Global smartphones production growth is expected to decline in 2018. A TrendForce report has claimed that 2018 will see global smartphone production at around 1.53 billion units, a growth of 5 percent only, compared to 6.5 percent growth in 2017. Meanwhile, the report predicts that it will be a good year for Apple[1], but not so much for Samsung[2]. Apple iPhone production may see an increase in 2018 and production volumes of Samsung smartphone are expected to fall, according to TrendForce. Rising component costs will increase cost pressure on smartphone makers as well.
The TrendForce report[3] says that the total smartphone production for last year reached 1.46 billion devices, up 6.5 percent from 2016, thanks to the Chinese smartphone brands. The production of Apple iPhone last year, soared over 3 percent over 2016 and is expected to grow more than 7.5 percent this year. The report said that the numbers could have been higher if there were no technical limits to the production of the iPhone X[4].
Meanwhile, Samsung saw a rise in production by 3 percent but may witness a decline by the same about in 2018, despite its position as market leader[5]. The reason, as mentioned in the report, could be "great challenges and fierce competition brought by its rivals, including Apple in the high-end market and a number of Chinese brands with Android OS".
When it comes to technology advancements, TrendForce predicts Apple will improve the Face ID[6] and aspect ratio on its iPhone models for 2018. Additionally, it may increase the memory content and embed AMOLED display in two of its variants, the report adds. The Cupertino giant is expected to launch the next generation of iPhone SE...