All articles tagged with #idc
Apple plans to produce up to 10 million foldable iPhone Ultra units this year, boosting total iPhone production to about 220 million alongside 70 million iPhone 18 Pro/Max models; IDC forecasts around 240 million iPhone shipments for the year, with the Ultra likely priced up to $3,000 for high-storage variants as Apple secures components amid chip shortages.
IDC predicts the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could cost up to $200 more, following Apple’s Mac and iPad price hikes; projected starting prices could be about $1,249–$1,299 for the Pro and $1,349–$1,399 for the Pro Max, with premium buyers less sensitive to higher costs.
Apple’s budget MacBook Neo is selling far faster than expected, with Tim Cook calling demand “off the charts” and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo saying shipments doubled from 5 million to 10 million in 2026 after its March launch. IDC data corroborates strong sales, and Dell notes competitive pressure. Priced from $599 and powered by the A18 Pro, the Neo aims to widen MacBook adoption, with a second generation teased for 2027 featuring 12GB of RAM.
Apple shipped 1.1 million MacBook Neo units in the first quarter, even though it was on sale for only about three weeks, signaling strong demand for the low-cost notebook. Priced at $599 with 8GB RAM and an A18 Pro chip, the Neo outsold the M5 MacBook Air and M5 MacBook Pro in their debut quarters. About 44% of shipments went to the U.S. and roughly 18,000 went to India amid inventory constraints. Counterpoint Research says Neo could expand Apple’s share in the $400–$699 notebook segment to roughly 15% and influence demand for older Air models; Dell has responded with a competing XPS 13. IDC predicts a spike in Neo shipments as supply improves, highlighting the model’s strategic importance for Apple’s laptop lineup.
IDC data (via TechCrunch) shows MacBook Neo led first-quarter launch shipments with about 1.1 million units, ahead of the M5 MacBook Air (~900k) and M5 Pro (~550k). While Neo leads the launch period, Air likely remained the overall bestseller in the three-week window, and analysts expect Neo to spike in the current quarter as supply constraints ease, potentially challenging Air’s long-running leadership.
IDC forecasts the global smartphone market will fall 12.9% in 2026 to about 1.12 billion shipments due to rising memory chip prices, marking a record decline, but Apple and Samsung are expected to gain market share. The average selling price is seen rising about 14% to $523 as manufacturers push higher-margin models, with low-end Androids most affected. Apple recently posted a strong December quarter with iPhone revenue up about 23%, and analysts’ consensus on AAPL remains a Moderate Buy with roughly 12.7% upside to around $307.55.
IDC projects a 13% drop in global smartphone shipments in 2026 (about 1.1B) due to a DRAM shortage driven by AI demand for high‑bandwidth memory, pushing prices higher and likely keeping them above 2025 levels even after the crunch. Apple is expected to weather the disruption better than cheaper Androids thanks to stronger margins and premium-device demand, though it will still incur higher memory costs; the market may remain unsettled into mid‑2027 as supply tightness eases.
OnePlus says it’s not going anywhere and will continue to operate as usual as it shifts to a leaner, more focused strategy under OPPO. While IDC notes wind‑down rumors are plausible given OnePlus’ declining share, there’s no evidence of a shutdown, and the brand is keeping a presence in key markets like India and China, with mid‑range devices such as the Nord 5/CE5 and the OnePlus 15R/15 series continuing to sell well there. In North America, the brand’s footprint remains modest, and OPPO is consolidating codebases (ColorOS/OxygenOS) and tightening its product lineup rather than pursuing a broad global relaunch.}
In 2024, global smartphone sales rebounded by 6.2% after two years of decline, but Apple's growth was minimal, with iPhone shipments increasing by only 0.4%, according to IDC. Despite this, Apple remains the profit leader with an average selling price over $1,000, while Android competitors average around $295.
The global smartphone market grew by 6.5% year-over-year in Q2 2024, with shipments reaching 285.4 million units, according to IDC. Samsung led with an 18.9% market share, followed by Apple at 15.8%. The market is seeing increased competition and a polarization of price bands, with premium brands like Apple and Samsung benefiting from higher average selling prices, while Chinese OEMs focus on the low end. Gen AI smartphones are expected to be a significant growth driver, capturing 19% of the market this year.
According to IDC, Android is expected to grow at twice the pace of iOS in 2024, with Apple's sales dropping 10% in Q1 2024, allowing Samsung to reclaim the top slot. Meanwhile, Apple is facing pressure in the United States due to a lawsuit by the DOJ alleging anticompetitive practices. Additionally, Android 15 is adding support for wireless charging via NFC, Google Wallet's 'verify it's you' request appears after phone unlock, and Android's Find My Device network highlights Google's neglect of UWB.
Samsung has regained its position as the leader in global smartphone shipments, surpassing Apple in the first quarter of 2024, according to the IDC Mobile Phone Tracker. Despite a slight decrease in shipments, Samsung shipped 60.1 million units, representing 20.8 percent of the market share, while Apple shipped 50.1 million units for 17.3 percent. The top five brands remained the same as in 2023, with Xiaomi, Transsion, and OPPO following Samsung and Apple. The IDC sees this as a sign of a strengthening smartphone market, with a shift in power among the top companies and growth in average selling prices.
Samsung has regained the top spot in the global smartphone market, surpassing Apple in the first quarter of 2024, while Apple experienced a 10% drop in shipments. Xiaomi showed significant growth and secured the third position, despite its absence from the US market. The overall smartphone market saw a 7.8% increase in shipments, with IDC predicting continued competition and potential diversification among the top players.
Apple's iPhone shipments dropped nearly 10% in the first quarter of the year, while the global smartphone market saw a 7.8% rise in shipments, with Samsung regaining the top spot. Budget-focused brand Transsion experienced an 85% jump in shipments, and Xiaomi Corp. closed the gap on second-place Apple. Apple's struggles in China have impacted its global results, with the company shipping 5 million fewer iPhones than the previous year. Despite rising average selling prices for handsets, Apple has resorted to discounts to boost sales, particularly in China.
IDC forecasts that AI PCs, equipped with neural processing units (NPUs) for efficient AI task processing, will make up nearly 60% of all PC shipments by 2027, with shipments expected to grow from 50 million units in 2024 to over 167 million. These AI PCs are categorized based on NPU performance, with some already available and others expected in the future, and are designed to run generative AI tasks locally, offering specific AI features within apps and enabling persistent and pervasive AI capabilities in the operating system and apps.