Smartphones’ share of mobile phone markets to hit 35%

KUALA LUMPUR: Smartphones are expected to increase their market
share in Malaysia's mobile phone shipments in 2012, expanding to 35%
from 30% last year, and expected to increase further as prices continue
to decline.
According to IDC's Asia/Pacific Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, smartphones are forecast to exceed 50% by 2014.
IDC
attributes the increase in smartphones due to the increasing popularity
of Android handsets and decline in the prices of entry-level
smartphones.
IDC Asia/Pacific's associate market analysts for mobile phone and research, Ryan Lai said in a segment previously dominated by Apple's
iPhone, the second quarter of 2012 saw the iOS device dethroned as the
king of high-end smartphones (more than RM1,500) for the first time
since Q2, 2010 by Samsung's Galaxy S III.
"The
feat is even more significant considering that the Galaxy S III only
arrived in the later part of Q2, 2012. However, Apple is set to rebound
in the fourth quarter of 2012 when it releases its new iPhone in
Malaysia," he said.
As for HTC, within the smartphones segment,
its flagship model the One X was third behind the iPhone. Overall, the
high-end smartphone segment grew 33% in Q2, 2012 on-year and IDC
expects the trend to continue into 2013.
Lai said there was
witnessing a change in market dynamics as "a growing number of
Malaysian consumers now view Android smartphones to be as prestigious
as the iPhone".
"Further growth in this segment will no longer
be solely dependent on Apple, but will include Android vendors, mainly
Samsung, HTC and Sony," he added.
Lai said falling prices of
entry-level smartphones were eroding shipments of feature phones,
particularly those priced above RM200.
In the first half of 2012, 24% of smartphones shipments in Malaysia were priced below RM600, up from 14% in 2011.