News - IDC warns of significant decline in smartphone growth

[HEXUS]

In mature markets IDC predicts growth to slow to single digits this year.

Read more.

[crossy]

Interesting article - particularly interesting that IDC seem to be suggesting that Window Phone is going to build it's market share by pretty much taking business from Android. Based on what I've seen happen here, and from comments on Hexus, I think this is a distinct possibility. Heck, I've been giving serious thought to returning to Nokia!

Can't help wondering if the slow in sales is because there's not really anything "innovative" out there. The Galaxy S5 is really just S3++ (or maybe even S2+++), HTC seem to be following suit, and Apple have been accused for a while of just warming over the same design.

I've certainly not been enthused by anything in the reports from this years MWC, and there doesn't seem the buzz that there was when the S3 was being launched.

[KrisWragg]

Got to admit having a Galaxy S3 I cannot see any reason to get a new phone right now, contract is due to end in April and I'm tempted to just switch to SIM only and keep using my Galaxy S3 until it dies.

I think the jump from my Nexus One to the S3 was worthwhile, but there isn't much need to jump to an S5 or Nexus 5 as they just don't give me enough to justify the expense.

[crossy]

I think the jump from my Nexus One to the S3 was worthwhile, but there isn't much need to jump to an S5 or Nexus 5 as they just don't give me enough to justify the expense.

Totally agree - in fact someone suggested that I'm only really interested in Windows Phone because that'd give me something wildly different from what I've got now, whereas if I stick with Android then I'm on incremental change in both hardware and OS.

Got to admit having a Galaxy S3 I cannot see any reason to get a new phone right now, contract is due to end in April and I'm tempted to just switch to SIM only and keep using my Galaxy S3 until it dies.

I jumped from contract-phone to SIM-free on the advice of some of our Hexus fellows when the S3 came out, and between buying it and now that phone's been on four different providers. Yes, you end up having to fork out a LOT of money up front, but on reflection I think it's been worth it for the contract flexibility - current contract with Virgin is a 30 day rolling. The advice I was given was that going for SIM-free does actually save money over the typical 24 month contract - and I've not seen any evidence to the contrary.

So yes, definitely consider going SIM-free if you can. It'd have to be a VERY good deal to persuade me to go back to the two year commitment. Only downside is finding someone reputable to accept your old phone come trade-in time - none of the mobile recycling companies I've read about have a good reputation, and I've had a bad experience with Envirofone.

[Saracen]

Looks to me to be very typical of what I'd expect of market development of a new market. It's just going from a rapidly expanding new market to a more mature, more saturated one with incremental improvements getting smaller.

By and large, thise that want smartphones have them, and mostly have had several.

Those that don't want them, well, still mostly don't. That would include me.

[Percy1983]

Good job growth is slowing down, they are getting to big already!

I will say with people around me I got a windows phone (nokia 520) and based on messing with my phone 4 people I know have also converted to windows, I really would recommend it.

[crossy]

I will say with people around me I got a windows phone (nokia 520) and based on messing with my phone 4 people I know have also converted to windows, I really would recommend it.

Yep, Windows Phone definitely seems like THE OS for people who just want to "get on with it". In fact the only issues I've had with Windows Phone was on an HTC 8S and that's because the deserves-room-101 inmate who designed it did so by making sure that the amount of internal storage was totally inadequate. On the other hand the Nokia 620 has been utterly trouble free. That's pretty much why if I go WP then it's going to be Nokia that get my business.

[Jellyfish]

I'm in the category of not wanting a smart phone, being tracked by gps etc... no thank you!

[rabbid]

I'm in the category of not wanting a smart phone, being tracked by gps etc... no thank you!

you can turn that off on androids unless you decide you want to use certain features

but surely you are trackable to a certain extent via cell tower triangulation with any live sim whatever phone you use?

the line for tinfoil hats (and phone cases) starts here ---->

[rabbid]

Quite obvious really, like PCs they have evolved to a point where even the budget models are more than capable of running almost everything anyone needs.

The next minor incremental upgrade of OS and branded handset are less likely to appeal to the average user who has the current version.

[Jellyfish]

you can turn that off on androids unless you decide you want to use certain features

but surely you are trackable to a certain extent via cell tower triangulation with any live sim whatever phone you use?

the line for tinfoil hats (and phone cases) starts here ---->

I've ordered one of those hats, but it hasn't arrived so i had to create one myself... not sure why i get all those funny looks I haven't owned a mobile phone for god, about 6+ years A mate was saying some companies have designed (not sure) a case to block it a bit like a faraday cage, it sounded pretty cool!

[crossy]

I've ordered one of those hats, but it hasn't arrived so i had to create one myself... not sure why i get all those funny looks

You realise that if you do order a TinFoil Hat over the net then you go onto an NSA/MI5 watch list as a potential "subversive".

I haven't owned a mobile phone for god, about 6+ years A mate was saying some companies have designed (not sure) a case to block it a bit like a faraday cage, it sounded pretty cool!

Presumably this case is intended to cover the phone only when you aren't using it (in which case why not forgo the case and just turn the phone off?), as I assume that such a case would render the phone useless as a communications device.

Remember reading a ranty post about how people like Apple, HTC, Google, etc with non-removable batteries in their phones were in league with the government - because after all, if you couldn't remove the battery then you couldn't be sure that "they" weren't surreptitiously turning it on remotely and using it to spy on you.

Personally I dislike non-removable batteries because they're also non-replaceable. An arguably more pragmatic viewpoint?

[psi]

I think Android has peaked, it's all much of the same now - don't get me started on Touchwiz! Nokia windows os does have a beautiful simplicity to it

[crossy]

I think Android has peaked, it's all much of the same now - don't get me started on Touchwiz! Nokia windows os does have a beautiful simplicity to it

Come the revolution comrade, all manufacturer-local UI will have to submit to the peoples justice!
If the Android standard UI is good enough for Sundar Pichai, then it's good enough for me.

Joking aside, biggest issue I've got with TouchWiz is that it isn't "Wiz", it's actually pretty slow. I find it very usable, but a bit of a slug. WP8 on lot less powerful hardware is a lot nippier. And I suspect with all those new features like fitness/health monitoring that the version on the Galaxy S5 will be even slower.

Just don't get me started on HTC (non)Sense... Now I've had a chance to try it (on someone else's phone) it's become the major reason why I'd never consider an HTC phone.

[Jellyfish]

You realise that if you do order a TinFoil Hat over the net then you go onto an NSA/MI5 watch list as a potential "subversive".

Presumably this case is intended to cover the phone only when you aren't using it (in which case why not forgo the case and just turn the phone off?), as I assume that such a case would render the phone useless as a communications device.

Remember reading a ranty post about how people like Apple, HTC, Google, etc with non-removable batteries in their phones were in league with the government - because after all, if you couldn't remove the battery then you couldn't be sure that "they" weren't surreptitiously turning it on remotely and using it to spy on you.

Personally I dislike non-removable batteries because they're also non-replaceable. An arguably more pragmatic viewpoint?

Oh god... Order cancelled!!! Going camping in the woods for er... a while! Saying that, this homemade hat is starting to grow on me

Yea, i'm not sure if it was a load of rubbish, or it actually exists but it sounded cool. I too didn't like the idea of them being able to possibly turn it on at will. Not being able to remove the battery to replace is pretty bad as with all batteries they die slow horrible deaths regardless of how well you treat it/charge it correctly.

I can see how they can be handy, but there are a few things i dislike about them so avoided getting one (while seeing all my mates showing off their shiny new iphones/samsungs etc...

[aidanjt]

Windows Phone... anyyyyyyyyyyy minute now..... Yup....