News
Slowing Innovation is the Key Reason for Declining Smartphone Sales

Global sales of smartphones to end users declined 2.7% in the first quarter of 2019, totaling 373 million units, according to Gartner, Inc. Despite its absence from the U.S., Huawei maintained its ranking as the No. 2 smartphone vendor worldwide and continued to reduce the gap with Samsung.
“Demand for premium smartphones remained lower than for basic smartphones,* which affected brands such as Samsung and Apple that have significant stakes in high-end smartphones,” said Anshul Gupta, senior research director at Gartner. “In addition, demand for utility smartphones* declined as the rate of upgrading from feature phones to smartphones has slowed, given that 4G feature phones give users great advantages at a lower cost.”
Slowing innovation in flagship smartphones and rising prices continued to extend replacement cycles. The two countries that sell the most smartphones, namely the U.S. and China, saw sales decline by 15.8% and 3.2%, respectively, in the first quarter of 2019.
In the first quarter of 2019, Samsung retained the top spot in worldwide smartphone sales achieving 19.2% market share (see Table 1). Huawei achieved the highest year-over-year growth among the world’s top five, growing 44.5% and smartphone sales totaling 58.4 million units.
Sales of Huawei smartphones grew in all regions. “Huawei did particularly well in two of its biggest regions, Europe and Greater China, where its smartphone sales grew by 69% and 33%, respectively,” said Mr. Gupta. Huawei’s continued dominance in Greater China, where it commanded a 29.5% market share, helped it secure the No. 2 global smartphone vendor ranking in the first quarter of 2019.
Table 1: Worldwide Smartphone Sales to End Users by Vendor in 1Q19 (Thousands of Units)
Vendor | 1Q19 (Units) | 1Q19 Market Share (%) | 1Q18 (Units) | 1Q18 Market Share (%) |
Samsung | 71,621.1 | 19.2 | 78,564.8 | 20.5 |
Huawei | 58,436.2 | 15.7 | 40,426.7 | 10.5 |
Apple | 44,568.6 | 11.9 | 54,058.9 | 14.1 |
OPPO | 29,602.1 | 7.9 | 28,173.1 | 7.3 |
Vivo | 27,368.2 | 7.3 | 23,243.2 | 6.1 |
Others | 141,405.2 | 37.9 | 159,037.1 | 41.5 |
Total | 373,001.4 | 100.0 | 383,503.9 | 100.0 |
Due to rounding, numbers may not add up precisely to the totals shown. Source: Gartner (May 2019)
“Unavailability of Google apps and services on Huawei smartphones, if implemented, will upset Huawei’s international smartphone business which is almost half of its worldwide phone business. Not the least it brings apprehension among buyers, limiting Huawei’s growth in the near term,” said Mr. Gupta.
Despite a decline in its smartphone sales of 8.8% in the first quarter of 2019, Samsung remained the No. 1 smartphone vendor worldwide. “Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S10 smartphone portfolio, which received a good response. However, its impact was limited as Samsung only started shipping the S10 at the end of the first quarter,” said Gupta. “Samsung also strengthened its midtier and entry-tier smartphone ranges with a refreshed A series and J series and the newly introduced M series, but aggressive competition from Chinese manufacturers limited their impact.”
Sales of Apple iPhones totaled 44.6 million units in the first quarter of 2019, a decline of 17.6% year over year. “The price cut for iPhones across markets helped drive up demand but wasn’t enough to restore growth in the first quarter,” said Mr. Gupta. “Apple is facing longer replacement cycles as users struggle to see enough value benefits to justify replacing existing iPhones.”
Vivo beat Xiaomi to claim the No. 5 spot in the first quarter of 2019. Vivo sold 27.4 million smartphones during the quarter. Xiaomi sold 27.2 million. The latest features, such as in-display fingerprint scanner, slider camera, fast charging, and almost bezel-less display, helped Vivo achieve double-digit smartphone sales growth in the first quarter of 2019. “However, the company could do much better by expanding the range of its entry-tier smartphones and selling them in emerging Asia/Pacific markets,” said Gupta.

Components
Users Claim That Nvidia GPUs Are Melting Power Cables

Early adopters of Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card are reporting issues with melting power cables, with at least one report on YouTube and another on Reddit. This situation mirrors an earlier problem with the RTX 4090, where power connectors melted or caught fire, damaging GPUs and power supplies.
Investigations revealed that the 4090’s connector issues were largely due to user error, with 12VHPWR connectors not being fully inserted or bent, creating stress and heat. The PCI-SIG, the standards body for the connector, stated the design was sound and blamed implementation issues. An updated connector, 12V-2×6, which ensures proper seating before delivering power, replaced the 12VHPWR connector in the RTX 50-series cards.
Both connectors aim to deliver significant power to high-end GPUs via a single cable, reducing the need for multiple 8-pin connectors and saving board space. While Nvidia, Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, Arm, and others are PCI-SIG members, Nvidia is the primary user of these connectors in its GPUs. AMD and Intel continue using 8-pin connectors, with some Nvidia partners doing the same for lower-end cards like the RTX 4060 and 4070 series.
The two reported RTX 5090 incidents involved third-party cables, one from MODDIY and another from an FSP power supply, rather than Nvidia’s provided 8-pin adapter. It’s too early to determine if the problem lies with the cables, Nvidia, the connector design, or user error, or if it’s simply a coincidence.
Accessories
Apple’s Beats Unveils Powerbeats Pro 2 with Heart-Rate Monitoring

Apple Inc.’s Beats division has unveiled the long-awaited Powerbeats Pro 2, which features noise cancellation, a heart-rate monitor, and a revamped design aimed at athletes. This new model incorporates capabilities seen in Apple’s AirPods, such as transparency mode for better external noise awareness and the H2 chip for enhanced sound quality. Additionally, it offers improved spatial audio for a 3D listening experience and comes with a smaller, wireless charging case.
The heart-rate monitor is a notable first for Apple-designed earbuds, expanding the company’s health-related features, and utilizes technology found in the Apple Watch. Despite a slow holiday season for Apple’s wearables business—with sales in the division falling nearly 2% to about $11.8 billion—the introduction of these new earbuds is anticipated to drive interest and sales.
Priced at $250, the same as the previous model, the new Powerbeats Pro 2 will be available in black, orange, purple, and a color called quicksand. This price point matches the AirPods Pro 2, although the Powerbeats may be more appealing to athletes due to their secure ear hooks.
Apple Vice President Oliver Schusser, who oversees Beats as well as the company’s sports, TV+, and music initiatives, hailed the new Powerbeats as “the most impressive product in Beats’ history.” Acquired by Apple in 2014 for $3 billion, Beats remains the company’s largest acquisition to date.
The heart-rate monitor will be compatible with fitness apps like Peloton, Nike Run Club, Ladder, and Slopes, with data integration into the Apple Health app. The earbuds will also be compatible with Android devices. Apple is reportedly working on AirPods with heart-rate monitoring, though they are still many months away from release.
In terms of battery life, the Powerbeats Pro 2 holds an advantage over AirPods, with 10 hours of usage on their own and 45 hours with the charging case, compared to six hours for AirPods alone and up to 30 hours with the case. However, AirPods continue to offer unique features, such as a new hearing aid functionality.
Gadgets
Huawei to Launch HUAWEI Mate XT Tri-Fold Smartphone Globally in Kuala Lumpur

HUAWEI is set to debut the Mate XT, the first commercial tri-fold smartphone, globally in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on February 18, 2025. Previously available only in China, this innovation combines a tablet-sized screen with a smartphone form factor, potentially creating a new category of handheld devices. The Mate XT offers single, dual, and triple-screen modes, enhancing productivity and leisure.
At the same event, Huawei is expected to unveil the HUAWEI MatePad Pro 13.2”, featuring a complete office suite and detachable HUAWEI Smart Magnetic Keyboard, aimed at setting a new standard for tablet productivity. The launch may also include the HUAWEI Band 10 and HUAWEI FreeArc, a new open-ear earbud with an earhook design.
With these new releases, Huawei aims to revolutionize consumer gadgets, integrating digital and real-world experiences. The event promises to showcase groundbreaking devices and mark a significant step in tech innovation.
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