Global shipments of devices, including smartphones, personal computers and tablets, are forecast to drop 13.6 per cent this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report by Gartner.
Overall, about 1.9 billion devices will be sold this year, almost 300 million less than last year, the US consultancy said. The smartphone industry will be the worst affected, with shipments declining 13.7 per cent year-on-year to 1.3 billion units in 2020.
While people have increased their use of smartphones to communicate with colleagues, work partners, friends and families during coronavirus-related lockdowns, “reduced disposable income will result in fewer consumers upgrading their phones”, said Ranjit Atwal, senior research director at Gartner.
As a result, the average lifespan of a phone is set to extend to 2.7 years in 2020, up from 2.5 years in 2018, according to Gartner.
Industry experts said the wider availability of affordable 5G phones was meant to cut the replacement period, but this is no longer the case.
“The delayed delivery of some 5G flagship phones is an ongoing issue,” said Annette Zimmermann, research vice-president at Gartner.
“Moreover, the lack of geographical coverage along with the increasing cost of the 5G phone contract will impact the choice of a 5G phone,” she added.
5G-enabled phones are forecast to represent only 11 per cent of total mobile phone shipments this year.
Gartner said spending on 5G phones will be affected in most regions apart from China, where continued investment in 5G infrastructure is providing manufacturers with a more effective sales pitch.
Samsung, Huawei, LG and OnePlus are among the manufacturers that have already achieved some success through 5G phone sales.
Chinese manufacturer Huawei sold 6.9 million 5G phones last year, 200,000 more than South Korea's Samsung. Apple, a manufacturer of premium iPhones, is expected to introduce cheaper 5G phones in September to attract budget consumers.
The PC market is predicted to shrink 10.5 per cent this year, with 235 million units being sold. This is likely to decline further in the next few years as consumers switch to a preference for laptops and tablets, Gartner said.
The work-from-home trend combined with businesses needing to create more flexible business continuity plans will also lead to more laptops replacing desk-based PCs throughout 2021 and 2022, said Mr Atwal.
Gartner said 48 per cent of employees are likely to work remotely for at least for some of their time after the Covid-19 pandemic, compared to 30 per cent before the outbreak.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
The specs: 2019 Subaru Forester
Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPurpl%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarl%20Naim%2C%20Wissam%20Ghorra%2C%20Jean-Marie%20Khoueir%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHub71%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%20and%20Beirut%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2021%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E12%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%242%20million%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
