News
Only Huawei sees growth as China’s smartphone shipment growth stalls
Everyone else got hit hard
Canalys, an independent research company based in Singapore, published the list of smartphone brands that dominated the Chinese market during the fourth quarter of 2017.
Huawei, with its sub-brands Nova and Honor, had their best ever quarter in China with more than 24 million smartphones shipped. Huawei grew by 9 percent in a market that declined by more than 14 percent, effectively outperforming the overall market. Honor, especially, continued to establish its importance for Huawei by contributing more than half of the unit volume or 12 million shipped phones. Honor and Nova gained market share from smaller vendors like Gionee and Meizu.
OPPO shipped 19 million smartphones, a decline of 16 percent, and Vivo shipped 13 million smartphones, which also declined by 7 percent. Even though their shipment volume declined, OPPO and Vivo were able to hold on to their respective second and third spots. The flagship stores both vendors opened in China’s biggest cities allowed them to boost their brands and drive home an image of value for money that Chinese consumers bought into.
Apple was capable of delivering more than 7 million iPhone X into the Chinese market during the fourth quarter of 2017. This, together with the more reasonably priced iPhone SE, 6s, 7, and 8 models, was enough for Apple to secure the fourth spot, pushing Xiaomi to number five overall.
For the first time ever, China saw a decline in year-over-year unit volume shipments for smartphones — down to just 459 million. This was mainly due to a steep decline by 4 percent. Therefore, Canalys predicts a major market shake-up in China in 2018.
Things aren’t looking good for Gionee and Meizu should they not be able to pull off a turnaround, especially as other brands like Lenovo and ZTE refocus on the Chinese market. Lenovo, in particular, has had the advantage of owning Motorola’s smartphone technologies. Bringing all this know-how back to their home country could spell trouble for these smaller companies.
Let’s sit back and enjoy the benefits we as consumers will see from the battle of smartphone vendors in the Chinese market, shall we? Popcorn, anyone?
News
vivo introduces refurbished versions of X300 FE, X300 Ultra for less
vivo offers consumers more affordable way of owning smartphones
vivo is offering its market an affordable way to own its smartphones without necessarily purchasing a brand-new unit: vivo refurbished phones.
Unlike ordinary second-hand phones, the refurbished vivo units are brand-managed devices that undergo inspection, cleaning, and necessary repairs by vivo customer service professionals.
After undergoing such a process, the phones are then made available for resale. This gives consumers a more accessible way to own a vivo smartphone — with added assurance of professional quality checks and warranty support.
@vivo_philippines vivo Refurbished Phones are NOW AVAILABLE! Get high-end flagship smartphones at a lower price and watch to learn what makes it different from second-hand devices. Meet the star of our refurbished lineup, the vivo X300 Ultra! https://bit.ly/vivoX300Ultra_refurbished More units COMING SOON! #vivo #vivoX300Ultra #fyp #foryoupage #viral
vivo says the refurbished units include those previously used by KOLs or ambassadors, as well as store display and demo units. They will be divided into two main types: Pre-owned (LDU) and Near New.
Once these devices are returned, they are handled by vivo customer service professionals and undergo the necessary inspection, cleaning, and repair processes before being relisted for sale.
This gives consumers another option when looking for a vivo smartphone that fits their budget. Refurbished units can make selected vivo devices more accessible.
Furthermore, the units will still come with a standard one-year warranty, with the warranty start date determined according to the unit’s classification and available proof of purchase.
To purchase a refurbished vivo phone, consumers can visit the vivo official website. Currently available are the vivo X300 FE and vivo X300 Ultra.
As of now, we’re still around 12 hours ahead of the most anticipated event of the month, the launch of the iPhone 18 series. Besides the ubiquitous flagship lineup, the event is also heavily rumored to reveal the upcoming foldable iPhone Ultra. Well, while Apple has been secretive about the device itself, Dbrand has just spoiled the surprise for fans.
The often-sarcastic casemaker has just released a series of phone cases for the iPhone Ultra. The series doesn’t stray at all from Dbrand’s usual slew of designs. You’ll still get the traditional Teardown skins (which offers a peek into the iPhone’s internals) and the Leather skins (with real leather).
The main point here, of course, is that it’s already available ahead of the scheduled launch. As for looks, the cases confirm that the foldable will have the passport-style format popularized by the Galaxy Z Fold8. The device will also have a slightly elevated camera bump and two buttons on top of the bump.
Other than that, there’s still a lot to be revealed in the upcoming event. There are high hopes that the iPhone Ultra will fix the persistent pain points of the foldable segment. Unfortunately, it will likely come with a pretty exorbitant price tag, making it a much harder buy for regular iPhone users.
For a lot of people (me included), the Sony WH-1000XM4 was the first taste of what Bluetooth headphones could be. It was the first time I desperately wanted a new pair of headphones. It took me until the current XM6 to get a pair, but I can’t forget what came before. And, apparently, neither can Sony.
Today, Sony is resurrecting the WH-1000XM4 with the refreshed WH-1000XM4C. Straying from the lineup’s usual releases, the WH-1000XM4C is the second generation of the universally acclaimed headphones, while the XM6 is still the current flagship model.
It’s not just a simple rerelease, too. Though it still rocks the QN1-based active noise cancellation, the new pair tweaks the sound profile to more closely match the modern standard. It also comes with 10-band and gaming-specific equalizer presets. It will have a slightly smaller battery but with better fast charging to juice up quickly.
The new WH-1000XM4C will be available in Lavender, Black, and Platinum Silver. It will also cost US$ 299.99 — 50 bucks cheaper than the first generation.
Besides the refreshed flagship, Sony is also launching the WH-CH730N, a midrange pair built for commuters, and the WH-CH530, an entry-level pair with more colorful colorway options.
The WH-CH730N will come in White, Pink, Blue, Black, and Oat. It sells for US$ 179.99.
Meanwhile, the WH-CH530 come in Black, Cobalt, Coral, Mint, White, and Pink. It sells for US$ 69.99.
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