Maximum PC: International Data Corporation (IDC) revised its global semiconductor revenues outlook for 2012 and 2013, cutting its forecast by billions of dollars based on a number of factors. The market research firm now expects global semiconductor sales to grow less than 1 percent to $304 billion in 2012, compared to a previous forecast of 4.6 percent growth to $315 billion. In 2013, IDC said it expects revenues to grow 4.9 percent to $315, down from a previous forecast of $335 billion on 6.2 percent growth.
IDC admits it was wrong -- the smartphone sales slump is even worse than it thought. iPhone share is actually shrinking, while Android climbs ever-more dizzying heights. Total growth will fall this year to a mere 3.1%, say IDC’s prognosticators. But BlackBerry and Windows Phone are, of course, dead.
Maximum PC: Things aren't looking so hot for Microsoft in the smartphone space. That isn't new, but with Windows 10 Mobile slowly inching its way to more devices, Microsoft is probably hoping for a greater share of the pie. Market research firm IDC isn't as optimistic.
Its a step in the right direction for Microsoft. After Steve Ballmers scattergun approach to wanting to Microsoft to be everywhere without a clearly planned strategy Microsoft now seem to have aligned each of their divisions under one banner. Windows 8 was an awful product, Microsoft tried to take a desktop OS and shoe-horn it into the mobile space but it looks like now they have learned from that experience and Windows 10 will be a true cross platform OS.
Now that Microsoft has moved on from the doomed partnership with Nokia they have started to partner with other manufacturers like HP, Blu, Acer etc. They have a lot of ground to catch up but I think their smartphone sales will also be helped by the boom in 2 in 1 devices with manufacturers like Samsung producing sleek devices and people start to buy into the platform.
The thing that can make a difference for Windows phone is Continuum. They need to bring that down to a $129-150 phone as fast as possible. The coming changes with chips should make that happen in the next couple of years and Microsoft needs to be onboard with it.
We saw Apple's iPad sales continue to decline in its most recent set of results. However the recently introduced and rather large iPad Pro has apparently done comparatively well, according to a new market research report by IDC.
