The global smartphone market continues to slide in Q1 2019, IDC reports, as shipments are down by -6.6% Y-o-Y to reach 310.8 million units, marking a 6th consecutive quarter of decline.
For overall 2018, shipments dropped by -4.1% compared to 2017, and judging from Q1 2019 the rest of the year will essentially be yet another downer for pretty much all vendors. The only highlight, from a vendor perspective, is Huawei managing to grow volume and share despite market headwinds. In fact, Huawei has managed to grow so much in Q1 2019 it even managed to beat Apple!
"It is becoming increasingly clear that Huawei is laser focused on growing its stature in the world of mobile devices, with smartphones being its lead horse," the analyst says. "The overall smartphone market continues to be challenged in almost all areas, yet Huawei was able to grow shipments by 50%, not only signifying a clear number two in terms of market share but also closing the gap on the market leader Samsung. This new ranking of Samsung, Huawei, and Apple is very likely what we'll see when 2019 is all said and done."
According to unnamed "sources familiar with the plan," the TV will allow users to download data-heavy content such as 360-degree video and virtual reality programs. Such a TV would not need for fibre optics or cable boxes, and could possibly even act as a router hub for all other devices in the home. Meanwhile the 8K display offers 16x the pixels of a standard HD TV.
The line features 5 models, namely the Forerunner 45, Forerunner 45S, Forerunner 245, Forerunner 245 Music and Forerunner 945. The Forerunner 45 and 45S are aimed at first-time runners or customers starting an exercise plan, and offer heart monitoring, built-in GPS and a choice of 12 activity profiles including cycling, cardio, yoga and more. Both are designed for 24/7 use, with the 45S featuring a smaller 39mm case compared to the 42mm case on the 45 model, and promise up to 7 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and 13 hours in GPS mode.
Pokémon fans among your customers might be pleased to learn phone case maker Casetify is bringing a range of smartphone cases themed around the adorable pocket monsters ahead of the release of the Detective Pikachu movie.
As such, Apple revenues for the quarter total $58 billion, a decline of -5% Y-o-Y, with profits reaching $11.6bn. Gross margin clocks at 37.6%, compared to 38.3% in Q1 2018, and international sales account for 61% of revenue. The company gives no iPhone or iPad sales number, instead simply stating services revenues (covering App Store, iCloud, Apple Pay and AppleCare, among others) reach an all-time high of $11.5bn.
