Telecom
Samsung, iPhone & Huawei lead Worldwide Smartphone Shipment Market
International Data Corporation (IDC’s) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker shows that smartphone vendors shipped a total of 334.3 million units during the first quarter of 2018 (1Q18), resulting in a 2.9% decline when compared to the 344.4 million units shipped in the first quarter of 2017.
The China market was the biggest driver of this decline with shipment volumes dipping below 100 million in the quarter, which hasn’t happened since the third quarter of 2013.
Melissa Chau, associate research director with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers, said “Globally, as well as in China, a key bellwether, smartphone consumers are trading up to more premium devices, but there are no longer as many new smartphone converts, resulting in shipments dropping,”
“When we look at it from a dollar value perspective, the smartphone market is still climbing and will continue to grow over the years to come as consumers are increasingly reliant on these devices for the bulk of their computing needs.”
Anthony Scarsella, research manager with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker said, “Despite new flagships from the likes of Samsung and Huawei, along with the first full quarter of iPhone X shipments, consumers looked unwilling to shell out big money for the latest and greatest devices on the market,”
“The abundance of ultra-high-end flagships with big price tags released over the past 12-18 months has most likely halted the upgrade cycle in the near term.
“It now looks as if consumers are not willing to shell out this kind of money for a new device that brings minimal upgrades over their current device.
“Looking forward, more affordable premium devices might be the solution the market needs in the second half of the year to drive shipments back in a positive direction.”
Smartphone Company Highlights shows that Samsung remained the leader in the worldwide smartphone market grabbing 23.4% share despite experiencing a 2.4% decline from Q1 2017.
The new S9 and S9+ led the way as the new flagships launched a quarter early for the Korean giant compared to last year’s S8/S8+.
Although the new flagships shipped late in the quarter, brisk initial sales of the new devices kept the overall yearly decline at a minimum as the bulk of the positive impact is expected to arrive in Q2 2018.
Despite the late launch, the high-priced devices should significantly boost average selling prices (ASPs) in the quarter for Samsung.
Outside of the new flagships, the A series and J series continued to drive most of the key volume in both developed and emerging markets.
Apple’s first quarter saw the iPhone maker move 52.2 million iPhones representing a modest 2.8% year-over-year increase from the 50.8 million units shipped last year.
Despite rumors of an underperforming iPhone X in the quarter, Apple stated that the iPhone X was the most popular model each week in the March quarter.
The success of the more expensive iPhone X combined with healthy sales of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus helped grow ASPs 11.1% to $728, up from $655 last year.
Rumors of three new bezel-less iPhones arriving this September are expected to bring new features such as a larger AMOLED display model, a more affordable mid-tier model, and increased performance and imaging capabilities across the board.
Huawei climbed to a new market share high of 11.8% even as it remained in third overall.
Huawei has toed the line between maintaining a strong domestic position while slowly upscaling its brand image in international markets with dividends paying off as it beat the average global growth rate, reaching 13.8% year over year.
While it’s high-end smartphones are popular in China, the bulk of its shipments are of the more affordable class of smartphones, and it also introduced a few new models in the low-end and mid-range segments.
Outside of China, Huawei is growing and gaining market share across the Western Europe region, an otherwise declining market, and is particularly strong in Spain, Germany, and Italy.
In these markets, the Lite versions continue to be the company’s bestselling devices, but the P10 and the Mate 10 range are in a much better position compared to predecessors P9 and Mate 9.
The share of the midrange and ultra-high-end devices improved substantially year over year.
Huawei is in a strong position to compete at the higher end of the smartphone arena with the opportunity to grow its share in Europe.
Huawei also reintroduced its Honor brand in a couple of markets in Southeast Asia, where the high-end P series and Mate series are less popular.
Xiaomi’s strong performance has no doubt been due to its strong growth outside of China with 1Q18 the first quarter that less than half of its shipments were domestic, a transition that very few Chinese companies have reached.
Xiaomi continues its retail expansion in India and Southeast Asia; however online channels remain the key contributor in India, its second largest market.
Its low-end Redmi 5A made up almost two-fifths of its volume in India.
In its commitment to the “Make in India” campaign, Xiaomi also recently announced PCB assembly in India, becoming the second vendor after Samsung to do so.
OPPO held the fifth position with its year-over-year decline of 7.5% more a result of the China slowdown than of its performance overseas, as both share and shipment volumes abroad increased in the first quarter.
OPPO has also pruned some of its retail partnerships to focus on those with higher contribution to sales.
To counter Xiaomi’s strong growth in the India market, OPPO has also shifted some focus to online channels where it had been solely focused on offline channels in the past.
Nigeria is strengthening its position as a leading digital economy in Africa as it prepares to host the second edition of GITEX Nigeria, against projections that the continent’s artificial intelligence (AI) economy could generate up to $1 trillion in economic value by 2035.
GITEX Nigeria
GITEX Nigeria, described as West Africa’s largest technology, AI and startup event, is scheduled to hold in Abuja and Lagos from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3, under the patronage of President Bola Tinubu.
The event is supported by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), endorsed by the Lagos State Government and organised by KAOUN International.
With the theme, “Beyond Connectivity: The Bridge to Sovereign Innovation,” the 2026 edition is expected to bring together global technology companies, investors, policymakers, regulators, startups and other stakeholders to advance Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
According to the organisers, the event will focus on strengthening digital resilience, scaling AI infrastructure, attracting strategic investments and building partnerships to support digital sovereignty across Nigeria and West Africa.
Nigeria’s progress in digital skills development is expected to feature prominently at the event, with the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme highlighted as a major intervention.
The programme has recorded 1.87 million registrations across all 774 local government areas, while more than 135,000 Nigerians have been trained through three cohorts.
The programme has also extended learning opportunities to more than 300,000 people through community resources and created 15,000 job and opportunity pathways, according to figures released by the organisers.
Another key initiative, Project BRIDGE, is aimed at expanding Nigeria’s national ICT backbone and improving connectivity in underserved communities.
The project is expected to create up to 20,000 direct jobs and more than 150,000 indirect jobs, train 5,000 Nigerian youths, raise internet penetration above 70 per cent and extend high-speed connectivity to millions of households, businesses, schools and hospitality establishments.
Dr Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, said Nigeria’s objective was to build the foundations for digital sovereignty and a globally competitive AI-powered economy.
“Building on the momentum forged through the implementation of Project BRIDGE, our national blueprint for expanding digital infrastructure and connecting communities across Nigeria, our aspiration ahead of this year’s edition is clear: to solidify the foundations Africa needs for digital sovereignty, technological self-determination, and a globally competitive AI-powered economy,” Tijani said.
He said Nigeria was seeking to promote equitable access, accelerate cross-continental progress and position the country as a producer and exporter of digital technologies and AI solutions.
The GITEX Nigeria Government Leadership and AI Summit will open in Abuja on Aug. 31, bringing together ministers, governors and regulators to discuss digital public infrastructure and other issues shaping West Africa’s digital economy.
The GITEX Nigeria Tech Expo and Future Economy Conference, as well as the Startup Festival, will also return for the second consecutive year.
A new component, FDX Nigeria by GITEX, will focus on finance and digital asset exchange, with the organisers describing it as a platform designed to promote financial inclusion and connect emerging technology with global capital.
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State said the state remained central to Africa’s digital transformation, noting its role in attracting talent, capital and innovation.
He said hosting GITEX Nigeria would further support Lagos’ ambition of becoming a smarter, more connected and globally competitive economy.
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of NITDA, said Nigeria’s digital future would depend not only on technology adoption but also on resilience, trust and effective governance frameworks.
“GITEX NIGERIA seamlessly complements this mandate, creating a unique environment for the dialogue needed to accelerate responsible AI adoption, develop a secure digital economy, and unlock new opportunities for innovation and economic growth,” Abdullahi said.
He said the expertise, investment and partnerships generated through the event would contribute to building an AI ecosystem that was secure, inclusive and capable of supporting Nigeria and West Africa’s long-term competitiveness.
The organisers said Nigeria’s National AI Strategy, 3MTT programme and Project BRIDGE were among initiatives strengthening the country’s capacity in talent development, digital infrastructure, investment attraction and responsible AI adoption.
They said GITEX Nigeria would provide an avenue for global stakeholders to establish partnerships and develop solutions capable of accelerating the region’s digital transformation.
Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of GITEX, said the event was intended to demonstrate that West Africa was ready to convert technological ambition into economic growth, resilience and global competitiveness.
She said GITEX Nigeria would facilitate strategic conversations and partnerships aimed at strengthening regional competitiveness and unlocking scalable growth across Nigeria and West Africa.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Enugu State Government have signed an agreement for the operational lease of the NCC Digital Industrial Park and NCC Learning Centre in Enugu.
The agreement was witnessed by Dr Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, alongside members of the Commission’s Board and Management.
The development is expected to strengthen digital innovation, skills development and technology-driven opportunities in the state.
As part of the engagement, the NCC delegation also visited the Enugu Smart School Initiative, where technology is being integrated into teaching and learning.
The initiative is aimed at equipping young Nigerians with relevant digital skills and preparing them for future opportunities in an increasingly technology-driven economy.
The NCC said it remained committed to supporting initiatives that expand digital inclusion, strengthen innovation and develop the talent required to drive Nigeria’s digital transformation.
The Commission said partnerships with state governments and other stakeholders were critical to creating an enabling environment for digital skills development and technology adoption across the country.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecommunications operators to make dedicated budgetary provisions for cybersecurity as part of efforts to strengthen the resilience of Nigeria’s communications infrastructure against the growing wave of cyber threats.
The directive forms part of the Commission’s Cyber Resilience Framework for the Nigerian Communications Sector (CRF-NCS), which introduces new governance, risk management and operational requirements aimed at safeguarding the country’s critical telecommunications infrastructure from increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
Under the framework, all licensed telecom operators are expected to establish formal cybersecurity governance structures, dedicate adequate financial resources to cyber resilience programmes, and integrate cybersecurity into their enterprise-wide risk management processes.
The Commission said operators must ensure cybersecurity investments are no longer treated as optional operational expenses but as strategic business priorities necessary to protect network infrastructure, customer information and the country’s digital economy.
According to the NCC, licensees are expected to allocate sufficient budgets to support cyber risk assessments, security technologies, staff training, incident response capabilities, continuous monitoring and compliance with regulatory requirements.
The framework also requires operators to designate senior executives responsible for cybersecurity oversight.
At the same time, boards of directors are expected to provide strategic direction and ensure adequate funding for cyber resilience initiatives.
Speaking on the need for a stronger cybersecurity regime during the unveiling of the framework, Abraham Oshadami, executive commissioner, Technical Services, NCC, said, “Given the increasing digitalisation of services, the rapid growth of data exchange, and the sophisticated nature of modern cyber threats, the need for a robust, adaptive and inclusive cybersecurity framework has become more urgent.”
He added, “Both state and non-state actors are targeting essential sectors—including ours—through coordinated cyber and physical attacks. These attacks frequently target control systems and data integrity, underscoring the critical risks posed to operational technology (OT), especially in our sector.”
“As cyber threats evolve, they endanger not only system performance but also human safety, amplifying the severity and consequences of disruptions to vital communications infrastructure. Cybersecurity now encompasses human safety and must address the real risk to people’s lives when a system is attacked or compromised.”
The Commission further stated that operators are required to develop comprehensive cybersecurity implementation plans, conduct periodic risk assessments, establish business continuity and disaster recovery procedures, and regularly test their cyber defence capabilities.
In addition, the framework makes cyber incident reporting compulsory. Licensees must inform the NCC’s CSIRT of any major cybersecurity breach within four hours of discovery, and provide a thorough post-incident analysis after mitigation is complete.
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