Global Smartphone Shipments Rose 4.3% in Q1, Says IDC Report

Global smartphone shipments jumped 4.3 percent in Q1, further proof that “the smartphone industry is not dead and that growth still exists," IDC said in a Thursday report. "There is no question that 2016 was a pivotal year for the industry as growth dipped to low single digits for the first time. However, we believe the industry will show some rebound in 2017, and the strong first quarter results certainly support this argument.” Samsung regained control as the leader in the worldwide smartphone market despite a flat first quarter, IDC said. “Substantial discounts on the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge helped move last year's flagships as they make way for the new S8 and S8+.” Apple’s Q1 shipments “also remained essentially flat,” it said. “The strong holiday fourth quarter carried into the month of January as the larger iPhone 7 Plus returned to stock across most channels in numerous regions.”