Despite a stagnant market for the second consecutive year in 2023, analysts project a modest uplift in the smartphone market in 2024. Factors such as the upcoming general elections and a surge in affordable 5G smartphones induce positive expectations.
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0In 2023 a notable trend emerged in smartphone sales favoring the shift towards premium brands at the expense of more affordable models. Counterpoint's initial findings indicate an uptick in the sales of phones priced above $600. Counterpoint predicts their finalized data will show a 6% year-on-year growth rate in 2023 within these higher-end phone markets.
00The smartphone sector had a turbulent 2023 with total sales predicted to decline as opposed to 2022. On the contrary, the luxury segment, with products worth more than $600, witnessed record-breaking sales. Apple persistently occupied the top spot in this segment. It is projected that luxury smartphone sales will grow by 6% in 2023
00The year 2024 could potentially be a turning point for the smartwatch industry, with certain brands facing low profitability and slim margins possibly exiting the business or pivoting to other sectors. The shift is expected due to the rising costs associated with tech advances and changing market trends.
00Top smartphone companies like Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, and others are banking on foldable smartphones to re-energize the declining market. Samsung, leader in foldables, continues to invest in such smartphones along with new era flip-style devices. However, with foldables making up only one percent of the market, widespread adoption remains challenging. Even so, major brands are hopeful, though Apple appears resistant to the trend, possibly preferring to develop a foldable iPad instead.
00Phone manufacturers believe that 5G smartphones, priced between $130.71 and $196.07, could be a key factor in increasing the volume of the industry, which is expected to reach shipments between 140-150 million units as compared to 144-152 million in 2022, in spite of solid festive sales.
00Recent Christmas smartphone gift recipients are advised to consider a key detail before the onset of 2024 as inflation anticipated in January could trigger bill increases. It's noteworthy that this tip is specifically pertinent to those under UK mobile contracts.
00Canalys recently reported a 12% year-on-year increase for the African smartphone market in Q3 2023. The region saw a notable rise in smartphone shipments amounting to 17.9 units, despite financial obstacles and import restrictions. Chinese smartphone maker Transsion continued to hold its leading position with a 9% yearly growth.
00The Apple Watch, in the intricate intersection of tech and health, has earned its moniker as a lifesaver, transcending its status merely as gadgets. Despite a recent halt in US sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 due to a legal dispute, the smartwatch keeps making headlines for its life-saving potential. A recent anecdote on Reddit shed light on the Apple Watch's critical role in avoiding potential disaster. A user, upon feeling alarming symptoms while driving, utilized the watch's ECG feature to track his heart's activity. This prompt action allowed doctors to stabilize his condition effectively.
00Meta, a well-known parent company to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, launched a new app named Threads in 2023. This application incredibly registered 100 million users within just five days, setting a remarkable global record for the fastest 100 million downloads. Nonetheless, by August, an 80% decline in daily active users was observed, and the mean app usage time went down from 21 minutes to only three minutes. As per TRG Datacenters analysis of social media app trends, Instagram emerged as the most wanted app to be deleted. Over 1 million people looked up methods to delete their Instagram accounts monthly in 2023. In the same vein, Snapchat, despite its massive user base of 750 million, also saw a significant number of users aiming to delete their accounts.
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