Android's Market Share Increased to 79.3% in Q2 2015 as Apple iPhone Dipped to 13.2%

Smartphones using Google's Android software increased their global market share as iPhones lost ground in the absence of new models being unleashed by Apple, the International Data Corporation reported Wednesday. Android's share of the smartphone market grew to 79.3% in the second quarter while that of iPhone slipped to 13.2% from 16.6% in the same three-month period last year, according to IDC figures. "The iOS decline in the second quarter aligns with the cyclicality of iPhone," said IDC mobile phone research team manager Ramon Llamas, referring to the software platform on which the Apple handsets are built.

"Without a new product launch since the debut of the iPhone 5 nearly a year ago, Apple's market share was vulnerable to product launches from the competition." Apple is "well positioned" to recapture market share with the release later this year of a new iPhone and the next-generation iOS mobile operating system, according to Llamas. IDC reported that 187 million Android-powered smartphones were shipped in the second quarter of the year as compared to 31.2 million iPhones. Smartphones powered by Microsoft Windows software showed the biggest jump, hitting 3.7% of the market in a 77.6% rise that "re-enforced" the mobile platform's third-place position, according to IDC. "Last quarter we witnessed Windows Phone shipments surpassing BlackBerry and the trend has continued into the second quarter," said IDC mobility tracker program manager Ryan Reith. Will Android continue to take market share from Apple IoS iPhone? Share your comments at the Smartphone and Tablet Emporium.

Qualcomm to Launch New Snapdragon Chip Powered Smartphone and Tablet Products

Qualcomm® introduced Snapdragon™ processors and LTE modems support breath-taking speed, jaw-dropping graphics, ultra-fast connectivity and longer battery life on your mobile device so you can do more of the things you love. any Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processors and modems have 4G LTE connectivity built right in – and that’s just the beginning.

Some Snapdragon processors and LTE modems even support 4G+ connectivity, enabled by LTE Advanced Carrier Aggregation. Carrier Aggregation (part of LTE Advanced), and it’s supported by many Snapdragon processors and LTE modems. Snapdragon processors and LTE modems also support all major 4G, 3G, and 2G cellular technologies, which lets your device automatically connect to the best available signal. That means fast download and upload speeds, quick network response times, access to rich app content and fast speeds with fewer bars. Google, LG, HTC, Kyocera, Motorola, Samsung, Sony and ZTE are among the manufacturers using the Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. 4G+ also means that you can get faster speeds with fewer bars. That’s because 4G+ networks can use up to three connections at the same time. How will these devices stack-up against comparable solutions from Apple and Samsung? Share your comments with the Smartphone and Tablet Zone.

Microsoft Enters the Global Tablet Market With its New Surface Book Devices

In recent years Microsoft has said that its Surface tablets would replace traditional laptops, but now the company has a backup product. The Microsoft Surface Book looks like a MacBook at first glance, but how it works is much more interesting. Just like the Surface, the new Surface Book can be used as a full-powered laptop or as a tablet. You can also snap the display screen to the back of the keyboard so it acts like a clipboard, thanks to a unique mechanical hinge.

Surface devices are  crafted by Microsoft using PixelSense™ displays with image quality that rivals real life, incredibly powerful 6th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, and Surface Pen makes each member of the Surface family into a category redefining device.  Each Surface is built with the power of a fully functioning laptop under the hood.  But the Surface Book isn't just another Surface tablet with a better keyboard. The monitor contains the latest Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, and the keyboard base has a graphics processing unit (GPU) that boosts the laptop's performance. In addition, about three-fourths of the device's battery life is stored in the keyboard. (A fully charged battery can last 12 hours, Microsoft says.)  Will the new Surface tablets enable Microsoft, coming late to the tablet party, to effectively compete against the likes of Apple, Samsung and Dell? Share your comments with the Smartphone and Tablet Emporium.

IDC Reports Decline in Global Tablet Shipments of -7% Year over Year

According to the IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker worldwide tablet market declined -7.0% year over year in the second quarter of 2015 (2Q15) with shipments totaling 44.7 million units. Marked by little hardware innovation and limited vendor portfolio updates, the market also declined -3.9% compared to the first quarter of 2015.

"Beyond the decline, we're seeing a profound shift in the vendor landscape as the top two vendors, Apple and Samsung, lose share in the overall market," said Jean Philippe Bouchard, IDC Research Director for Tablets. "In the first quarter of the year, Apple and Samsung accounted for 45% of the market and this quarter, with the growth of vendors like LG, Huawei, and E FUN, their combined share dropped to 41%. Each of the growing vendors managed to address available pockets of growth in the market; connected tablets for LG and Huawei, larger tablets and 2-in-1s in the right price bands for E FUN. This trend is also something we see on a wider scale with the top 5 vendors accounting for 54% of the market, down from 58% last quarter. It is worth mentioning that Huawei enters the top 5 ranking for the first time, while E FUN has re-entered the top 10 after more than a year, further indicating that the vendor landscape is indeed evolving." Despite a continued decline in shipments for its iPad product line, Apple maintained its lead in the worldwide tablet market, shipping 10.9 million units in the second quarter. Samsung held its number 2 position in the market with 7.6 million units shipped and 17.0% market share in 2Q15. Lenovo maintained its third position with 2.5 million units and 5.7% share of the market. LG and Huawei ended the quarter in a statistical tie* for fourth place, rounding out the top 5 with each shipping 1.6 million devices. As previously mentioned, share outside the top 5 continued to outgrow the market, representing 46% of total tablet shipments in 2Q15. What are the implications of this report for future tablet shipments? Send your comments to the Smartphone and Tablet Emporium.

Taking a Closer Look at the Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950X

The new Microsoft Lumia 950 (codenamed Talkman) and 950 XL (codenamed Cityman) will be among the first Windows Phones to run Windows 10 mobile. No longer rumours, here's the Microsoft Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL UK release date, price and specs. Also see: Best Windows Phones 2015 and Best smartphones 2015. Microsoft is expected to launch the Lumia 940 and 940 XL but, a bit like the jump from Windows 8 to Windows 10, we instead have the Lumia 950 and 950 XL. These are flagship phones which command flagship prices. Microsoft is aiming them much more at business users than consumers, mainly thanks to all their productivity features which include the abiltiy to use them like a desktop PC with a big screen, keyboard and mouse.

More powerful chips and USB-C mean that Continuum is possible via a Microsoft Display Dock. This optional accessory lets you hook up your phone via USB, and a keyboard, mouse and monitor to the dock (there's HDMI and DisplayPort support). You can even connect a USB flash drive and use the setup just like a Windows 10 PC. You get a desktop that looks just like a Windows 10 PC, and the Start menu is just the same home screen you'd see on your phone screen. But you can launch a universal app, such as Word or PowerPoint and it will scale to look like the desktop version. For more see: How to use Universal apps in Windows 10.  Will the Lumia 950 and 950X be breakthrough products for Microsoft? Share your comments with the Smartphone and Tablet Emporium.

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China Sets iPhone Unit Shipment Records According to Apple and IDC

China drove sales of Apple’s latest iPhone to a record 13m units last weekend, topping last year’s record of 10m, when the manufacturer’s popular phone was held up in China by regulators. Analysts put sales in China at between 3m and 4m units, leaving sales elsewhere essentially flat year-over-year. The company allowed 16 days for its presale period (last year it gave itself 10) and the phone officially went on sale 25 September. It will continue to roll out around the world through October. “Sales for iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus have been phenomenal, blowing past any previous first weekend sales results in Apple’s history,” wrote Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a press release.

 The devices’ success is a testament to the reliability of Apple’s user base, said Ramon Llamas, a mobile market analyst for International Data Corporation (IDC). “The fact that this is an S version and not a whole new body type version speaks to how much clout Apple has with end-users out there,” Llamas said. “People usually wait for the new version, but there’s a sizable number that says: ‘No, we’d rather have the incremental version and move forward.’” The popularity of the devices is also likely to make for greater Apple Watch adoption, Llamas said – or at least to remove a barrier to Apple Watch adoption, since the watch only works with iOS devices. The phone’s major upgrades include what Apple is calling 3D touch, in which the touchscreen responds not solely to touch but to pressure, as well, and the standard camera megapixel and processor improvements. Llamas said he expects to see the “home” button disappear before long. Will the iPhone continue to dominate the Chinese market? Share your comments with the Smartphone and Tablet Zone.


http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/28/iphone-6s-apple-breaks-record-sales-china