2019 too may not end smartphone brands woes, claims report

After facing declining shipments for two consecutive years, the smartphone market is predicted to face a challenge in 2019 as well, as per the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.
As per the latest IDC report, smartphone volumes are projected to fall to 1.39 billion globally, making it a drop of 0.8% in 2019.
The same report, however, also has a positive forecast for the smartphone performance in the second-half of the year. “The smartphone market will begin to pick up momentum this year with year-over-year growth of 2.3% expected in the second half of the year.”
By 2023, smartphone shipments are expected to reach 1.54 billion units. This growth forecast is being attributed to technological innovation with the introduction of foldable devices and 5G smartphones.