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The Top 10 Global Smartphone Brands of 2017

And the winners are…

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How well did your favorite smartphone brand grow in 2017? 

Here are some interesting insights form IHS Markit, a renowned market research firm, that recently published its findings on the leading global smartphone brands of 2017.

Gold and Silver go to…

Samsung was the leading Smartphone brand of 2017 by shipped unit volume. Its dominance is unchallenged with a total market share of 22% or 316.2 million. Samsung shipments grew 2% last year.

Apple is a distant second at 15% or 215.8 million units — this despite an amazing fourth quarter, where the iPhone X was the bestselling smartphoneApple, however, flatlined this year with zero growth rate.

A Chinese brand takes Bronze

Huawei in third is creeping up on Apple with an 11% market share or 153.1 million shipped units, a plus of 10% compared to the previous year, but ran into speed bumps breaking into the US market. The company only sold around 200,000 units in the fourth quarter of 2017, despite the promising showing of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro in other parts of the globe.

In January, AT&T pulled out from negotiations, days before a partnership was scheduled to be announced at CES 2018. In addition, a proposed bill seeking to ban Huawei from doing business in the US might further hurt the company’s chances of securing all important carrier partnerships for its flagship devices.

Better together

Sister companies OPPO and Vivo took fourth and fifth, respectively. Both companies posted double-digit year-on-year growth rates, 23%  and 18%, respectively. Together, both brands shipped 212.8 million units, enough to get dangerously close to Apple and well ahead of Huawei. Both brands opened flagship stores in China allowing them to boost brand recognition and drive home an image of value for money.

The growth winners are

But when it comes to growth numbers, the clear winners are Xiaomi at sixth and Motorola at ninth. The two brands saw growth rates well beyond any other brand, both enjoying a 58% year-over-year growth.

Motorola now controls 3% of the market while Lenovo, as the owner of the Motorola Mobility name, reached only a 1% market share.  This is a clear validation of Lenovo’s go-to-market strategy to focus on the beloved Motorola brand. In 2018, expect Lenovo to continue to shift away from Lenovo-branded smartphones in favor of Motorola-branded handsets.

What about the other South Korean player?

While LG maintained almost the same unit volume as in 2016 with a growth of just 1%, they climbed up one spot to number seven due to the weak performance of ZTE. LG is struggling to get market recognition for its high-end devices, and with a limited marketing budget compared to other brands, this might not change in the foreseeable future.

And the losers

ZTE and Gionee are the biggest losers of 2017. ZTE declined by 20%, dropping to the eighth spot. Ginoee also declined by 14%.

The overall market

The global smartphone market grew only slightly by 3% equaling a total unit volume of 1.44 billion shipped phones compared to 1.4 billion in 2016. The fourth quarter of 2017 saw a decline of 4.5%, ringing in trouble ahead and laying the foundation for more changes to come in 2018.

News

Is the Pixel 11 copying a feature from Nothing?

A new ad is hinting at something like the Glyph interface.

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August 12 cannot come soon enough. On that date, Google is set to launch the upcoming Pixel 11 series. There isn’t much to indicate that the brand is changing the formula this year. Now, a rampant rumor, now seemingly confirmed by Google’s own ad, is hinting that a popular feature from Nothing is making its way to the Pixel.

Besides the transparent rear, Nothing prides itself with numerous iterations of the Glyph interface, a lighting system that serves as customized notifications for your phone. It’s mostly a novelty, but the feature is a unique take in a smartphone market plagued with too much sameness. It looks like Google wants to take a page from that same notebook.

For a while now, it’s been rumored that Google is adopting a version of the feature for the Pixel 11 series. The so-called Pixel Glow will reportedly add a light-based notification feature. Now, Google itself has seemingly confirmed the rumors.

In a new ad, titled “The Obvious Next Move,” Google is teasing a new feature coming to the flagship series. Though the ad leaves the feature untitled and without a description, it’s clear that it’s a circular glowing thing similar to Nothing’s take. The glowing thing is right on the Pixel’s iconic camera bar, just like Nothing.

But again, Google didn’t name the feature. However, if it helps, the ad says that we already use the Pixel for Gmail, Maps, Search, Calendar, and Docs, so the next evolution is whatever is depicted in this ad. August 12 really cannot come soon enough.

SEE ALSO: Google will host its Pixel 11 event on August 12

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HONOR debuts refreshed brand identity ahead of Robot Phone launch

New imaging engine announced; HONOR, ARRI team up to bring cinematic workflow to mobile creation

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Ahead of the launch of its Robot Phone, HONOR has revealed a refreshed brand identity, including a new logo and the slogan “Dare to Be.”

The brand new logo represents breaking through an endless circle, as mentioned on the description in HONOR’s posts.

It’s about forging a path unlike any other, and continuously innovating instead of settling. This way, it also represents HONOR’s long-term vision for the AI era and its ambition to build an intelligent ecosystem that extends beyond smartphones.

The HONOR Robot Phone is set to launch in China on August 12. It will officially bring an entirely new form factor for smartphones, designed to redefine the relationship between AI and mobile devices.

More recently in Hengdian, China, HONOR hosted the HONOR Imaging Technology Launch where the company introduced its latest mobile imaging technologies.

During the event, HONOR introduced the Optics-Intelligence Evolution principle behind its imaging strategy.

It also showcased its HONOR AiMAGE chip-device-cloud imaging engine, and announced a joint imaging technology lab with ARRI.

New AiMAGE imaging engine

Instead of only focusing on camera specifications, HONOR is building a more complete mobile imaging technology system across professional image capture, AI-powered processing, cinematic color science, and creator-focused workflows.

To support such workflows, HONOR has built a chip-device-cloud AiMAGE imaging engine. This connects the full imaging chain from physical capture to intelligent creation.

HONOR is developing a self-developed Transformer-based native AI ISP to reconstruct the image processing pipeline from the ground up.

This works alongside a next-generation pixel array and EVS sensor technology, designed to improve original image capture.

On the device side, HONOR is combining physical imaging hardware with real-time algorithms. As with the upcoming HONOR Robot Phone, there’s a titanium alloy three-axis gimbal, precision sensing hardware optical technologies, and real-time image processing algorithms.

Lastly, on the cloud side, HONOR is expanding imaging capabilities through RAW-domain image enhancement, spatial imaging technologies, and Imaging Agent tools.

ARRI image science, professional workflows for mobile creation

Furthermore, the partnership with ARRI enables HONOR to integrate selected elements of professional cinema workflow into mobile imaging.

This includes ARRI LogC3, ARRI Wide Gamut 3, and ARRI Looks. These bring a more professional color and workflow foundation to the Robot Phone.

Unlike simple filters, LogC3 and Looks are part of a professional imaging workflow. The former is designed to preserve more brightness and color information for post-production.

Meanwhile, Wide Gamut 3 provides broader color space. ARRI Looks, on the other hand, helps creators apply controlled cinematic styles.

Together, these add-ons support a workflow that gives creators greater flexibility from capture to editing, while helping mobile footage retain more creative information.

To deepen the connection, HONOR and ARRI have also announced a joint imaging technology lab.

This will focus on three key areas:

  • sensor-level optics and dynamic range;
  • end-to-end cinema industry workflow from capture to post-production; and
  • imaging realism and aesthetic standards in the AI era
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Entertainment

UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony hits Makati in October

Determination arrives in October.

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For so small of a game, UNDERTALE quickly made it into the gaming world’s hall of fame. Despite being only a decade old, the small title has had a major influence for modern-day gamers because of its unique gameplay, its lo-fi art, and, of course, its catchy soundtrack. If you’re a fan of UNDERTALE’s soundtrack, a unique concert experience is headed your way.

On October 17, Film Concerts PH, in partnership with SOHO Live, is hosting UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati.

The concert will be performed by the Filharmonika Orchestra and conducted by Thanapol Setabrahmana. Personally curated by creator Toby Fox and developed by Lambert Jackson with Materia Music, the concert experience showcases the game’s most recognizable tunes laid over gameplay footage playing simultaneously. Plus, for the world tour, the experience will have expanded scoring.

In the game, you play as a small child stuck in the mysterious Underground filled with interesting characters and monsters. Unlike traditional RPGs, UNDERTALE asks players to choose between building relationships and chasing after wins. It’s a unique experience that’s defined by whether you chose to make friends or fought your way to the top. It teaches players to value different ways to solve problems, all while showering them with its one-of-a-kind humor.

Pre-sales for the concert, exclusively for members of the Film Concerts PH community, start on August 4. Public sales, however, will start on August 11 via Ticketmelon.

SEE ALSO: The hunt begins: The Witcher in Concert hits Manila with surprises in tow

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