Windows Phone to be fastest growing mobile OS, says IDC

(Credit: Josh Long/CNET)

Windows Phone could be the only major mobile OS to see a gain in market share in the next few years.

Released Wednesday, IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker forecasts a rise in Windows Phone's global market share from 3.9 percent this year to 7 percent in 2018. That may not seem like a huge leap, but such growth will outshine the market share declines predicted for the other major mobile platforms.

Although it will still dominate the smartphone landscape, Android will see its global market share drop from 78.9 percent this year to 76 percent in 2018, according to IDC. Apple's iOS will maintain second place, though its share is forecast to inch down from 14.9 percent this year to 14.4 in 2018.

Hanging onto fourth place will be BlackBerry with a market share expected to tumble from 1 percent this year to just 0.3 percent four years from now.

(Credit: IDC)

Windows Phone will gain from Nokia's ongoing support as well as that from a lineup of other vendors, IDC said. At this week's Mobile World Congress, Microsoft -- which is in the process of acquiring Nokia's phone division -- announced a number of new Windows Phone partners, including LG, Lenovo, and Foxconn. The next update to Windows Phone will also carry fewer restrictions for device makers, paving the way for more price-conscious products aimed at emerging markets.

But IDC expects the overall smartphone market to become more saturated over the next few years. Growth in worldwide smartphone shipments could drop from 39.2 percent last year to 19.3 percent this year, 8.3 percent in 2017, and 6.2 percent in 2018.

"In North America we see more than 200 million smartphones in active use, not to mention the number of feature phones still being used," IDC program director Ryan Reit said in a statement. "2014 will be an enormous transition year for the smartphone market. Not only will growth decline more than ever before, but the driving forces behind smartphone adoption are changing. New markets for growth bring different rules to play by and 'premium' will not be a major factor in the regions driving overall market growth."

Tablets and Phablets will co-exist

I read an article named ‘Phablets will eat into tablets’ based on research by research firm IDC. The so-called cannibalization is expected over 12 to 18 months. Low-cost devices do attract everyone on the planet. But, this is the time of technological revolution, this is when predictions turn out to be awful.

Here's why I consider tablets not a dying device.

Use of Tablets as a public device

Imagine when you go to a canteen and there is a long queue, home delivery won't be a big help for your hunger as it reaches much later. Here's where a good-looking iPad like device is planted in a wall on the left of canteen window. Just say your name and order or touch with your fingers and 5 minutes later you are having the lunch of the week.

Phablets and Tablets would be like your shirt and pant(not literally!) you will need both, one on personal level and one on public or professional level.

There can  be many experiences like the one I narrated above, in the future.

Disagreement or a Slam, whatever you call, but IDC your prediction is wrong. 

Indian consumers love phablets, IDC says

NEW DELHI: The latest numbers for Indian smartphone market are out. And, they show a steep growth in the phablet category in the country. According to market research firm IDC, the number of smartphones shipped in India has grown by over 200% in the last one year. It said 9.3 million smartphones were shipped in Q2, 2013, compared to 3.5 million in Q2, 2012.

The growth was particularly significant in the phablet (the phones with large screens) category. IDC said the number of smartphones that have a screen size between 5 inches and 7 inches grew by 17 times in the last one year. The phablets constituted 30% of all smartphones shipped in Q2, 2013.

Phablets, a term used by the technology journalists to describe the large-screen phones that started appearing after Samsung launched Galaxy Note, was recently added to online dictionary maintained by Oxford University Press.

Compared to Q1, 2013, the number of smartphones shipped in India registered a 50% growth in the second quarter of this year, IDC said in a statement. "As the largest feature phone market in Asia Pacific region and second largest for smartphones, India recorded a 21% growth YoY and a modest 4% growth quarter over quarter for total mobile phones," said an IDC spokesperson.

"The growth in the India smartphone market is driven by consistent performance by local vendors, who accounted for more than half of the total smartphone market in Q2, 2013. These vendors have been scaling up operations, owing to rising migration of the user base from feature phones to smartphones," said Manasi Yadav, senior market analyst with IDC India.

Samsung leads the list of biggest smartphone vendors in India with a market share of 26%. Micromax is second with 22% share, while Karbonn is third with 13% share. Nokia and Sony each have 5% market share, while other companies account for 29% of smartphones shipped in India.

"Samsung maintained its leadership spot in Q2, 2013, with the newly launched Samsung Galaxy Star bringing in huge volumes at the low end," noted IDC.