Market Stats

IDC: Wearables Stay "Strong" in Q1 2015

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According to IDC the global wearable device market sees an 8th consecutive quarter of "steady" growth in Q1 2015 as shipments grow by 200% Y-o-Y to reach 11.4 million units, up from the 3.8m shipped in Q1 2014.

"Bucking the post-holiday decline normally associated with Q1 is a strong sign for the wearables market," the analyst says. "It demonstrates growing end-user interest and the vendors' ability to deliver a diversity of devices and experiences. In addition, demand from emerging markets is on the rise and vendors are eager to meet these new opportunities."

IDC wearables market

Such results come before the Apple Watch actually hits the market-- post-launch the Apple take on wearables will probably (if not surely) become the standard all other such devices will be judged against, and as such should force the competition to up their game.

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IDC: W. European Tablets Remains "Challenged"

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IDC reports W. European Q1 2015 tablet shipments are down by -10.5% Y-o-Y to reach 8.5 million units-- a contraction caused mainly by sluggish consumer demand, as the market sees a growth opportunity in the enterprise segment.

One has to note IDC counts both regular tablets and hybrid/2-in-1 devices within its generic "tablets" statistics.

IDC Q1 2015 W. Europe Tablets

In fact, according to the analyst enterprise shipments are up by 51.3% Y-o-Y. Another opportunity spanning both enterprise and consumer markets comes in the shape of hybrid devices, with shipments growing by 44.4% Y-o-Y even as the category holds just 5.9% Q1 2015 market share.

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IHS: Smartwatch Market Depends on Watch

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According to IHS smartwatch shipments are set to grow from 3.6 million units in 2014 to 101m units in 2020-- but only if the Apple Watch manages to drive consumer awareness (and sales) in the product category.

Apple WatchThe analyst predicts 2015 Watch shipments will reach 19m units, or 56% of total smartwatch shipments for the year. However Watch share should drop to 38% by 2020, since more vendors will refine their wearable product offering   to "successfully serve" the Android market.

“Apple Watch success will drive the overall smartwatch market,” said the analyst says. “The smartwatch will become a key accessory device offered by most leading smartphone manufacturers seeking to dominate this new profitable market. We forecast the ratio of smartwatch shipments to smartphone shipments will increase from 1:500 to 1:20 between 2014 and 2020.”

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IDC: Q1 2015 Slowdown Impacts Tablets

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According to IDC Q1 2015 sees a second consecutive Y-o-Y decline in global tablet shipments-- overall tablet and 2-in-1 device shipments fall by -5.9% Y-o-Y to 47.1 million.

IDC Q1 tablets

"The market slowdown that we witnessed last quarter is continuing to impact the tablet segment, but we see some growth areas that are starting to materialize," the analyst says. "Cellular-enabled tablets are outgrowing the rest of the market, providing an additional revenue stream for OEMs and mobile operators. In addition to driving higher usage than wifi-only tablets, cellular-enabled tablets also help position the segment as true mobile solutions rather than stay-at-home devices."

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IDC: Samsung Reclaims Smartphone Leadership

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IDC reports global Q1 2015 smartphone shipments total 336.5 million units, representing a 16.7% Y-o-Y increase (or a -10.9% decline from the 377.5m units shipped on Q4 2014), as Samsung beats Apple to the top vendor spot.

IDC Smartphone rankings

"The challenge made by Apple for the top spot in Q4 2014 returned to a clear lead for Samsung in Q1 2015, despite the soaring global demand for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus," the analyst says. "Samsung's shipments, given that the S6 was not launched into the market for the full quarter, were driven by large volumes into emerging markets and steady demand for its midrange and lower-priced smartphones."

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