interesting predictions thread - Windows Phone 8 General

source
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/microsoft-and-nokia-could-pre-empt-apple-2012-08-21
full text compliments of an android phone with copy paste
By Nigam Arora
The culture is changing for the better at Microsoft and Nokia. Neither company has been known to move with speed to upstage the competition. This time is different.
Microsoft and Nokia appear to be moving to pre-empt the Apple iPhone 5 launch with Windows 8 phones.
It is no surprise that Apple will launch iPhone 5 soon; the debut is widely expected on Sept. 12, 2012.
The official launch date of Windows 8 is Oct. 26, 2012. Initially it was expected that Nokia will launch Windows 8 phones around the same date.
Nokia Lumia 900 received rave reviews.
Back in May, when Apple's Siri was asked, "Which is the best smartphone ever?" the answer was not iPhone but Nokia Lumia 900.
The phone was everything that it was touted to be. The fact that Lumia came preloaded with Microsoft Office was and continues to be a very attractive feature. At the time of the launch of Lumia, even though iPhone was far outselling Lumia, for the informed user Lumia was better because of its advanced LTE capability. By some measures, Lumia was a better choice than Google Android based phones.
Lumia 900 runs on Microsoft Windows 7.5. Recently Microsoft cut off the legs of Lumia by announcing that it will not be upgradable to Windows 8. Microsoft's announcement made Lumia 900 a dead-end phone. Who wants to buy a phone with a two year-contract that will not be able to run several new attractive features of Windows 8?
Nokia World takes place in Helsinki on Sept. 5 and 6. Traditionally Nokia World has been the venue of major Nokia announcements. It has been reasonable speculation that Nokia will launch its new phones at Nokia World in Helsinki. Now the announcement of Nokia and Microsoft press event on Sept. 5 makes a launch near certainty.
The long-term risk reward continues to be favorable. It is not out of the question that Windows phones may capture 15% to 20% of the market share. Nokia will experience tough competitors such as HTC and Samsung. Despite tough competition, Nokia has the potential to go over $10 and even as high as $20 in the long run. On the flip side the stock can easily go to zero. There you have it, Nokia can be a 10 bagger or you can lose about $2.00.
Apple stock has been ripping, closing at an all-time high of $665.15 up $17.04. In the marketplace, Nokia and Microsoft are not likely to beat Apple, but astute investors may consider supplementing their Apple holdings with a small amount of Nokia stock.
Nokia may never shine as bright as Apple, but Apple does not have the potential to be a 10 bagger like Nokia. Those investing in Nokia may want to pay special attention to risk control such as the approach advocated by the ZYX Change Method Trade Management Guidelines for speculative stocks.
Full disclosure: Subscribers to The Arora Report are long Apple from $131 and have taken partial profits at $360, $525 and $629. Subscribers are also long Nokia.

My prediction, the iPhone will be a let down. We all can pretty much guess what it will introduce as "revolutionary".
Nokia should've waited until after the iPhone showcasing just to refer to the iPhone shortcomings. However Nokia may make predictions of the iPhone.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

Related

CFI Group Smartphone Satisfaction Study 2009

An Interesting read. See attached.
You know I'm at work and can't dl a .zip file. Care to explain what it is or am I going to have to wait til I get home and have an overwhelming feeling like it's christmas.
iPhone wins, Android/Palm come in second. The final paragraphs:
"Our data indicates there is little future for the ‘generic’ smartphone. Or, to be exact, the first generation of ‘generic’ smartphones. The iPhone has clearly raised the bar, but given the performance of the initial versions of the Pre and Android, the gap is narrowing. It’s clear from our data that the Android and Pre are worthy competitors to the iPhone, and more recent versions of the BlackBerry pose a bigger threat. As more applications are developed for the Pre and Android (and BlackBerry), and as hardware grows more competitive with the iPhone, customers will likely look to other criteria for choosing their phone – including evaluations of the provider. We will, in short, return to the earlier days of mobile phones, when coverage and price and plans mattered much more than the technology of the phone.
Our data also indicates all new smartphones, not just the iPhone, encourage a large amount of network usage. Business users and early adopters are less likely to burden the network as much as personal users and late adopters. As smartphone growth increases, all networks (not just AT&T’s) may be strained, leading to lower customer satisfaction across all providers. The carrier with the technological advantage will be best positioned to handle the smartphone explosion."
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Nokia N8 for $299.99 from Amazon

Great deal..
Starting at midnight on Sunday, Nov. 27 Amazon will begin its countdown to Cyber Monday with huge savings and free shipping on popular holiday gifts
http://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...ber-Monday*-Season’s-Deals-–-Fighting-Parking.
$300 may be too much for a product that has no support.
greenstuffs said:
$300 may be too much for a product that has no support.
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What do you mean ? It just got symbian anna, and its about to get symbian belle. Nokia will support Symbian until 2016
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZePeLU_VZ8
greenstuffs said:
$300 may be too much for a product that has no support.
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Symbian does have plenty of support. After Belle there will also be Symbian Carla and Donna. (And then dozens of unnamed OS updates after.) Apparently, Elop went on a crazy tangent when he said that Nokia was completely abandoning Symbian for Windows Phone. 2016 is a long time away and Symbian may not even get the shaft then. Its all on Accenture.
Symbian phones also tend to be supported for a much longer duration than Android phones. Flagship Android phones are frequently fortunate to get one Android update, which comes every several months. Non-flagships often shouldn't expect more than the OS they shipped in. The Nokia 5800, the first S^1 touchscreen was supported for 3 years! It had new firmware just last month. -.-
I would not recommend the N8, however, given its outdated hardware. I would never pay $300 for a 600 mhz ARM11.
sentimentGX4 said:
I would not recommend the N8, however, given its outdated hardware. I would never pay $300 for a 600 mhz ARM11.
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Symbian Belle runs very well on that platform..
They moved the deal to today
http://www.amazon.com/Nokia-Touchsc..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0NPBT1X2RBS51S7HQYMP

Dell Stops Making Venue Pro

Dell announced today that is has stopped making the Venue and Venue Pro.
Wonder what is next for Dell.
Complete and total bankruptcy couldn't happen to a better company!
There is no "next" for Dell. They don't know how to market or support their phones. I have owned every single one of them except for Aero and will never buy another Dell phone, ever.
Do you still have your aero?
(Edit: read it wrong)
I have every 2nd gen device and 1/2 of the 3rd gen ones.
The 1st gen ones arent easy to get as the aero was the only one released outside china.
The only releaseable device left is the StreakPro as the Streak10 is obsolete as a new device release.
Looks like Dell's web site is not selling Dell Venue now either.
Wow I guess this means we own an obsolete phone with no compass. Atleast the many of the other aspects of Windows Phone still make it appealing along with the keyboard.
i think the more important question for those who still have warranty left: what can you/dell do when your DVP has a problem?
The problem of dell aren´t their phones... i think, DVP is the most attractive windows phone... they don´t work together with the providers, only sell over their website or shops. And another big mistake is, that they require so high shipping costs... the shipping for the DVP are 29 €/ 38 $ in Germany... really inadequate. Normally it´s around 6 €/ 8 $.
Here you have to go a long way, before you find this device. There are many phones with less quality, but you can see them on every poster, in the tv and in many shops. They only have to do a better marketing and the phones would be sold.
weatherx said:
i think the more important question for those who still have warranty left: what can you/dell do when your DVP has a problem?
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Oh I should hope Dell will support any outstanding warranties because its good business for repeat customers. It will be interesting to see in reality what comes of it. What I can't understand is they have an almost outstanding phone why they want to get out of it? Certainly better audio quality that the 3 Titans I had my hands on.
neftv said:
Oh I should hope Dell will support any outstanding warranties because its good business for repeat customers.
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This is generally how most companies work, they'll support outstanding ones until they all expire (unless it's like HP and the touchpad where they basically shut everything down)
They'll have some leftover new devices and once those run out will offer refurbs and finally offer credit or something when even the refurbs run out. That's basically what they did when the streak5 and 7 stopped being sold.
There's no reason to not think this since the VP is EOLing because it's a year old now (and excluding the fact WP7 is always a year behind on top of that), it's internals are old enough that it realistically shouldnt be sold any more. (WP7 launched with 1st gen snapdragons around when 2nd gen ones were starting to roll out, 4th gen ones are starting to roll out now so yea)
The V/VP were one of the last (non-bottom end) devices still being manufactured with S1's, the fabs/everyone involved are likely happy they can finally stop manufacturing them and make something newer (or they stopped and dell soaked up the last of the stock or whatever)
Also, there's probably around 20,000 DVPs inside Dell itself in use by employees.
http://www.winsupersite.com/blog/su...es-blackberries-windows-phone-handsets-141361
I'm sure Dell would have thought about spares / warranties etc.
If Dell now sees itself as focused on Enterprise IT rather than consumers, I wonder whether they might release some WP8 devices. An updated VP and smaller device using the leaked Blackberry-like chassis might appeal to business users.
Dell has demonistrated that it's definitely capable of turning it's devices into business devices. But just the same who knows if they'll follow though or half-ass it as they've consistantly shown.
Supporting facts:
S5 and V are DISA certified so the US military can use them (dunno if they actually do though, but it's the first ones to do so and the only ones still(?))
S10 and SP have Dell divide integrated into the roms, which pretty much targets business users
Dell internally uses VP's as their business phone (like mentioned)
Dell JUST RELEASED the V in japan a couple months back as a business phone with an associated business carrier
If Dell had an organized and focused strategy, they could be a legimiate threat to blackberry.
As BB is stereotypically shown as being:
Very strong enterprise support (mainly due to BBM)
Good hardware keypads
Not much besides that
The V/VP/SP/S10 (hell if you toss in the Latitude ST and installed win8 on it) gives dell potentially a complete ecosystem of mobile devices and pure tablets that COULD be worth using as enterprise level devices.
None of them (bar the SP, and possibly the S10 for a little longer) are based on the latest hardware, given the way they're used that's not really relevent, they only need as fast as devices as whatever their use demands. Sure they could play games and stuff but that's not really the point.
Not that I expect much out of dell, they've consistantly demonstrated that they put in near minimal effort on the software side of their devices. Bar how easily the keys on the VP stop working, the HW on dell devices is pretty good in build quality.
Dell's obviously already a huge company in enterprise markets with their PCs and everything (at least in workstations it's almost universally dell's where I am), so it's not like it's a new market for them. The mobility division is pretty much just a pet project in comparison to the rest of the company.
I am looking forward to seeing the new Dell phones that come out late 2012.
Joelh1 said:
I am looking forward to seeing the new Dell phones that come out late 2012.
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Dell hasnt leaked/have someone leak their 2012 roadmap yet. If they do have anything in the works we at this point have no idea about it.
They've canceled the majority of their Q411 and Q112 devices and already released the rest.

HTC in trouble

http://mobile.theverge.com/2013/7/30/4570490/htc-q3-2013-guidance-first-loss-on-record
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium HD app
such threads are not needed, we have been seeing them for years now
besides the verge always adds drama on top here is the proper press release
http://www.htc.com/www/about/newsroom/2013/2013-07-30-htc-reports-2013-second-quarter-results/
Taipei, Taiwan – July 30, 2013 – HTC Corporation (the Company, TWSE: 2498), a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today announced consolidated results for the Company and its subsidiaries for the second quarter of 2013.
2Q 2013 Results
HTC posted quarterly revenue of NT$70.7 billion, with gross margin of 23.2 % and operating margin of 1.5%. Net profit and EPS were NT$1.25 billion and NT$1.50, respectively.
“My leadership team continues to focus on execution,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC. “We are seeing expected results as we fill the channels and meet demand for the new HTC One. As we broaden our focus to include a new member of the HTC One family, the recently announced One mini, we are looking forward to delivering great products and results in 2H.”
HTC announced key appointments, including Jack Yang to president of South Asia, Sirpa Ikola to senior director of marketing for South Asia, and Lorain Wong to vice president of global PR.
As manufacturing ramped up, the US saw sequential growth in 2Q, as well as expansion in retail channels. EMEA saw renewed strength in major Western European markets and emerging countries.
Progress was observed across Asia. HTC gained market share in Taiwan, showing an improved presence in Hong Kong and warm reception of its products by consumers in Japan. In China, sales of HTC’s high-end models improved, while competition at the mid-tier and affordable intensified. In South Asia, the improvement of key operator relationships provides optimism about the region.
3Q 2013 Outlook
The Company’s outlook for the second quarter of 2013 is as follows:
- 3Q revenue is expected to be in the range of NT$50bn to NT$60bn
- Gross profit margin is expected to be in the range of 18% to 21%
- Operating margin is expected to be in the range of 0% to -8%
The new HTC One has performed well in the market, better than that of our hero products for the same period last year. We aim to extend the momentum as we enter into the second half of 2013. The new HTC One has also helped the company establish strong brand awareness and received numerous accolades as the world’s best smart phone. With the help of HTC One, we have regained superphone market share across major markets including China.
We also have plans underway to launch a range of innovative and competitive mid-tier products in the coming months. We hope to regain momentum and market share in these segments in Q4. This will address our challenge of mid-tier products competiveness
Our overall gross margin has been impacted by the relatively higher cost structure, lack of economy of scale and certain provisions needed to facilitate the clearance of aging products in the channel. Actions have been taken and we expect to see improvement in Q4
We are also optimizing our organization, including the improvement of management efficiency and effectiveness.
People, innovations, and technology are the core assets of HTC. We will continue to invest in innovations and technology, as well as retaining and rewarding our best talents. We look forward to a brighter future for HTC and continue to delight our customers with the best and most exciting products
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you can see clearly that they state, the One is getting them more revenue then last year flagships, but they fall short on the low end side of sales, also they have extra expenses for this quarter causing the predicted loss waste of profit
- 3Q revenue is expected to be in the range of NT$50bn to NT$60bn
- Gross profit margin is expected to be in the range of 18% to 21%
- Operating margin is expected to be in the range of 0% to -8%
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That's a pretty optimistic viewpoint you posted @hamdir. Almost makes it seem like HTC has turned the corner and poised for a rebound (which we all know is far from the truth). Here's Reuters not so optimistic perspective.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/30/us-htc-guidance-idUSBRE96T0B920130730
jlevy73 said:
That's a pretty optimistic viewpoint you posted @hamdir. Almost makes it seem like HTC has turned the corner and poised for a rebound (which we all know is far from the truth). Here's Reuters not so optimistic perspective.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/30/us-htc-guidance-idUSBRE96T0B920130730
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what view? i posted HTC's own press release, they explain pretty clearly that their old inventory and lack of mid / low range competition will cause the predict lack of gross margins, tons of positive in the press release as well such as the HTC One performance and their improvements in Asian markets
meanwhile HTC is hard at work for the next flagship while you guys are busy with their profit or losses
does anyone still follows how much Nokia or Sony are loosing? or when they rebound?
Financial up and downs is normal for any company in my opinion and as far as im concerned it's non of my business, i have an amazing smartphone thanks to them and i don't need to contemplate their finance
here is something interesting from your own link
"Even a hero product can't save them," he said, adding that a partnership with another firm - a possibility CEO Peter Chou has said he would look at - was one of the few strong options open to HTC.
Although HTC is expected to soon launch the HTC One Mini, Samsung and Apple are also likely to announce their own new offerings later this year. A planned marketing blitz, which includes enlisting Robert Downey Jr. for a reported $12 million to star in its ad campaigns, is expected to weigh on profit margins.
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---------- Post added at 02:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:45 PM ----------
more details here
http://focustaiwan.tw/search/201307300029.aspx?q=htc
HTC said its overall gross margin has been impacted by the relatively higher cost structure, lack of economy of scale and certain provisions needed to facilitate the clearance of aging products in the channel.
Peter Chou, chief executive officer of HTC, said the company is taking action to reduce the cost of some key components used in its products, such as displays and mechanical parts, and that the improvements will be apparent in the fourth quarter.
In addition, HTC plans to launch a new range of mid-tier phones in the late third quarter or early fourth quarter to increase its economy of scale and leverage its product portfolio, Chou said.
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"We are bearish on the company in the longer term as it continues to struggle in the premium smartphone segment despite having a good product, while it remains uncompetitive in the low-end segment," Cheng said, who set a price target of NT$145 on the stock.
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Sony and HTC merge and we're gonna have a good time.
I Am Marino said:
Sony and HTC merge and we're gonna have a good time.
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My dream
It's alot of over analyzing but it sure makes me worry. They can't even seem to pump put timely updates at this point... Even to their developer and GE editions. Can't blame the carriers holding up the updates on those...
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
hamdir said:
Meanwhile HTC is hard at work for the next flagship while you guys are busy wit their profit or losses
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There's nothing in anything that's been posted that's even remotely uplifting regarding HTC's future.
The One's without question the best phone HTC's ever made yet revenue, profit, and market share are down.
Their guidance for Q3 is projected to be down 30% YOY and Q3 includes their projected revenue for the Mini, Max, and any other devices launching during the quarter.
HTC's cost base is f'd because of their loss of scale. They weren't a "tier one" supplier even with the One's idealistic sales goals which means they pay more than their competitors for the same components and aren't given preference when parts are in scarce supply.
Samsung's monolithic and LG/Sony have deep pocketed parent companies with diverse product lines. Motorola's owned by Google. HTC's too small to compete with those companies as well as the Chinese with their low cost base and priority in the Chinese market.
For the eighth quarter in a row we've discussed HTC's "come back" and for the eighth quarter they've posted continually crappy results with their forward guidance showing no relief. The HTC brand may continue through an acquisition but the company itself is pretty much dead. And that's not my opinion, it's the analyst's which, after these results, all have "sell" ratings on the stock.
hamdir said:
such threads are not needed, we have been seeing them for years now
besides the verge always adds drama on top here is the proper press release
http://www.htc.com/www/about/newsroom/2013/2013-07-30-htc-reports-2013-second-quarter-results/
you can see clearly that they state, the One is getting them more revenue then last year flagships, but they fall short on the low end side of sales, also they have extra expenses for this quarter causing the predicted loss waste of profit
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Than.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
HTC is definitely in trouble. The One is an insanely great device and yet they just had their worst quarter. That sounds pretty bad. And again, with the 5s, budget iphone, note 3 and others I don't know how htc can turn this around.
Like Barry said htc is too small of a company at the end of the day. Sony, apple, LG, Samsung are huge companies that have more resources and you need deep pockets to compete. A merge with another company is almost certain at this point.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
Not to be redundant, but this one from Engadget has a positive tone to it.
HTC: the One is selling better than last year's hero products, but next quarter may see a loss
the previous Q2 profit results were good (reported last month)
and these are Q3 projections, considering the stated reasons
i never discussed a come back, all i said companies for a long time can survive with such up and down, we have tons of examples
come to think of it, Asus and HTC merge makes perfect Sense
Same country, Asus sucks in branding and worldwide distribution of it's products, their smartphone side isn't doing so great but they rock in pc and tablets, while HTC is specializes in smartphones exclusively
Asus only sucks in availability of their mobile stuff though. All their PC parts are available every part of the world. If they applied the same resources with the same enthusiasm + a HTC merger, it would be awesomely awesome beyond awesomeness.
hamdir said:
the previous Q2 profit results were good (reported last month)
and these are Q3 projections, considering the stated reasons
i never discussed a come back, all i said companies for a long time can survive with such up and down, we have tons of examples
come to think of it, Asus and HTC merge makes perfect Sense
Same country, Asus sucks in branding and worldwide distribution of it's products, their smartphone side isn't doing so great but they rock in pc and tablets, while HTC is specializes in smartphones exclusively
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Q2 was awful compared to last year's Q2 which is the most relevant comparison. Q-2-Q comparisons don't take in to account seasonality and other trends. And aging inventory is corporate speak for we overestimated demand and/or the competition is eating our lunch. Microsoft writing down $1B because of the Surface's lackluster sales is a good example. What's going to change for HTC? The One's not helping much and the Max and Mini launch is factored in to their Q3 quidance which projects a loss. Their previous focus on the high-end has made them a late comer in emerging markets. Even there their lack of scale makes an identically spec'd HTC phone more expensive to build than their competitors phones. So the high-end (the One) didn't save them and with limited distribution, higher component prices, and no brand loyalty in the price-focused lower tiers it's hard to envision them making much headway there. All the drivel about a bright future is coming from Peter Chou who's decisions and direction got HTC in to the mess they are currently in. His words kind of remind me of "I'll gladly pay you tomorrow for two hamburgers today." And the impact of their financial condition is already being felt by their customers; ask a One S owner.
HTC would survive just like BlackBerry. Would take a very long time to get back on track. I hope mini and ultra boost up their prifits
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium HD app
Will be rooting for this underdog!
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
BarryH_GEG said:
Q2 was awful compared to last year's Q2 which is the most relevant comparison. Q-2-Q comparisons don't take in to account seasonality and other trends. And aging inventory is corporate speak for we overestimated demand and/or the competition is eating our lunch. Microsoft writing down $1B because of the Surface's lackluster sales is a good example. What's going to change for HTC? The One's not helping much and the Max and Mini launch is factored in to their Q3 quidance which projects a loss. Their previous focus on the high-end has made them a late comer in emerging markets. Even there their lack of scale makes an identically spec'd HTC phone more expensive to build than their competitors phones. So the high-end (the One) didn't save them and with limited distribution, higher component prices, and no brand loyalty in the price-focused lower tiers it's hard to envision them making much headway there. All the drivel about a bright future is coming from Peter Chou who's decisions and direction got HTC in to the mess they are currently in. His words kind of remind me of "I'll gladly pay you tomorrow for two hamburgers today." And the impact of their financial condition is already being felt by their customers; ask a One S owner.
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mateeeeeee the One S is well documented already, the reason for the update drop is that Qualcomm stopped supporting snapdragon 3 and hence didn't provide the drivers for 4.2.2
the One S s4 will most likely receive it, as football said the work restarted on the OTA
also this story was confirmed by shen
I'm done here, it was my mistake to enter the financial discussions again
peace
Blackberry would be the one to fall before HTC. HTC, will come back around..
Sammy and Apple love the attention. Ads Ads Ads Ads. It sinks into peoples heads, that these phones are the latest a and greatest that other phones are garbage to them. All in marketing control.. That's why you see more 15 yr old girls with iPhone more and more everyday. Its all about how you advertise. More advertisement the more you will get out of it. $$$
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Trouble Trouble
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

Alcatel was the fastest growing smartphone brand in the world in Q3 2015

According to the latest research from Counterpoint Research’s Market Monitor service for Q3 2015 (July-Sept) the US smartphones market grew a healthy 9% Y/Y, though slightly slower than the Q2 2015 uptick. The majority of growth was driven by challenger brands such as ZTE, LG, Blu, Asus and other smaller players, all registering double digit volume growth.
ZTE is the fastest growing major smartphone OEM as its volumes grew 45% YoY, capturing an 8% share and the fourth spot, behind LG. The Chinese vendor had particular success within AT&T and Sprint channels. This may pave the way for other Chinese OEMs to both increase volumes and climb to higher price points. Xiaomi’s recent licensing agreement with Qualcomm may help with sell-in attempts with US carriers.
LG recorded its highest ever market share in smartphones to 15% from 9% some eight quarters ago. The demand for LG’s smartphones have increased across all carriers cementing its position in important US market.
With the rise of equipment installment plans (EIP) and leasing programs, we are seeing dramatic shifts in how consumers are perceiving the unbundled device costs aided by carriers now welcoming Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) type consumers. This is an important trend that is driving the demand for open, SIM-free, or unlocked devices. As a result we are seeing the rise of players such as Blu, Asus and other microvendors such as OnePlus and Oppo.
In the overall mobile phones market, Alcatel One Touch more than doubled its volumes and share Y/Y as it continued to fill the gaps left by Samsung, LG and others’ shift away from feature phones. Alcatel was the fifth largest mobile phone brand during the quarter. However, Alcatel needs to ramp up its smartphone efforts with multiple design wins in the upcoming quarter to surpass ZTE as the fourth largest brand overall.
Apple remains the top selling vendor in all four of the top tier US carriers. Apple, and to a lesser extent, other smartphone flagships, have benefited from equipment installment plans and leasing programs. Apple has seen larger year-over-year growth in T-Mobile & Sprint—carriers who have been very aggressive with EIP & leasing programs. These programs may help increase upgrade rates which have been trending lower in recent quarters.
Samsung’s performance remains strong at Verizon & T-Mobile where the Galaxy S6 series has been a good but not exceptional performer. A lot hinges on Samsung’s Note 5 and broadening of its mid-tier portfolio with the Galaxy A & J series, to win back some share from Apple, ZTE, LG and Alcatel.
T-Mobile continues to sell more smartphones than AT&T or Sprint and is the second largest smartphone channel, thanks to its aggressive offerings and pricing under its “Uncarrier” initiatives. T-Mobile is now one of the key channels for new brands looking to enter the US market through a carrier partnership route.
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Source: http://www.counterpointresearch.com/3q2015usa
Cool to read as an Idol 3 owner. That phone accounted for the majority of the YoY sales increase I would guess.
I guess growing from nothing is always more impressive. According to that article only T-Com sells Alcatel phones in the US and I see lots of complaints from US customers on XDA and Facebook (on Alcatel's page).
IMHO at this spring Alcatel must to prove us that they are not just an other Chinese junk company and they care their devices. At first it would be nice if they update their phones globally with the same version numbers and the same versions should have the same features. Next step is update Idol 3 to 5.1 or 6.0.1. At this moment I doubt we'll get any of these.

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