For several months now, smartphone manufacturers have been reporting fewer sales than in previous years. In the case of Apple and the iPhone, 2016 has been the first year in which they have seen how the sales of the apple smartphone did not improve the records of previous years, but this is something that almost all companies are suffering. For this reason, I was amused when I read that Gartner "predicts" that the smartphone boom comes to an end.
According to the latest Gartner study, smartphone sales growth will fall to half of 2015 sales. The reason, according to the company that conducted this study, is that all Those of us who can afford a smartphone already have one. The problem will be even greater for high-end phones, such as the iPhone, because mid-range phones are becoming more competitive every day. Among the companies that will benefit the most from this trend are Huawei and Xiaomi, who sell some devices almost at cost.
Has the smartphone bubble burst?
Another problem than it's already happening (and that's why I am amused by this "future analysis") and that Gartner also talks about is that crisis affects us all. The most sensible thing when the economy is not with us is to use a device until it stops working, especially if we have paid € 800-900 for it. Thus, why would we have to renew an iPhone 6s with 12Mpx camera, 3D Touch and A9 processor this year?
Gartner also blames the manufacturers for what is happening because they say that they don't innovate enough. And, to give a couple of examples, the 3D Touch is very good, but it does almost nothing that we cannot do in any other smartphone losing a few more seconds, or the curved edges of the Samsung Edge do not do anything that they could not include on the edges of a flat screen if they wanted.
Gartner also believes that the next most important market is India, something that seems clear to Tim Cook and his team, since they have traveled to the Indian country recently.
In any case, that smartphone sales are falling and will do so even more is good news. This will force manufacturers to try to attract more attention to us and that is something that is achieved with innovative products or, failing that, by lowering the prices of the devices. My question is: what would you prefer: better devices at the same price or minor updates at a lower price?