PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
Taiwan’s Market Intelligence Center expects to see a 13.8 per cent growth in smartphone shipments, according to the Chinese-Language Economic Daily News.
Taiwan-based handset makers are expecting to ship 7.47 million units in the first quarter, and for that to grow to 7.89 million units in the second quarter. Asustek Computer, High Tech Computer and Inventec Appliances are the vendors anticipating shipment growth.
In other handset-related news, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Motorola have all reported strong quarter four results. However, market research firm IDC expects global growth to slow to single digit figures this year.
"Over the last three years, growth in the industry during the holiday quarter has fluctuated from 18.0 percent to 30.0 percent, and this past quarter we saw it drop to 11.6 percent," IDS senior analyst Ryan Reith said in a statement.
"The expectation that the market would maintain the level of growth it saw over the last three years was unrealistic. We expect growth to be in the single digits throughout 2008, and most likely for years to follow."
