Broadcasting
Phablets Shipments Expected to Hit 1 Billion Units by 2021
International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, has predicted that overall smartphone shipments will steadily grow from 1.5 billion units in 2017 to 1.7 billion units in 2021.
They also said that, phablets (smartphones with a screen size of 5.5 inches to <7 inches) will far outpace total market growth by climbing from 611 million units in 2017 to 1 billion units in 2021, representing a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.1%.
In comparison, the total smartphone market is expected to grow at a 3.0% CAGR during the same period, while normal smartphones (under 5.5 inches) will decline 7.4%.
Overall, IDC lowered its previous forecast for 2018-2021 by 1.1%-1.5%, depending on the year.
The largest changes came in the China and Middle East & Africa regions, which are still expected to grow through 2021.
Android-based phablets have been the primary driver of large-screen smartphones and IDC expects this trend to continue in the years to come.
Samsung’s early dominance of the phablet category has been short lived as other Original equipment manufacturers(OEMs), many of which are Chinese OEMs, quickly pushed the category into the mainstream and even low end.
As a result, China consumed 50% of the 437.4 million phablets shipped in 2016.
IDC expects China will remain the largest market for large-screen smartphones and to grow at a CAGR of 12.6%.
Ryan Reith, program vice president with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Trackers said that,”In 2012, phablets were just 1% of smartphone shipments and now they are approaching 50% of the market just a few years later,”
“The rapid transition to bezel-less smartphones will help minimize the device footprint while growing the screen size from previous generations.
“Consumers continue to consume more video entertainment, gaming, social media, and other data-heavy applications on their smartphones making the display size and type a critical factor in smartphone buying decisions.”
Apple has also made a massive push into the phablet space and IDC expects its Plus and X devices to account for 41.2% of its shipment volume in 2017 and 50% or more of Apple’s iPhone shipments in 2018.
If the recent rumors of new, larger screen iPhones in 2018 hold true, then this number will likely grow further as a share of its overall shipment volume.
According to Anthony Scarsella, research manager with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. “There is no doubt that 2017 gave birth to the new ultra high-end segment of the smartphone market,”
“The latest flagship devices from Samsung, Apple, Google, LG, and others has pushed the high end to the $850-plus level for the first time.
“Despite these price hikes, consumers look as if they are willing to swallow the cost just to have the latest and greatest device in their pockets.
“Although many consumers may not be able to afford these devices in more price sensitive markets, programs such as device financing combined with trade-in policies are making these devices more attainable to buyers in a number of markets.
“This growth at the ultra high end translates to higher average selling prices (ASPs) for smartphones throughout the forecast period.
“By 2021, the last year of our forecast, smartphones will reach an ASP of $317, up from $282 in 2016, representing a CAGR of 2.3%.”
Highlights of various Platforms shows that Android-powered smartphones have already captured 85% of total market volume and IDC expects this share to remain relatively stable throughout the forecast.
What has changed is the vendor landscape with OEMs that have more market history feeling intense pressure from a range of up and coming vendors focused on tight inventory control and new go-to-market strategies.
Despite Android smartphones having such a high share of the market, volumes are still expected to grow from 1.3 billion in 2017 to 1.5 billion in 2021, which represents a five-year CAGR of 3.2%.
Apple’s launch of the iPhone 8/8+ and X in late 2017 set the company up to return to iPhone volume growth in 2017.
IDC expects an even bigger rebound in 2018 as channels fill up with inventory of the new models and as price cuts around earlier models enable it to hit lower price points.
Coming off the 7% decline in iPhone shipments in 2016, IDC is forecasting growth of 2.4% in 2017 and 8.1% in 2018.
IDC also projects sustained growth for Apple through the later years of the forecast with volumes growing at a five-year CAGR of 3.1%.
Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON) has established six committees to help strengthen and modernize the country’s broadcasting industry.
The committees will focus on content creation, skills development, digital transformation, sustainability, policy and commercial opportunities
The initiative aims to support industry growth and improve collaboration between broadcasters, regulators and media experts
The official launch recently, was led by Tony Akiotu, president, BON and attended by media professionals, program directors, former journalists and heads of specialized media organizations.
The event brought together several prominent figures in Nigeria’s media industry, including veteran broadcaster and trainer Bimbo Oloyede, Tony Uyah of M4S TV, Kingsley Uranta of Channels Television, Ismael Sani of Platinum TV and Ibrahim Shehu of Trust TV.
Together, they are expected to help drive innovation and support the growth of Nigeria’s broadcasting sector.
According to Akiotu, the committees are intended both to help shape industry policy and to provide a forum for dialogue between BON and broadcasting experts.
Akiotu said the ad hoc committees were intended to strengthen BON’s work and ensure that the umbrella body for Nigeria’s broadcasters played a more direct and meaningful role in developing the country’s broadcasting sector.
The six committees reflect the sector’s main priorities. The first focuses on collaboration and innovation to promote content creation.
The second is dedicated to training and talent development, while the third focuses on industry sustainability by improving the sector’s long-term financial viability.
A fourth committee will focus on digital transformation and work with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on regulatory issues.
The remaining two committees will oversee public policy advocacy and the development of sports and commercial rights to help broadcasters increase revenue and attract more investment. Together, the committees are expected to guide BON’s efforts to modernize and strengthen Nigeria’s broadcasting industry.
The committees, chaired by members of BON’s General Assembly and supported by the organization’s Secretariat, have an initial 12-month mandate that may be renewed if necessary.
They are required to submit a progress report within three months and implement approved recommendations within the following six months.
The arrangement is intended to ensure close oversight and the timely implementation of their work.
Akiotu also reminded committee members that Nigeria pioneered television broadcasting in Africa and urged them to carry out their work with greater effectiveness and efficiency.
Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) says it is investigating about 34 tertiary institutions over allegations that they failed to refund students whose tuition fees were paid twice under the Federal Government’s student loan scheme.
The Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed this during an interview on Arise Television.
Sawyerr said the agency had deployed a five-member investigative team, including operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and internal auditors, to examine the allegations.
According to him, the investigation was prompted by numerous complaints received from affected students.
“As of right now, there are 34 institutions that we are looking at closely with respect to this issue,” he said.
Sawyerr explained that the double payment issue arose because President Bola Tinubu directed that the student loan scheme commence in the middle of an academic session instead of at the beginning.
He said the decision compelled many students to pay their tuition fees to meet registration deadlines while awaiting approval of their loan applications.
“What happened is that a lot of schools got double payment; some from the students and some from us,” he said.
“The refund process is entirely out of our hands. It is the recipient of the double payments that is obliged to make refunds to the students.”
The NELFUND boss noted that many students had borrowed money from family members, friends and other sources to pay their tuition with the expectation of receiving refunds once the loans were disbursed.
He said while some institutions had promptly refunded affected students, others had failed to do so.
“Some have been very good at this. Others haven’t been so good at it,” Sawyerr said.
“I reserve judgement on the intentionality around it because, for some of them, they just didn’t have the process to make refunds.”
Sawyerr disclosed that NELFUND was exploring a tokenised payment system that would enable students to authorise tuition payments directly to their institutions, thereby reducing the likelihood of duplicate payments.
He said the agency deliberately chose not to disburse tuition loans directly to students to minimise the risk of fund diversion.
“Paying the funds to the students could really lead to the temptation for them to divert and do other things,” he said.
The managing director, however, acknowledged that NELFUND lacked the statutory powers to compel institutions to refund students or prosecute officials found culpable.
He added that many frustrated students had submitted complaints not only to NELFUND but also to anti-corruption agencies, including the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Sawyerr also expressed concern over increases in tuition fees by some institutions following the introduction of the student loan scheme.
He said NELFUND had declined to pay institutions that increased their tuition fees beyond acceptable levels.
“Some schools, because they get paid easily, started to put up their fees. We refused, point blank, to pay institutions who had hiked their fees beyond a certain level,” he said.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to investigating every reported irregularity and strengthening the implementation of the student loan programme through continuous monitoring and internal reviews.
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