New York: Apple, which posted its lowest growth in handset sales last year, may release a large-screen version of its iconic iPhone in 2014, research firm IDC said. However, the California-headquartered company will not abandon its 4-inch screen models.
"iOS posted the lowest positive growth for both quarter (Oct-Dec) at 6.7 % and for the year at 12.9 %, under performing the overall market in both instances," IDC said in a statement. For 2013 calendar year, Apple sold 793.6 million units of its smartphone operating system (iOS) against 500.1 million in 2012.
Shipments of iOS enabled smartphones stood at 51 million units in October-December last year from 47.8 million in the year-ago period. In 2012, Apple's smartphone operating system shipments rose by 46 % to 135.9 million units against 93.1 million units in 2011. For Q4 2012, shipments rose by 29.2 % to 47.8 million units against 37 million in the same period of 2011.
According to research firm Canalys, iOS shipments in 2011 rose by 96 % to 93.1 million units compared to 2010. Although it remains widely popular in the smartphone market, Apple has been criticised for not offering any new low-cost iPhone or a large-screen iPhone in 2013 to compete with other OEMs, it added.
"IDC believes the company will release a large-screen version in 2014, but will not altogether abandon the smaller 4-inch screen version of previous models," the firm said.
While smartphone market growth remained strong in 2013, it should be noted that the era of double-digit annual growth has only a few years remaining, IDC said. "In 2013 we saw the sub-USD 200 smartphone market grow to 42.6 % of global volume or 430 million units," IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker Programme Director Ryan Reith said.
IDC said that the global smartphone market, which crossed the important milestone in 2013 of 1 billion units, was driven by continued momentum from Android and iOS.
Android and iOS accounted for 95.7 % of all the smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2013, and for 93.8 % of all smartphone shipments for the year.
This marked a 4.5 % increase from the 91.2 % share that the two platforms shared in Q4 2012 and a 6.1 % rise from the 87.7 % share they had in 2012.
Next: Apple surpasses Android in business activations
Apple surpasses Android in business activations
Washington: Apple has reportedly surpassed Android, recording maximum business activations, according to a research compiled by Good Technology signals.
However, a different report by Chitika Insights concluded that Microsoft's Surface was being used more frequently when compared to its competitors during the 9-5 working business day.
According to PC World, none of the reports appear to be as comprehensive as the overall smartphone market report compiled Wednesday by IDC, which found that 79 per cent of the 1 billion smartphones shipped during 2013 ran Android, leaving iOS and Windows Phone in the distinct minority.
On the contrary, mobile security vendor Good Technology reported that out of the 5,000 enterprise it served, 73 per cent of all devices it tracked ran iOS against 26 per cent for Android.
Meanwhile, Chitika said that despite the usage statistics presumably indicating some success for Microsoft in this area, the company had a long way to go before challenging Apple or Google in terms of raw usage volume during working hours.
