017. Apple holds the sixth position with 4.8 percent market share and 1.1 million shipments.

China has emerged this year as the second largest market for smart speakers after the USA. Strategy Analytics is forecasting a twelve-fold annual increase in Chinese shipments for the year 2018. The North America market is still being dominated by Amazon and Google in this category.

Read More: Huawei finally launches its first smart speaker AI Cube alongside a GPS Locator

From the report, it seems that the three Chinese companies — Alibaba, Baidu, and Xiaomi are in a three-way battle to get the pole position in the smart speakers market, with a heavy focus in the Chinese market which is mainly driven by low pricing and heavy discounting.

The post Global smart speaker shipments grew 197% in Q3 2018, Xiaomi takes the fifth position appeared first on Gizmochina.

South Korea tech giant Samsung has announced its quarterly financial report for the third quarter of the year. The company posted revenue from sales reaching KRW65.46 trillion ($57.3 billion) and operating profit peaking at KRW17.57 trillion ($15.4 billion) which are improvements over the company’s record in the same period last year.

The breakdown of the financial record shows the IT & Mobile Division which is responsible for the Galaxy smartphones, recorded a 10% YoY decline in sales to KRW24.91 trillion ($2.2 billion) compared with KRW27.69 trillion ($2.4 billion) in Q3 2017. This is despite recording a “solid flagship sales.” No doubt Samsung’s faltering sales in the mid-range/budget segments would have contributed largely to the decline.

On the other hand, the semiconductor business brought Samsung to a new quarterly high, backed by strong sales of memory chips, as well as demand for server and mobile memory. Despite the record, the company projects that its cash flow will likely decrease in the fourth quarter due to the end of a two-year boom in memory chips demand and an increase in competitive products from rivals.

Read Also: Samsung Galaxy S10+ tipped to offer 93.4% screen, bigger battery

The Korean giant also announced its plans for 2019 with a shift of focus to strengthening its competitiveness in emerging technologies like 5G, AI, and automotive electronics. This is in order to offset the reduction in sales and operating profit. The company also plans to expand its online sales and B2B relationship with built-in appliances and system air conditioners.

(source)

The post Samsung announces record profit for Q3 2018 despite a decline in smartphone sales YoY appeared first on Gizmochina.