Tag: smartphone
2022 saw smartphone shipments drop to 10-year lows
PC makers weren’t the only ones who dealt with a grim 2022. Canalys estimates that smartphone shipments tanked 11 percent year-over-year, making it worst annual performance in a decade. The fourth quarter was worse — shipments fell 17 percent compared to the end of 2021. That was also the worst fourth quarter of the past 10 years, according to analysts.
Most industry heavyweights had a tough time, too. Apple and Samsung were the only two major brands to gain market share in 2022, growing to 19 and 22 percent respectively. Chinese rivals Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo all shrank. It won’t surprise you to hear that Apple overtook Samsung in the last quarter (the iPhone 14 family was brand new, while the Galaxy S22 was relatively old). However, it was still a record high — Apple claimed 25 percent of the market in the fall where Samsung had ‘just’ 20 percent. Higher-end brands held steady, in other words.
You might already know why the market went south. The combination of a tough economy and supply problems hurt demand and created shortages. Even if you could afford your dream smartphone, you might have had a difficult time finding it. That led companies to run sales and otherwise go to great lengths to entice customers and clear out unsold stock.
Don’t expect 2023 to be much better. Canalys predicts that the smartphone space might only grow slightly at best. China’s re-opening is poised to help, but researchers only believe the effect will be noticeable toward the second half of the year. If that proves true, phone makers may still end up fighting for your attention with aggressive promos.
Microsoft’s Surface Duo 3 will be a traditional foldable instead of a dual-screen smartphone, sources say
Microsoft apparently had a dual-screen design lined up for what would have become the Surface Duo 3 due out at the end of 2023, complete with an edge-to-edge display, wireless charging and more. After the Surface Duo 2 launched in late 2021 to a lukewarm reception, however, Microsoft reportedly went…
Poll: Do you own a power bank for your smartphone?
Unistellar’s telescope turns your smartphone into a stargazer
Humans are eternally curious about the night sky, but figuring out how to use a telescope is non-trivial. At CES in Las Vegas, Unistellar believes it has the perfect solution with its Equinox 2 Smart Telescope. “When I was a young teenager, I had a telescope that I used during the long summer nights. Fast forward […]
Unistellar’s telescope turns your smartphone into a stargazer by Haje Jan Kamps originally published on TechCrunch
Samsung’s quarterly profits hit 8-year low as chip and smartphone demand crash
Samsung’s broad portfolio had seen it weather global industry crises in the past, including the chip shortage in 2021 when its earnings reached a new record. But according to preliminary estimates, operating profit for the October to December quarter fell 69% year-on-year from 13.87 trillion Korean won (around $10.9 billion)…
Samsung’s fourth-quarter profit nosedives amid chip downturn and weakening smartphone demand
You told us: You want these two smartphone camera improvements in 2023
How Much Does It Cost to Charge Your Smartphone for a Year?
Most of us charge our phones without a second thought because they’re such an indispensable part of modern life. But how much are we spending annually keeping them fully charged and ready for action?