IDC: Global Smartphone Shipments Will Bounce Back This Year

According to market research firm IDC, worldwide shipments of smartphones should bounce back in 2017, after experiencing uninspired growth back in 2016. In its report, IDC stated that shipments should increase 4.2 percent this year, and then another 4.4 percent next year. Although that is clearly an improvement over the 2.5 percent growth rate last year, it still can not beat the 10 percent growth rate experienced between 2014 and 2015. Also, as projected by IDC, shipments will reach 1.53 billion units in 2017, and then 1.77 billion units in 2021.

Many consider Apple to be the most profitable company around the world, and much of its success has been driven by sales of its iPhone devices. And it is not just Apple dominating the globe, tech giants such as Samsung and Google also have achieved success through smartphone devices. But in recent years, the slow growth of smartphone shipments have been a concern for these companies. But in 2017 and 2018, things should start getting better again. 

According to IDC, there will not much shift between the popularity of the two most widely used mobile operating systems in the world -- Android and iOS. Android has a commanding 85 percent share of smartphone shipments worldwide, and while Apple’s iOS basically owns the remainder. Although Android’s dominance will begin to eventually chip away, smartphone shipments will not necessarily decrease in the next few years. As for Microsoft -- well, the less said the better.

2017 is looking to be a big year for smartphone devices. Despite the failure of its Galaxy Note 7 last year, Samsung is eager to get back to its dominating ways, and its upcoming Galaxy S8 devices should help matters. Of course, Apple is preparing something special, too -- this year happens to be the year its iPhone turns 10, and it is said to be preparing a trio of iPhone models: the iPhone 7s, the iPhone 7s Plus, and the higher end iPhone 8. And lest we forget -- Chinese phone makers like Huawei, Xiaomi, and Lenovo will continue to pose a threat. And then there’s Google’s Pixel devices, too, which can not be underestimated.