Smartphone Manufacturers Slow Production as Global Demand Weakens

cageymaru

cageymaru

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According to reports, the global smartphone market is cooling off as manufacturers slowed production in Q4 2018 and have modest goals for Q1 2019. Smartphone sales in Q4 2018 were lower-than-expected and this has led to the scaling back of production by smartphone manufacturers. "TrendForce forecasts that the global smartphone production volume for 1Q19 will come to 307 million units, showing a YoY drop of 10%." Inventory management concerns are rife throughout the industry as the manufacturers ignore the availability of cheaper components. This sentiment seems to match Apple's recent earnings call where CEO Tim Cook revealed the company's 15% decline in iPhone sales. Trendforce is predicting a significant YoY decline of nearly 26% for Apple iPhone sales as the recent ban on older models in China takes its toll. Market saturation concerns in China are affecting manufacturers and Samsung is rolling out upgraded, economically priced, high-spec devices to fight off Chinese rivals.

TrendForce notes that major brands will continue to pursue hardware optimization in the immediate term, mainly focusing on these four main areas: display (i.e. high-resolution displays and all-screen design), camera (i.e. high-resolution multi-lens cameras and in-display cameras), biometric recognition (i.e. in-display fingerprint sensors), and memory (i.e. high-density solutions). However, TrendForce believes that smartphone makers, in the long run, will have to do more than just upgrading the hardware specifications of their devices. To expand market shares, they will also need to invest in software development and explore peripheral opportunities.
 
I got a couple of not original ideas for some new phones people might buy.

HTC-Desire-Z.jpg


 
I think I have had my cheap little flip phone for over 10 years now. It is on its second, or third battery. I see no reason to switch. Phones are stupid expensive today.
 
im not even sure exactly how old my samsung galaxy S5 is.. no need to replace it, though i have replaced the battery
 
I am still rocking my G3, and have no intention of upgrading. I was the first adopter for decades, new PC every year, new TV's what was the latest GPS/Depth finder for the boat. But phones are so damn fast now it is stupid to upgrade, the faster they get the more power hungry they become and the shorter battery life, then you spend your whole day toting big battery charging bricks and plugging cords in all day. I think the only good thing coming for this is the completion will become way better when companies are starving and will FINALLY make options for phone that consumers really want, changeable battery's, micro SD............
 
Amazing, it only takes people spending something like 1/30th their take home multiple years in a row for a striver status symbol to realize they could have done 99% of the same stuff on something that costs $70 or just asking a friend for the one sitting in their junk drawer.
 
Wife and I just ordered 2 x OP6T, should be arriving today.

We're coming from GS6 and N6, which we've been holding onto for almost 4 years. We could easily afford brand new $1,000 phones every year, but what the hell is the point?
 
spintroniX said:
Wife and I just ordered 2 x OP6T, should be arriving today.

We're coming from GS6 and N6, which we've been holding onto for almost 4 years. We could easily afford brand new $1,000 phones every year, but what the hell is the point?
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Status symbol. Ever hear of jewelry before?
 
My hundred usd refurb v10 is more than enough phone for the next few years and my friend thinks much the same (and got one too). It was a big upgrade from her 'mid range' $350 USD Sammy J5 that didn't even have adaptive brightness or a notification led, what a joke. That mid range phone cost as much as my flagship rolla v3i did in 2003 or so...
 
I used my galaxy S4 that I got in 2013 until 2017 when the power button stopped working and finally had a situation where the battery died so it's impossible to turn back on. I'm using an LG G4 I got in late 2015 for free after some new Verizon account games, even after being returned to the manufacturer for the bootloop issues, and since that repair is going strong. I'd still be using my S4 on kitkat if it still worked, nothing interesting has happened in phone tech for years.
 
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I don't think it's the market that is slow or in a decline, I think the manfacturers are in a decline, after a while it just becomes the same old same old with very few phones managing to stick out in a positive way, so people arnt upgrading for whatever reason.

It seems a sole focus is always the camera, which ok whatever, but it's a smartphone, not a DLSR, they really have gotten to the good enough stage, especially when your marketing is soley based on megapixels as a selling point.

LCDs could be a bit better I suppose but other than resolution and OLED IR/burn in there is little else.

I mean other than niche amenities like DAC/AMP for audiophiles, and such what else can you do.

Maybe better premium materials for the price, , more storage. I love the PH1 essential phone even if it has a few downsides, it's probably the absolute best looking on the market.
 
I got four years out of my Galaxy s4. I expert to get the same out of my Pixel 2.

Why the hell do people need to upgrade every two years?
 
defaultluser said:
Why the hell do people need to upgrade every two years?
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People who live on their phones and or have contracts because easy and little need to think or genuinely need it for work etc. Other camp is the look at me camp lmao. Vanity - here's a tip, your paltry 1k phone doesn't impress me one bit. I usually ask them if phones can cook eggs yet, it deflates the ego instantly when you laugh at the new shiny, try it next time ;)
 
I just want replaceable batteries on flagship phones to come back. Quit it with going thinner, it's already to the point that I need a case so that I don't struggle using the danmed thing for a few min. without getting finger strain or having it slip out of my hands, hahaha.
 
Skull_Angel said:
I just want replaceable batteries on flagship phones to come back. Quit it with going thinner, it's already to the point that I need a case so that I don't struggle using the danmed thing for a few min. without getting finger strain or having it slip out of my hands, hahaha.
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Supposedly most folks value water resistents over replaceable batteries. *shrug* I've never bought a phone with a non-replacable battery in my whole life, but apparently those type of models of phones are top selling and most people don't mind them at all.
 
defaultluser said:
I got four years out of my Galaxy s4. I expert to get the same out of my Pixel 2.

Why the hell do people need to upgrade every two years?
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After 2 years my phone is typically having wear issues like screen damage, glitchy buttons, etc.
 
dbr1 said:
After 2 years my phone is typically having wear issues like screen damage, glitchy buttons, etc.
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You should use an Otterbox + screen protector in that case. I see how hard some people jab at their phones and it makes my stomach churn. I'm on a 3 year old phone at the moment and if I wiped the fingerprints off the screen, no one would be able to tell that it isn't brand new.
 
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ZodaEX said:
You should use an Otterbox + screen protector in that case. I see how hard some people jab at their phones and it makes my stomach churn. I'm on a 3 year old phone at the moment and if I wiped the fingerprints off the screen, no one would be able to tell that it isn't brand new.
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I agrre oppl dont take care of thier stuff.

iimon a samsung S3 minin around 5 years old i think.
does not look like new but still not screen damages
chips paints on the edges sure and the backcover has a small crack in it.

never used it with a protector or case
 
I usually get a new phone every 3-4 years, just due to the battery life dropping and the phone getting slower. The most I have ever paid for a phone is when I got my Moto G6 7 months ago ($220, open box) when I replaced my LG G2 and I don't ever see myself spending more than about $250 on a phone as I just don't need a powerful phone nor do I use my phone enough to justify spending more. Also I actually take care of my phone and have never broken one (just some minor scratches).
 
i only buy when planned obsolesce comes into effect. Yup, as others has said, it's the damn batteries

and there is a limit to the pic/vid quality from a phone ( it's still crappier than a cheap consumer camera )
 
ZodaEX said:
Supposedly most folks value water resistents over replaceable batteries. *shrug* I've never bought a phone with a non-replacable battery in my whole life, but apparently those type of models of phones are top selling and most people don't mind them at all.
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even cameras , with mechanical parts and interchangeable batteries, are waterproof now.

but of course corp will kill all ideas of an interchangeable battery for a phone.
 
ZodaEX said:
Supposedly most folks value water resistents over replaceable batteries. *shrug* I've never bought a phone with a non-replacable battery in my whole life, but apparently those type of models of phones are top selling and most people don't mind them at all.
Click to expand...

I remember the S5 having a replaceable battery, being water resistant, and a top seller :rolleyes:

More and more people are beginning complain about their battery degrading and needing to replace their phones because of it, but the manufacturers don't mind because they make more money off of it.
 
I was rocking a Nexus 4 until a month ago. 5 year run, replaced battery once.

Now I have a moto e5 play. 150 CAD, has all the fancy stuff, responsive and good battery life.

I tried hard to treat myself to something more expensive, but I couldn't bring myself to it.
 
HorseproofBacon said:
People are finally getting tired of paying $1000+ every year to change their cellphones. Hell, I only change my phone when my other one breaks. Phones are just too damn expensive now.
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naw, it is paying big price and getting little in return vs previous phones...
 
Note 3 still kickin and alive...

Will we see new phone cost $2,000 or more in the future ?

We might ditch PC world anymore, We play games on phone that was enough powerful 2 TITAN RTX built in that phone. (Wild guess Year 2040) :p
 
The fold-able phones will push the ceiling to $1500ish or a little more until they become more common, then I'd hope they'd drop back towards $1000.
Paying over 1k for a phone is madness anwyay
 
The price of LG phones plummet while they're new, and people get T-Mobile/carrier employee discounts and sell them depreciated in the sealed box.

Apple had the A9 processor in their flagship iPhone 6S ($649 16GB) and the SE ($399 16GB) at the same time in 2016. It was much nicer than the 5S price in early 2014 of $649.
 
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