It's single digit growth for smartphones from here on out

The writing has been on the wall for the smartphone industry for a while now. China, a country that is over-saturated with phones, saw its first year to year decline in the smartphone market in six years, and 2015 was projected to be the first year year of single digit growth.

Well, here's some good news: that prediction turned out to be wrong. There were actually 1.44 billion smartphone shipments worldwide 2015, an increase of 10.4 percent over 2014, IDC said on Friday. So things turned out better than expected.

Here's the bad news, thiugh: 2015 is also almost certainly going to be the last year of growth in the double digits. And shipments are expected to fall fast, as they are only expected to grow 5.7 percent in the coming year, nearly half the growth they saw in 2015.

Basically the reason for this is that the biggest markets are becoming oversaturated, including the United States, China, and Western Europe, all of which saw growth in the single digits last year. While up and coming markets like India, Indonesia, the Middle East and Africa, and part of Southeast Asia, are seeing big growth, it doesn't seem to be enough to offset what's happening in other parts of the world. 

Of the three main operating systems, it looks like iOS will actually take a hit  and see its sales shrink worldwide just the tiniest bit in 2016. IDC expects it to ship 231.2 million phones, for a 15.2 percent market share, with growth of -0.1 percent.

That is surprising, given that iOS has growth of 20.2 percent in 2015, nearly double that of the overall smartphone market. IDC, however, things that the more expensive iPhones will hurt the company in the short term. 

In the long term, things should be fine. Sales are expected to pick back up again in 2017, and by 2020 IDC projects it will ship 269 million phones.

Android, on the hand, is expected to do just fine. It will see growth of 7.6 percent this year, for an 82.6 percent worldwide marketshare, which is expected to grow to 84.6 percent by 2020. 

The platform that is going to take the biggest hit, though, is Windows Phone, which saw shipments drop 18 percent in 2015, and now IDC is expecting them to drop another 18.5 percent this year. It will only have a 1.6 percent market share. By 2020, that marketshare will be less than 1 percent and Windows Phone will only be shipping 17.8 million devices. 

Here are two other things to expect: prices are actually going to fall, which is something that it seems never happens. The aggregate market price was $295 in 2015, and by 2020 it will be $237. So that's nice. 

The other thing will be phones with larger screens, which is not an inherently good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Personally, as someone who keeps my phone in my pocket, a big phone doesn't necessarily work for me, but it may for other people. 

Phablets, or a hybrid between a phone and tablet, made up 20 percent of smartphone shipments last year, and that will be 32 percent by 2020. Apple will see its phablets, which, right now, are the iPhone 6 Plus and 6S Plus, to grow from 26 percent in 2015 to nearly 31 percent in 2020.

So, in the next few years, we should expect bigger, cheaper phones? That's something I could get behind. 

(Image source: independent.co.uk)

Source: It's single digit growth for smartphones from here on out

Smartphone market is getting insanely competitive: Xiaomi

NEW DELHI: Chinese mobile major Xiaomi has said that business in India is getting "insanely competitive" at a time when compatriots such as Vivo, Lenovo, Huawei, Gionee and Oppo are expanding rapidly n the market. The chase for buyers has further heightened with top-seller Samsung rolling out an expanded portfolio and local heavyweights like Micromax, Intex and Lava launching lower-priced smart devices.

On Thursday, Xiaomi launched a new device Redmi Note 3 at Rs 9,999. "Xiaomi is planning to rapidly expand in India as this is the second-biggest market for the phone maker after home market China," Hugo Barra, global VP for the company, told TOI. Xiaomi had in August last year partnered Taiwanese contract-maker Foxconn as it began local assembly of phones at Sri City in Andhra Pradesh, and at present, about 75% of phones it sells are being sourced locally .

Barra has an opinion on the proposed launch of the budget smartphone Freedom 251(for Rs 251) by Noida-based Ringing Bells . "It seems unlikely... the business model does not appear to be viable," he said, adding that a definitive comment cannot be made as he is not privy to the Indian company's business plans.

The company, which made its debut in India around middle of 2014, has been finding going to be tough at a time when it has also been upstaged by Huawei in China. Industry analysts say Xiaomi, founded by Lei Jun, has been slow in introducing newer products in a business where rivals constantly upgrade their devices and rapidly bring in new devices.

Barra, however, counters the argument. "Why should we discontinue a product when it's doing well? Also, it impacts our supply chain." However, competition is something that worries Barra. "The smartphone market is getting insanely competitive. But we know it too well. These are the same players we have seen in China. As far as Xiaomi is concerned, our strategy in any market is to focus on building incredible products." Barra said Xiaomi will launch its Mi5 handset in India in the next one month.
Source: Smartphone market is getting insanely competitive: Xiaomi

KPhone is a great unlocked Android smartphone option

One of the bright stars of CES in 2016, but a little under the radar, was one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in China, KPhone. But KPhone is thinking about more than just smartphone, even though they've just introduced two good ones, they are thinking about how to make people's lives easier and more complete. KPhone just announced they have a presence here in North America with an R&D facility and a brand that should resonate with Americans.

Rick Liimpert

KPhone's newest two American products are the the K5+ and K6, which are 5.5" and 6" sized smartphones that not only look and feel good, they perform! The K5+ is an amazing device with MiraVision™ video technology. Remember, these are all high performance and unlocked smartphones that join the acclaimed K5 unlocked Android smartphone.

"Unlocked phones are quickly gaining traction in the U.S.," explains Scott Robbins, KPhone vice president of sales, retail channels. "As part of one of the largest cellphone manufacturers in China, KPhone is at the forefront of this growing market in America. These two new high-quality models are prime examples of how we focus on what smartphones users want, as they each target a specific market: users that enjoy shooting videos with their phone, and users that do a lot of sharing or pairing with their phone."

While the KPhone K5 might be an entry level phone for the KPhone brand, this is far from an entry level phone for most smartphone users. Users can easily access and share their images and videos. Surfing the web is a breeze and the 5" HD diplay offering a 1280x720 vibrant screen is easy on the eyes. The 1080p video and 5MP front-facing cameras are more than enough to shoot the images and video you need. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor keeps things moving and 16GB of storage will keep all your data safe and sound.

The new KPhones even offer additional specs and features that will make your head spin. There are smartphone that let you get your work done and then make sure you can get everything else in your life in order. Now there is no reason to go out-of-pocket for $700, $800 or even $1000 when buying a new smartphone from the usual suspects. The KPhone models start with an MSRP of $349. For a smartphone of that quality, it's a great price. With the savings in your wallet and flexibility and freedom the K5 and the newer KPhone models, KPhones are worth a long look.

Source: KPhone is a great unlocked Android smartphone option

Vivo launches Xplay 5, world's first smartphone with 6GB RAM

Android Headlines states that going by the model numbers for the variants, it is likely that the Chinese manufacturer has several Vivo XPlay 5 variants in the works. Because quite frankly, if you have money to spend on - Xplay 5 Elite would not disappoint you.

The Chinese OEM announced two high-end smartphones and just one of them going by the name Xplay 5 Elite comes with 6GB of RAM inside.

The regular Xplay 5, meanwhile, settles for a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a different set of audio chips: CS4398 and AD45257, according to Engadget. Powering the smartphone is the latest quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor and comes with 128 GB of built-in non expandable storage. There's also a secondary 8-megapixel camera in the front with f/2.4 aperture. Further, Vivo also unveiled its mid-range smartphone called the Xplay5. Being a flagship device, the Xplay 5 Elite is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC with four 64-bit custom Kryo cores and Adreno 530 GPU.

Coming to Connectivity options, The New Vivo Xplay 5 Elite includes 4G LTE networks, 3G, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS, Micro-USB (with OTG), Hi-Fi 3.0 (2*ES9028+OPA1612), Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, and It is Packed with a 3600mAh battery.

From the photos, we can see the metal body, front side of the smartphone with dual edge display, the SIM card and microSD card tray on the left edge and the power / sleep button and volume rocker on the right edge.

Both the phones push over the edge with a variety of sensors from those for fingerprints to a generic gyroscope, one for ambient light, one for gravity and yet another for proximity. The smartphone packs a 3,600 mAh battery and will be available in Champagne Gold and Rose Gold color options.

It also runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow underneath Vivo's FunTouch OS.

The Vivo Xplay5 Ultimate Edition is available in gold and pink colour choices.

The phones go on sale in China first from March 8.

Source: Vivo launches Xplay 5, world's first smartphone with 6GB RAM

Vivo's Xplay 5 and Xplay 5 Elite Smartphones Will be Available in China on March 8

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Vivo Electronics will launch the Xplay 5 and Xplay 5 Elite handsets in China on Mar. 8(Photo : Vivo Mobile)

Chinese smartphone maker Vivo Electronics Corp. recently introduced new members to the Xplay series - the Xplay 5 and the Xplay 5 Elite smartphones - which are expected to be launched in the Chinese market on Mar. 8.

The Vivo Xplay 5 comes with a price tag of about $565, while the Vivo Xplay 5 Elite will cost around $655.

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In terms of the specifications, the vivo Xplay 5 handset features a 5.43-inch Super AMOLED display screen with a 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution (QHD). The phone comes with a 16 megapixel rear-facing camera with phase detection and dual-LED flash, along with an 8 megapixel front-facing shooter.

Under the hood, the Xplay 5 packs a Qualcomm MSM8976 Snapdragon 652 processor, 4GB of RAM, up to 128GB of non-expandable built-in memory storage, and a non-removable 3,600 mAh battery. It has a fingerprint sensor and supports dual-SIM functionality and Hi-Fi CS4395+AD45257, GSM Arena reported.

The Xplay 5 Elite model sports the same 5.43-inch screen with QHD resolution, protected by Gorilla Glass 4. Like the other version, the phone features a 16 megapixel rear camera and an 8 megapixel front-facing unit.

Inside, the Xplay 5 Elite has Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 820 chipset, a whopping 6GB of RAM, a non-expandable 128GB internal memory and a non-removable 3,600 mAh battery as well. This device also comes with a fingerprint scanner on the back and supports dual-SIM functionality, LTE connectivity and Hi-Fi 3.0.

In terms of the design, the vivo Xplay 5 and Xplay 5 Elite weigh about 167.8 grams and measure 153.5 x 76.2 x 7.6 mm in dimensions. Both versions run on the Android 5.1 operating system with the Funtouch OS 2.5.1 on top. At the moment, there is no word on the availability of the Xplay 5 and Xplay 5 Elite devices outside of China.

Established in 2009, Vivo Electronics Corp. is currently active in many countries in Asia such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar. Back in 2012, the Chinese company launched its Vivo X1, which held the title of the world's thinnest smartphone at that time - measuring 6.65mm.

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Source: Vivo's Xplay 5 and Xplay 5 Elite Smartphones Will be Available in China on March 8

Overkill? Vivo's latest flagship smartphone packs a whopping 6GB of RAM

Vivo has officiated the much awaited XPlay 5 and the XPlay 5 Ultimate Edition at an event in Beijing, China.

It seems to have been a long time coming, but just as expected the high-end Vivo Xplay 5 and an enhanced version have been officially introduced. On the top of the display is the Gorilla Glass 4 for protection the curved display.

The Vivo XPlay 5 Ultimate Edition houses a Snapdragon 820 under the hood and is clad in a Aluminium-Magnesium alloy casing which apart from imparting the looks will also render a higher degree of strength for the phone. Only the "Flagship Edition" of the Xplay5 offers 6GB of RAM, though, as the standard model drops down to 4GB. It is powered by a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset that has an octa-core CPU and 6GB of RAM.

The Xplay 5 flaunts a nice 16MP Sony IMX298 camera at the back with PDAF and dual-tone dual-LED flash, and an 8MP front camera.

However, Xplay 5 Elite is worthy of a larger coverage since it's the first smartphone in the world to come with 6GB of RAM inside.

Chinese smartphone maker Vivo has announced a new flagship device that packs more RAM than most entry-level and mid-range notebooks.

Then there's the regular version of the Xplay5, which features 4GB of RAM and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor. There's an 8-megapixel front-facing camera on both phones.

The Vivo Xplay5 Flagship Edition features a 5.43-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 that slopes over the sides a la the Samsung Galaxy Edge series.

The Xplay 5 and Xplay 5 Ultimate Edition are dual SIM handsets that runs the Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based FunTouch OS. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, FM, 3G, 4G (with support for Band 40 used by some LTE networks in India). The Vivo Xplay 5 Elite will be made available on 8th March in China and will cost CNY 4,288 (approx $655).

Source: Overkill? Vivo's latest flagship smartphone packs a whopping 6GB of RAM

Apple's Big Rival in China Looks to Take Another Bite of Smartphone Sales

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TAIPEI, Taiwan (TheStreet) - Rice isn't as juicy as apples, but it's cheaper and fills you up.

That formula explains why the brand Xiaomi, which means "little rice" in Chinese, is leading Apple  (AAPL - Get Report) in smartphone sales in the world's biggest market and just took another bite out of its rival.

Xiaomi, a private Chinese smartphone company known for developing iPhone lookalikes and its whopping $45 billion valuation, just started selling a highly-anticipated new flagship handset that includes a 5.15-inch screen, a speedy Qualcomm (QCOM - Get Report) processor and image stabilization features. The Mi5 officially went on sale in China on Tuesday, and garnered a record 14.4 million user registrations in five days prior to the launch.

The Xiaomi Mi5 also sports an up-to-date Google (GOOG - Get Report) Android system and costs just $306, compared to roughly $804 for an iPhone 6 sold in China. It's got the right price and specs for cost-conscious China, where 438 million smartphones were shipped last year. The handset is expected to bolster Xiaomi's top spot in the Chinese smartphone rankings.

"Xiaomi continues to follow the strategy that has fueled much of its success so far," said Mark Natkin, managing director with market research firm Marbridge Consulting in Beijing. That approach, he said, means "offering a quality phone that incorporates 'good-enough' versions of the most popular technologies currently available in the market at a fraction of the price, and making regular enhancements to the OS for greater ease of use."

But the handset specs alone won't keep it atop the market share rankings forever, analysts say. Those rankings change constantly and technology by Apple, which today sits in third place, is still considered a more reliable and powerful, with iPhones a status symbol for those who can afford one.

Apple led in China from the final quarter of 2014 to the first of 2015, beating the once-dominant Samsung Electronics (SSNLF) . Even in the April-June quarter of last year, iPhone sales doubled in China. Apple CEO Tim Cook forecast in October that China would eventually become the world's biggest market for his company's gear. He made the comment after revenue in China doubled to $12.51 billion in the third quarter.

But consumers are doubling down on frugality as economic growth slows in the country. 

"Apple strongly leads China's high-end smart phone market," said Antonio Wang, an analyst with tech research firm IDC. "Apple needs to think about the middle-end market in its next step."

Market research firm Canalys gave Xiaomi a 19% market share at the end of last year, with China-listed brand Huawei Technologies in second place at 15.7%. Apple claimed a 13.7% share, down from 20.4% in 2014.

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Want to be alerted before Jim Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now. Xiaomi, a 6-year-old firm with a following only in Asia and mainly in China, may ultimately cede market share not to Apple, but to another lookalike developer. (To compete outside China, Xiaomi would need to improve its software ecosystem, an IHS Technologies analyst said after the Mi5 announcement.)

Huawei and other China-based developers are vying for the same consumer prototype: highly functional Android phone at low prices. New entrants, such as Oppo and Coolpad regularly splash into the still relatively young market, changing the score. Xiaomi is expected to hold smartphone prices down and use strong marketing, including flash sales, to keep its edge.

Whoever takes on Xiaomi will effectively eat away further at Apple.

"That is what every Chinese phone manufacturer is gunning for -- Apple's margin -- by offering higher and higher end phones at lower and lower prices," said Richard Robinson, the China-based founder of app developer Yolu Co.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.

Source: Apple's Big Rival in China Looks to Take Another Bite of Smartphone Sales