The global smartphone market is tipped to show signs of recovery in the second half of 2019, according to latest numbers from IDC.
Lacklustre phone shipments follow weak replacement demand, with heavy promotion and new releases in the second half of the year tipped to spark growth.
As per Taiwanese trade publication, DigiTimes, shipment volumes are forecast to drop 2.2% year-on-year in 2019 – the third straight annual decline.
Recovery in the later half is tipped to trigger positive smartphone shipment growth of 1.6% in 2020.
IDC attributes strained US-China tensions for market and supply chain uncertainty, “making future planning even more challenging than normal.”
The news follows several new releases including; Samsung’s new Note series, the new iPhone 11 range and Google’s Pixel 4 XL rumoured for next month.
The rise of 5G smartphones is also expected to trigger replacement demand, with 2020 set to see a ramp up following an ‘introductory year’ in 2019.
According to IDC, 5G phone shipments are forecast to represent nearly 9% of smartphones next year, soaring to around 28% in 2023.
