IDC: Smartphone deliveries are declining this year

Deliveries of smartphones will decline sharply for the first time this year, analysts firm IDC reports. The smartphone market has not been growing fast for a while. IDC expects that thanks to 5G and foldable smartphones, the number of smartphones delivered will increase next year.

IDC only points to the disappointing market in China as the cause of the expected decline. For the time being, this is a projection: the year is not yet over and the final estimates will only be made when many companies have published their quarterly figures, around February. The expected decrease is 50 million units, from 1.47 billion smartphones delivered in 2017 to 1.42 billion this year. It is the first time that the smartphone market is shrinking so much. In 2017 there was a very slight decrease.

There have already been several reports that people are spending longer with a smartphone, partly because more manufacturers offer longer support for their models. IDC also sees a trend that more manufacturers are trying to charge higher prices by releasing more luxurious models, such as Apple with the iPhone XS Max, Samsung with the Galaxy Note 9, Oppo with the Find X and Huawei with the Mate 20 Pro.

IDC estimates that next year the demand for smartphones will increase slightly again, because models with folding screens and 5G will be released. These will increase the demand for new smartphones, the analyst firm believes. IDC doesn’t expect major shifts in smartphone operating systems; Android remains dominant with around 86 percent of the market, with iOS a reasonable distance from 13 percent.