Apple overtakes Samsung as world's biggest seller of smartphones. Watch the video to know more.

Apple overtakes Samsung as world's biggest seller of smartphones

The smartphone market is down but not out, with high prices and other factors combining to chill what had previously been a red-hot sector.

Fresh surveys show global sales had their worst contraction ever in 2018, and the outlook for 2019 isn't much better.

Still, analysts don't see the sun setting any time soon on the smartphone era, seen as a must-have device for many people around the world.

"They don't have a viable replacement yet," independent Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle said of the smartphone.

"There is always the possibility to go to wearables or head-mounted displays, but none of those have emerged as a real threat."

Worldwide handset volumes declined 4.1 per cent in 2018 to a total of 1.4 billion units shipped for the full year, according to research firm IDC, which sees the potential for further declines this year

Another market tracker, Gartner, said its research suggested some stabilization in the smartphone market at the end of last year, said analyst Werner Goertz.

"Mobile phones are here to stay," Goertz said while suggesting that consumers may be waiting for some devices with new features.

"Foldable phones would represent a really nice disruptive feature," he said.

Analysts pointed out that other tech products such as personal computers have seen similar ebbs and flows.

"Markets will always have slow moments when companies have to spend more on marketing money to get people to go out and buy stuff," Enderle said.

He added that some consumers are holding off on replacing their devices amid price hikes for premium devices like Apple's iPhone.

Food or phone?

During a recent earnings call, Apple chief executive Tim Cook agreed that people were holding onto their iPhones longer.

Cook contended that another reason for slower iPhone sales was that telecom carriers were cutting subsidies of handsets tied to service contracts, meaning customers were faced with paying the full price of $1,000 or more for high-end models.

"People don't want to spend another thousand bucks to replace something that isn't broken," analyst Enderle maintained.

"In emerging markets, you can't get people to pay a quarter of their monthly income for a phone; they are not giving up food for texting."

In an unusual move, Apple lowered prices in some emerging markets to offset the effects of a strong US $ on local pocketbooks.

Cook said that in January, in some locations and for some products, Apple "absorbed part of the foreign currency move" to "get close or perhaps right on" prices in those respective markets a year ago.

"So yes, I do think that price is a factor," Cook said.

Market mess&nbsp;

Nonetheless, the latest data suggests the days of red-hot smartphone growth are over and that sluggish growth or contraction is likely in many saturated markets.

Apple recently reported a rare drop in revenue in the fourth quarter South Korea's Samsung, the largest smartphone maker, reported a slump in fourth-quarter net profits, blaming a drop in demand for its key products.

"Globally the smartphone market is a mess right now," said IDC analyst Ryan Reith.

"Outside of a handful of high-growth markets like India, Indonesia, (South) Korea and Vietnam, we did not see a lot of positive activity in 2018."

Reith noted that along with consumers waiting longer to replace their phones and frustration around the high cost of premium devices, there was political and economic uncertainty.

The Chinese market, which accounts for roughly 30 per cent of smartphone sales, was especially hard hit with a 10 per cent drop, according to IDC's survey.

However, Chinese smartphone makers such as Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi defied the trend and ended the year with gains, according to Counterpoint Research.

This year, smartphone makers will likely entice customers to upgrade devices with innovations such as superfast 5G network connectivity and foldable screens, according to Counterpoint associate director Tarun Pathak.

Leading smartphone maker Samsung is expected to show off a smartphone with a foldable screen at an event here in February.

The smartphone market is down but not out, with high prices and other factors combining to chill what had previously been a red-hot sector. Fresh surveys show global sales had their worst contraction ever in 2018, and the outlook for 2019 isn't much better.

The smartphone market is down but not out, with high prices and other factors combining to chill what had previously been a red-hot sector. Fresh surveys show global sales had their worst contraction ever in 2018, and the outlook for 2019 isn't much better. Still, analysts don't see the sun setting any time soon on the smartphone era, seen as a must-have device for many people around the world. "They don't have a viable replacement yet," independent Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle said of the smartphone. "There is always the possibility to go to wearables or head-mounted displays, but none of those have emerged as a real threat." Worldwide handset volumes declined 4.1 per cent in 2018 to a total of 1.4 billion units shipped for the full year, according to research firm IDC, which sees the potential for further declines this year Another market tracker, Gartner, said its research suggested some stabilization in the smartphone market at the end of last year, said analyst Werner Goertz. "Mobile phones are here to stay," Goertz said while suggesting that consumers may be waiting for some devices with new features. "Foldable phones would represent a really nice disruptive feature," he said. Analysts pointed out that other tech products such as personal computers have seen similar ebbs and flows. "Markets will always have slow moments when companies have to spend more on marketing money to get people to go out and buy stuff," Enderle said. He added that some consumers are holding off on replacing their devices amid price hikes for premium devices like Apple's iPhone. Food or phone? During a recent earnings call, Apple chief executive Tim Cook agreed that people were holding onto their iPhones longer. Cook contended that another reason for slower iPhone sales was that telecom carriers were cutting subsidies of handsets tied to service contracts, meaning customers were faced with paying the full price of $1,000 or more for high-end models. "People don't want to spend another thousand bucks to replace something that isn't broken," analyst Enderle maintained. "In emerging markets, you can't get people to pay a quarter of their monthly income for a phone; they are not giving up food for texting." In an unusual move, Apple lowered prices in some emerging markets to offset the effects of a strong US $ on local pocketbooks. Cook said that in January, in some locations and for some products, Apple "absorbed part of the foreign currency move" to "get close or perhaps right on" prices in those respective markets a year ago. "So yes, I do think that price is a factor," Cook said. Market mess Nonetheless, the latest data suggests the days of red-hot smartphone growth are over and that sluggish growth or contraction is likely in many saturated markets. Apple recently reported a rare drop in revenue in the fourth quarter South Korea's Samsung, the largest smartphone maker, reported a slump in fourth-quarter net profits, blaming a drop in demand for its key products. "Globally the smartphone market is a mess right now," said IDC analyst Ryan Reith. "Outside of a handful of high-growth markets like India, Indonesia, (South) Korea and Vietnam, we did not see a lot of positive activity in 2018." Reith noted that along with consumers waiting longer to replace their phones and frustration around the high cost of premium devices, there was political and economic uncertainty. The Chinese market, which accounts for roughly 30 per cent of smartphone sales, was especially hard hit with a 10 per cent drop, according to IDC's survey. However, Chinese smartphone makers such as Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi defied the trend and ended the year with gains, according to Counterpoint Research. This year, smartphone makers will likely entice customers to upgrade devices with innovations such as superfast 5G network connectivity and foldable screens, according to Counterpoint associate director Tarun Pathak. Leading smartphone maker Samsung is expected to show off a smartphone with a foldable screen at an event here in February.

Once red-hot smartphone market sees cooler trend

More than a decade ago, when Apple introduced the iPhone, it changed the way users interacted with a mobile phone. The app store and the whole new user experience gave mobile phones an entirely different meaning, and companies a different aim.

Many industry leaders and start-ups sprung up, dishing out phone with bigger screens, better cameras and faster speed. These phones did change people's lifestyles, but over the years, the smartphone market reached a saturation point.

Today, there are thousands of phone with incremental change, but no real innovation.

So, some companies have decided to pull up their socks and make aggressive attempts to break away from stagnation. And the new smartphone trends are now expected to reinvent the phone once again.

One such innovation is the modular phone which lets you improve the smartphone experience without having to change your phone. Just choose the module (known as Mods) of your choice and you can have better sound or better picture quality.

<img alt="Modular phone" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="03a56c38-58d0-466e-beb6-c349cba0d06d" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Motorola-speaker-mod-wion.jpg" />

The modular design has a lot of potential and it is expected to transform the smartphone experience in the coming years. LG and Motorola are the early starters, but the technology is still in the initial stages.

Another new innovation in the smartphone game is the foldable display recently unveiled by South Korean smartphone maker Samsung. There is no word on when the phone will hit the market, but the company has approached Android programmers to start writing apps for the product.

While Samsung has only displayed the foldable phone, a Chinese smartphone maker has already launched one such smartphone.

Royole Corp, a little-known Chinese tech company, has outstripped Samsung to the foldable smartphone punch by launching the Flexpai. This foldable phone is touted to be durable and unbreakable. The screen is made from plastic and the phone runs its own operating system called Water which is based on Android.
<img alt="The foldable display unveiled by hinese company Royole." data-caption="&lt;em&gt;The foldable display unveiled by Chinese company Royole.&lt;/em&gt;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afb2b76b-4cfe-4cab-8d81-cd882f831ee8" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Royole-foldabl-display-reuters.jpg" />
The Flexpai's base model is priced around US $1,300 and it's expected to go on sale by the end of the year.

5G could be another catalyst for smartphones. The emerging mobile technology will enable phones to offer a faster experience which means the internet experience will become a breeze.

Interestingly, companies such as LG and Huawei have already announced their plans to relase their 5G phones in 2019.

Smartphones are expected to evolve with more immersive experiences, driven by Artificial Intelligence and gesture control. New innovations will keep happening, and the smartphones will continue to be smarter.

More than a decade ago, when Apple introduced the iPhone, it changed the way users interacted with a mobile phone. The app store and the whole new user experience gave mobile phones an entirely different meaning, and companies a different aim.

More than a decade ago, when Apple introduced the iPhone, it changed the way users interacted with a mobile phone. The app store and the whole new user experience gave mobile phones an entirely different meaning, and companies a different aim. Many industry leaders and start-ups sprung up, dishing out phone with bigger screens, better cameras and faster speed. These phones did change people's lifestyles, but over the years, the smartphone market reached a saturation point. Today, there are thousands of phone with incremental change, but no real innovation. So, some companies have decided to pull up their socks and make aggressive attempts to break away from stagnation. And the new smartphone trends are now expected to reinvent the phone once again. One such innovation is the modular phone which lets you improve the smartphone experience without having to change your phone. Just choose the module (known as Mods) of your choice and you can have better sound or better picture quality. The modular design has a lot of potential and it is expected to transform the smartphone experience in the coming years. LG and Motorola are the early starters, but the technology is still in the initial stages. Another new innovation in the smartphone game is the foldable display recently unveiled by South Korean smartphone maker Samsung. There is no word on when the phone will hit the market, but the company has approached Android programmers to start writing apps for the product. While Samsung has only displayed the foldable phone, a Chinese smartphone maker has already launched one such smartphone. Royole Corp, a little-known Chinese tech company, has outstripped Samsung to the foldable smartphone punch by launching the Flexpai. This foldable phone is touted to be durable and unbreakable. The screen is made from plastic and the phone runs its own operating system called Water which is based on Android. The Flexpai's base model is priced around US $1,300 and it's expected to go on sale by the end of the year. 5G could be another catalyst for smartphones. The emerging mobile technology will enable phones to offer a faster experience which means the internet experience will become a breeze. Interestingly, companies such as LG and Huawei have already announced their plans to relase their 5G phones in 2019. Smartphones are expected to evolve with more immersive experiences, driven by Artificial Intelligence and gesture control. New innovations will keep happening, and the smartphones will continue to be smarter.

Foldable display to 5G: New trends that could reinvent smartphones

Microsoft Corporation has partnered with Chines electronic and software company Xiaomi to work together on cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence, and hardware.

Under the signed memorandum of understanding, Microsoft has allowed Xiaomi to use its computing products including Azure, to develop phones, laptops, and other smart devices.

The move by Microsoft to collaborate with the Chinese company is expected to work in favour of Microsoft as it will give more reach and access to the Chinese market to an American company.

Currently focused on the Asia Pacific, Xiaomi will also be expanding its reach to West market as well.

According to reports both&nbsp;companies are also holding discussions to integrate Cortana, Microsoft&#39;s AI assistant currently struggling to compete with other AI assistants, with Mi AI speaker.

In 2017 Xiaomi was world&#39;s fifth most popular smartphone company trailing Apple and Samsung.

Earlier in 2015, Microsoft had signed a deal with Xiaomi to tests its Windows 10 on Xiaomi devices.

Microsoft had some major stumbles in recent time as they officially announced to end support for windows phone in 2017.

Under the memorandum of understanding, Microsoft has allowed Xiaomi to use its computing products including Azure, to develop phones, laptops, and other smart devices

Microsoft Corporation has partnered with Chines electronic and software company Xiaomi to work together on cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence, and hardware. Under the signed memorandum of understanding, Microsoft has allowed Xiaomi to use its computing products including Azure, to develop phones, laptops, and other smart devices. The move by Microsoft to collaborate with the Chinese company is expected to work in favour of Microsoft as it will give more reach and access to the Chinese market to an American company. Currently focused on the Asia Pacific, Xiaomi will also be expanding its reach to West market as well. According to reports both companies are also holding discussions to integrate Cortana, Microsoft's AI assistant currently struggling to compete with other AI assistants, with Mi AI speaker. In 2017 Xiaomi was world's fifth most popular smartphone company trailing Apple and Samsung. Earlier in 2015, Microsoft had signed a deal with Xiaomi to tests its Windows 10 on Xiaomi devices. Microsoft had some major stumbles in recent time as they officially announced to end support for windows phone in 2017.

Microsoft, Xiaomi collaborate to make AI powered speakers and smartphones

Samsung Electronics plans to double the production capacity for mobile phones and fridges at its main factory in India, expanding in a country where US&nbsp;rival Apple Inc&nbsp;has started assembling phones.

The South Korean company said in a statement on Wednesday it would spend 49 billion rupees ($764 million) over three years to expand the factory on an additional 35 acres at the site on the outskirts of New Delhi. It also makes televisions at the plant.

India is the world&#39;s second biggest smartphone market and its fast becoming a battleground for handset makers vying for a bigger share as sales in Asian powerhouse China start to lag.

&quot;Samsung would want to reduce their dependence on manufacturing in Vietnam and shift more operations to India,&quot; said Tarun Pathak, associate director at technology research firm Counterpoint.

&quot;India looks like a promising manufacturing hub in the coming years and Samsung could make it their base for exports.&quot;

Samsung&#39;s expansion also comes at a time Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s government is pushing to increase technology manufacturing through its flagship &quot;Make in India&quot; initiative launched in 2014.

Apple began assembling its iPhone SE model last month in the southern Indian technology hub of Bengaluru and a government official has said it could increase the local share of production over time.

($1 = 64.3650 Indian rupees)

(Reuters)

India is the world's second biggest smartphone market

Samsung Electronics plans to double the production capacity for mobile phones and fridges at its main factory in India, expanding in a country where US rival Apple Inc has started assembling phones. The South Korean company said in a statement on Wednesday it would spend 49 billion rupees ($764 million) over three years to expand the factory on an additional 35 acres at the site on the outskirts of New Delhi. It also makes televisions at the plant. India is the world's second biggest smartphone market and its fast becoming a battleground for handset makers vying for a bigger share as sales in Asian powerhouse China start to lag. "Samsung would want to reduce their dependence on manufacturing in Vietnam and shift more operations to India," said Tarun Pathak, associate director at technology research firm Counterpoint. "India looks like a promising manufacturing hub in the coming years and Samsung could make it their base for exports." Samsung's expansion also comes at a time Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is pushing to increase technology manufacturing through its flagship "Make in India" initiative launched in 2014. Apple began assembling its iPhone SE model last month in the southern Indian technology hub of Bengaluru and a government official has said it could increase the local share of production over time. ($1 = 64.3650 Indian rupees) (Reuters)

Samsung to double mobile phone capacity at main Indian factory

Tech giant Google unveiled its new line of smartphones called &#39;Pixel&#39; today after much speculation.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The company took wraps off &nbsp;its Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, with artificial intelligence built in, as it takes aim at Apple&#39;s iPhone. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

The two phones will be the first to bear the Google&#39;s brand with the with the tagline &#39;Phone by Google&#39;, USA Today reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In its official blog, Google said: &quot;Today, we announced for the first time a phone, made by Google inside and out, &nbsp;that brings people the best of Google through hardware and software made by Google &mdash; Pixel.&quot; &nbsp;The company also announced the launch on social media platforms&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
And that&#39;s a wrap! Say hello to the whole <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/madebygoogle?src=hash">#madebygoogle</a> family. <a href="https://t.co/0e0g3PKz6k">https://t.co/0e0g3PKz6k</a> <a href="https://t.co/gV97oQ3KtX">pic.twitter.com/gV97oQ3KtX</a>
&mdash; Google (@google) <a href="https://twitter.com/google/status/783357288622886912">October 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;We are building hardware with the Google Assistant at its core,&quot; Rick Osterloh, head of a new hardware division at the California-based internet giant, was quoted as saying by the international news agency, AFP.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;We believe that the next big innovation is going to take place at the intersection of hardware and software, with AI at the center.&quot;

&nbsp;

The new phone starts at a price of $649, and Google is working with exclusively with Verizon Communications in the United States, Google executives were quoted as saying by Reuters.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Osterloh claimed the camera was the best available on a smartphone.&nbsp;Pixel has a 12.3MP camera, featuring an f/2.0 aperture and big 1.55 micron pixels to capture lots and lots of light.

&nbsp;

Pixel phones, that get a 7-hour charge in 15 minutes according to the company, will come in black, blue and silver and will have 5 and 5.5 inch (12.7 cm and 14 cm) screens, Reuters said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

While the two phones are similar from a design and specification standpoint, according to USA today, &nbsp;the Pixel will offer a 5-inch display while the Pixel XL will have a 5.5-inch screen. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Google has sold Nexus phones since 2010, but the devices have gained little traction in a market dominated by Samsung Electronics, Reuters observes.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Pixel, a phone made by Google 'inside out', starts at a price of $649

Tech giant Google unveiled its new line of smartphones called 'Pixel' today after much speculation. The company took wraps off its Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, with artificial intelligence built in, as it takes aim at Apple's iPhone. The two phones will be the first to bear the Google's brand with the with the tagline 'Phone by Google', USA Today reported. In its official blog, Google said: "Today, we announced for the first time a phone, made by Google inside and out, that brings people the best of Google through hardware and software made by Google — Pixel." The company also announced the launch on social media platforms And that's a wrap! Say hello to the whole #madebygoogle family. https://t.co/0e0g3PKz6k pic.twitter.com/gV97oQ3KtX — Google (@google) October 4, 2016 × × "We are building hardware with the Google Assistant at its core," Rick Osterloh, head of a new hardware division at the California-based internet giant, was quoted as saying by the international news agency, AFP. "We believe that the next big innovation is going to take place at the intersection of hardware and software, with AI at the center." The new phone starts at a price of $649, and Google is working with exclusively with Verizon Communications in the United States, Google executives were quoted as saying by Reuters. Osterloh claimed the camera was the best available on a smartphone. Pixel has a 12.3MP camera, featuring an f/2.0 aperture and big 1.55 micron pixels to capture lots and lots of light. Pixel phones, that get a 7-hour charge in 15 minutes according to the company, will come in black, blue and silver and will have 5 and 5.5 inch (12.7 cm and 14 cm) screens, Reuters said. While the two phones are similar from a design and specification standpoint, according to USA today, the Pixel will offer a 5-inch display while the Pixel XL will have a 5.5-inch screen. Google has sold Nexus phones since 2010, but the devices have gained little traction in a market dominated by Samsung Electronics, Reuters observes. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Google unveils Pixel smartphone to rival Apple's iPhone

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