Smartphone shipments are expected to grow 10.4 percent in 2015 to 1.44 billion units against 27.5 percent growth achieved in 2014, said IDC.
IDC expects a noticeable slowdown in smartphone shipments in 2015 as China joins North America and Western Europe.
Global shipments will be reaching 1.9 billion units in 2019.
China consumed 32.3 percent of all new smartphone shipments in 2014. Shipments are forecast to grow 1.2 percent in China against 19.7 percent in 2014. China will remain the largest market for smartphone volumes. IDC said Indian smartphone market will pose challenges to China. China’s share of the overall market is expected to drop to 23.1 percent in 2019 as high-growth markets like India continue to expand.
Ryan Reith, program director with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, said: “India has captured a lot of the attention that China previously received and it’s now the market with the most potential upside.
“There will be the possibility of manufacturing moving from China and Vietnam over to India. We’ve begun to see this move as a means to cut costs and capitalize on financial benefits associated with localized India manufacturing. Local phone vendors such as Micromax, Lava, and Intex will feel the most pressure from international competition within its market,” Reith said.
IDC said Android shipments globally are expected to grow from 1.06 billion in 2014 to 1.54 billion in 2019, while iOS shipments will grow from 192.7 million in 2014 to 269.6 million in 2019.
Phablets or smartphones with 5.5″-7″ screens will continue to drive shipment volumes in both emerging and developed markets.
Smartphones featuring display sizes from 5.5 inches to 6 inches are forecast to grow 84 percent in 2015 compared to last year, while phablets overall will make up over 71 percent of shipments by 2019.
Baburajan K
editor@telecomlead.com
