Market researchers at IDC say that 2015 could be the first year when smartphone sales growth will be only in the single digits. For the year, the firm anticipates a total 1.43 billion smartphones shipped, which is a 9.8 percent increase from last year. The picture is a little better for iOS, which should see a 17.3 percent growth rate for the year. But IDC believes Android smartphone shipments have increased only by 9.5 percent, and Windows Phone shipments have declined 10.2 percent.
“With the smartphone market finally slowing to single-digit growth, maintaining momentum will depend on several factors,” said Ryan Reith, a program director at IDC. “The main driver has been and will continue to be the success of low-cost smartphones in emerging markets. This, in turn, will depend on capturing value-oriented first-time smartphone buyers as well as replacement buyers.”
