2011 can be called the year of Apple Inc., when US based technology company sold maximum numbers of iPhones and iPads. But whether this company can replicate their performance in 2012? No, say the research firm – Gartner.
According to Gartner, Apple, which became the world’s largest smartphone vendor in the fourth quarter, will see its iPhone market share slipping for a couple of quarters as the novelty of its latest 4S model runs out.
Gartner said Apple’s strong performance will continue into the first quarter of 2012 as availability of the iPhone 4S widens, but without the benefit from delayed purchases sales would decline from the previous quarter. Cellphone market growth would slow this year as the weakening economies hurting the demand.
Gartner said it saw growth in the overall cellphone sales volume slowing to 7 percent from 11 percent growth seen last year, while smartphone market growth would slow to 39 percent from 58 %. “In some of the regions economic conditions have slowed down the replacement market. Consumers are more cautious,” said analyst Roberta Cozza.
One of the other factor for declining sale of iPhone is emergence of Android and Windows smartphones. iPhones are getting very tough competition from Samsung smartphones on Android platform and Nokia’s Lumia range of smartphones on Windows platform, the response of which is luke warm worldwide but in some markets especailly in US, it is getting good response, which could be cause of concern for Apple.
In the coming quarters, iPhones will receive two-pronged attacks from Android and Windows phones, and it will be extremely difficult for iPhones to dominate the market of smartphones.
