Samsung teased the next-generation Galaxy S21 series smartphones in an email blast Monday, the same day Xiaomi launched its flagship Mi 11 smartphone, the first to incorporate Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 processor. Samsung customers can “reserve your spot in line" for preorders, which start Jan. 14, and unlock up to $50 “instant credit” toward earbuds, watches and more through Jan. 28. The Xiaomi Mi 11, which went on preorder in China Monday starting at $612, has a 2K AMOLED display (3200x1440) with a 120 Hz refresh rate, 108-megapixel main camera, telephoto and wide-angle cameras, and dual speakers with sound by Harman Kardon.
HMD Global bowed the $49 Nokia 225 feature phone Wednesday, billing it as a holiday “stocking stuffer.” The 4G phone uses Voice over LTE and has a camera and 1150 mAh battery, said the company: A blue version will be available at retailers; metallic sand will sell exclusively on Nokia.com, it said.
Foldable smartphone panel unit shipments are expected to grow 454% this year to 3.1 million, Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young told the virtual Display Market Outlook Conference Wednesday. Panels for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold2 dominate the market, he said. Growth was lower than expected because Commerce Department export restrictions on Huawei prevented the company from introducing its Mate X2 in-folding smartphone as planned in Q4, he said. The Mate X2 was to have sourced panels from Samsung Display and BOE Technology Group. Its cancellation was a significant setback to the foldable smartphone market because Huawei was poised to introduce it in volumes exceeding 500,000 units, said Young. It assures Samsung will maintain market leadership in foldables, at least until Apple jumps in with a foldable iPhone, he said. 5G “finally took off” in foldables in 2020's second half with Samsung’s launch of the Z Fold2 and Z Flip 5G and Motorola’s debut of the Razr 5G, he said. In 2020, 52% of the foldables shipped will be 4G models, but 5G is expected to “dominate” in 2021 and beyond, he said. DSCC is forecasting Apple will field its first foldable iPhone in 2023 with a clamshell design, followed by an in-fold model in 2024, said Young. “There’s still time for the schedule to get pulled in” to 2022, he said. Apple’s iPhone supplier Foxconn is believed to be testing “large volumes of foldable panels ” this quarter, he said. Foxconn didn't respond to questions. “We think it’s inevitable that Apple will get into this market,” said Young. “It’s a very high-end, profitable segment. I don’t think they want to leave it to Samsung, who’s lacking competition. Given Samsung’s limited sales in the U.S., we think Apple could grab a lot of share with foldables in the U.S. if they can be convinced it’s a durable product.” DSCC expects Apple would source foldable panels from Samsung Display, said Young. Apple didn’t comment.
A 2013 FCC proceeding that opened the door for in-flight voice and data services via mobile wireless frequencies (see 1312130061) was grounded for want of a common ground solution, said an all-commissioner order in Monday's Daily Digest. It said because of the strong pushback from pilot and flight attendant interests and disagreements on the best approach for expanding access, there's no value in continuing the rulemaking.
Global smartphone sales to end users were 366 million handsets in Q3, down 5.7% from the 2019 quarter, reported Gartner Monday. After two straight quarters of 20% declines, quarterly smartphone sales have started to show signs of recovery sequentially, it said. Smartphones remain weak compared with 2019, “even with vendors introducing multiple 5G smartphones,” it said. “Consumers are limiting their discretionary spend even as some lockdown conditions have started to improve.” Sales experienced “moderate growth” from Q2 to Q3, through “pent-up demand from previous quarters,” it said. Samsung held the top global share in Q3 with 22%, with Huawei second at 14.1%. Xiaomi leapfrogged Apple to No. 3 (12.1% share). Xiaomi sold 44.4 million, a 34.9% increase from the 2019 quarter, while Apple sales declined 0.6% to 40.6 million.
Xiaomi retook the No. 3 position in global smartphone shipments in Q3 with a record 13.5% share, based on 44.6% shipment growth year over year, the highest among the top five smartphone makers, said Chief Financial Officer Alain Lam on a Tuesday investor call. Its quarterly shipments outside China soared 54.1%, including a 107.3% increase in Western Europe, he said.
The California Public Utilities Commission partly modified its T-Mobile/Sprint OK at a virtual meeting Thursday. Commissioners unanimously voted for a consent agenda that included a proposed decision in docket A.18-07-011 to grant the carrier’s request for more time to comply with network deployment and performance conditions in the April order but reject challenges to conditions to hire 1,000 more employees and comply with the agency’s CalSpeed program. T-Mobile earlier praised the part of the proposed decision granting relief (see 2010190014). The carrier didn’t comment Thursday.
Global smartphone shipments declined 1.3% in Q3 to 353.6 million handsets, reported IDC Thursday. Though shipments decreased, the results outdid IDC's forecast of a 9% year-over-year decline, it said. It attributed the improvement to the reopening of global economies as COVID-19 restrictions were gradually relaxed. Though “an element” of pent-up demand fueled market growth in emerging markets like Brazil, India, Indonesia and Russia, “it was mainly the array of heavy promotions and discounts that accelerated growth in these markets," said IDC. The more developed markets of the U.S., Western Europe and China experienced big Q3 declines, it said. Samsung retook global leadership from Huawei with 22.7% share after shipping 80.4 million smartphones in Q3, a 2.9% increase from the 2019 quarter. Huawei’s shipments plunged 22% to 51.9 million handsets, sinking the vendor into second place with 14.7% share, said IDC: “The company continues to face challenges due to the ever increasing impact of the U.S. sanctions.” Wednesday, Sony reported the mid-September termination of image sensor shipments to Huawei would cause operating profit in that sector of its business to plummet for the fiscal year ending March 31 (see 2010280028).
Yahoo plowed into the smartphone market Thursday with an entry-level $49 handset that operates on parent company Verizon’s sub-brand 4G Yahoo Mobile wireless network. Later this year, Verizon’s 5G network will be included with all Yahoo Mobile plans and devices, it said. Consumers can buy Yahoo Mobile service with the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro through the online store now, and with the iPhone Pro Max and 12 Mini, due next month. The purple Yahoo Mobile ZTE Blade A3Y, stuffed with Yahoo apps, is paired with a $40 monthly unlimited talk, text and data plan, ad-free email account and 24/7 customer service, with no annual service contract. Through Yahoo Sports, users have access to live sports and a “Watch Together” feature that allows livestreaming of free NFL games with friends. The Android phone, with a 5.4-inch 720p display, has an 8-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera, 2 GB RAM, a rear fingerprint sensor, face-unlock and a 2660 mAh battery. Verizon Media CEO Guru Gowrappan called the phone a “unique and valuable offering” with Yahoo’s “unified suite of products, trusted content, commerce and the reliability” of Verizon’s network.
Apple’s $399 iPhone SE, released in April (see 2004150049), accounted for 22% of U.S. iPhone sales in the quarter ended Sept. 26, reported Consumer Intelligence Research Partners Monday. Apple’s least expensive smartphone attracted customers with old phones looking to upgrade, it said. Combined, the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max made up 64%, with the iPhone 11 remaining the best-selling single model, CIRP said. A third of customers bought the top iPhone Pro and Pro Max models, it said. Apple stores, physical and online, had 21% of sales vs. 13% in the year-ago quarter. Mobile phone sales have been hurt this year by Q2 store closures and consumers’ concern over shopping in stores.