PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
The global demand for smartphones is at an all-time high. Across the globe the value of the market increased by 9 per cent year-on-year for the second quarter until the end of June. A large reason for the demand is due to the rising average sales price of individual smartphones.
The number of individual units sold was also up, rising by 4 per cent to a record of 347 million sold during the three months, according to figures by GfK. Arndt Polifke, global director of telecom research at GfK, said that ‘macroeconomic’ factors and ‘consumer confidence’ in the industry are having a positive impact on the smartphone market.
“The record demand for smartphones in the second quarter this year shows that, despite saturation in some markets, the desire to own a smartphone is a worldwide phenomenon,” he said. “Manufacturers are maximising all their creativity to ensure their latest devices are irresistible.”
In Western Europe smartphone demand was up by 3 per cent, accounting for 28.7 million units sold. Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America both recorded firm growth, with demand up by 11 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. Meanwhile in the Middle East and Africa, growth was up by 1 per cent, while in China, smartphone demand remained more or less the same as the previous year.
Yotaro Noguchi, product lead in GfK’s trends and forecasting division, said that despite saturation in some markets, he expects overall demand to continue rising throughout 2018 and beyond. “As innovation from smartphone vendors keeps replacement cycles from lengthening, we expect to see continued growth,” he added.
