# smartphone market
Latest news and articles about smartphone market
Total: 14 articles found
Honor’s Magic V6 Launch Turns into a Durability Spectacle — and a Marketing Risk
At its March 10 launch, Honor staged a dramatic durability demonstration for the Magic V6 foldable — including pull-ups with a folded phone and grinding its screen with a power drill — while announcing a starting price of 8,999 yuan. The stunt grabbed headlines but leaves open questions about long-term reliability, independent verification, and the reputational risks of theatrical product launches.
OPPO Sets Global Launch for Find N6 Foldable — a Fresh Push into the Premium Phone Market
OPPO has announced a global launch for its next foldable flagship, the Find N6, set for March 17. The move reinforces OPPO’s commitment to the premium foldable market and signals a wider international push, though price and specifications will determine its competitive impact.
Apple Goes Down‑market in China: iPhone 17e Launches from ¥4,499
Apple has launched the iPhone 17e in China with a starting price of ¥4,499, marking a deliberate move into the midrange smartphone market. The model is likely intended to broaden Apple’s user base and boost services revenue, while posing margin and cannibalisation challenges for the company.
Apple Lists Budget iPhone 17e in China at 4,499 CNY — A Move to Win Mid‑Market Buyers
Apple has listed a lower‑priced iPhone 17e on its China website at 4,499 yuan with 256GB base storage and an A19 chip, opening preorders March 4. The model appears designed to expand Apple’s reach in China’s competitive mid‑market by combining flagship‑generation performance with a more accessible price point.
Apple Adds Mid‑Tier iPhone 17e to China Line‑up at 4,499 RMB as Pre‑orders Open March 4
Apple added an iPhone 17e to its China online store with a starting price of 4,499 yuan and 256GB base storage, opening pre‑orders on March 4 and shipping from March 11. The move broadens Apple’s price coverage in China and reflects a strategy to retain buyers facing strong competition from domestic manufacturers.
Apple Lists iPhone 17e in China at ¥4,499, Opens Pre‑orders on March 4 — A Bid for the Mid‑Market
Apple has listed a new iPhone 17e on its China website at a starting price of ¥4,499 with 256GB of storage, opening pre‑orders on March 4 at 22:15. The move signals a targeted push into China’s price‑sensitive mid‑range, aiming to broaden Apple’s addressable market while preserving ecosystem advantages.
Geely-Backed Meizu Shelves Next Phone as It Shifts From Hardware to AI; Meizu 23 Will Not Be Sold
Meizu, now majority-owned by Geely’s Star Era, has completed development of the Meizu 23 but will not release it as the company pauses domestic phone hardware R&D and pivots to AI-driven software and ecosystems anchored on Flyme. Existing phones remain available while AR hardware and Flyme Auto are being prioritised, even as official sales channels show many phone models sold out.
Memory Shortage Threatens to Shrink Global Smartphone Market — IDC Predicts a 2026 Downturn
IDC has reduced its 2026 smartphone shipment forecast to about 1.1 billion units, warning that a memory chip shortage and steep price rises could drive a record 13% market contraction. The shortage is forcing OEMs to cut low‑end models and push consumers toward higher‑priced devices, a structural shift that IDC expects will persist until at least mid‑2027.
Memory Shortage Could Trigger a 13% Collapse in Smartphone Shipments in 2026, IDC Warns
IDC has cut its 2026 smartphone shipment forecast to about 1.1 billion units, forecasting a roughly 13% decline driven by a memory/storage chip shortage. The disruption favours large OEMs and major memory manufacturers, risks higher prices and delayed product launches, and could lengthen replacement cycles for consumers.
Smartphone Recovery Delayed Until Late 2027–Early 2028, Forcing OEMs to Trade Off Cost, Performance and Innovation
Counterpoint Research warns that the smartphone market will not normalise before late 2027 and could stretch into early 2028 as rising storage‑chip costs and weak demand squeeze margins. OEMs are responding by cutting models, delaying launches, optimising high‑end configurations and considering cloud offload to reduce hardware pressure.
Apple’s China Revival: iPhone 17 and Price Moves Drive a Breakout Quarter
Apple delivered a strong Q4 driven by iPhone sales and a notable recovery in Greater China, where iPhone revenue rose about 38% to $25.5 billion. Strategic price adjustments, the iPhone 17 product cycle and supply‑chain shifts to India and the US helped the rebound, though sustaining growth will test Apple against fierce local competition and geopolitical risks.
Apple Slashes iPhone Air Price in China as New‑Year Promo Exposes Demand Strain
Apple has launched a large Lunar New Year promotion in China that cuts 2,000 yuan off the iPhone Air and applies discounts across Macs, iPads and accessories. The move, coupled with deeper third‑party markdowns, points to inventory and demand pressures for the iPhone Air months after its launch and illustrates Apple’s tactical use of price to defend share in a fiercely competitive high‑end Chinese market.