According to IDC’s latest research, smartphones are shipping faster than they have been in previous years. A statement, which we probably could of guessed ourselves considering we see more and more people with smartphones nowadays. Roughly 406 million units were shipped in Q2 2012, up from 401.8 million units in Q2 2011. The shipments for smartphones also ended up eyeing a large year-over-year increase with a 42% gain. All in all, the industry seems to be booming.
With that in mind when talking about smartphones the two tech giants, Apple and Samsung, come to mind. Both of them ended up doubling their combined market share in just two years. Here, Samsung in particular hit a new quarterly record after shipping 50 million phones in Q2. Apple ended up shipping half as many iPhones during the same time. The Cupertino California company did suffer a quarter-over-quarter decline just six months after its latest iPhone unveiling, but many are attributing that to consumers holding out for the next-generation iPhone, which is rumored to be an overhaul (something the iPhone 4S was not).
It isn’t necessarily a surprise to see more Android phones in the market though considering they come in all shapes, sizes, and price points. Apple’s iPhone on the other hand has been quite consistent over the past few years and just recently started to adopt the multi-price point strategy, keeping budget consumers in mind. With older models now going for cheaper, Apple is targeting the low-end market, which is something they haven’t done before.
With the next-generation iPhone coming up in the next few months and anticipation for it through the roof, Apple may see a record-breaking surge in sales once again. The next-generation iPhone along with the legal battle between Apple and Samsung are surely to play a big role in how the industry will be going forward. We’ll have to wait and be patient to see what happens.
Source: IDC
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