More than 907 million smartphones were sold in the first three quarters of this year, almost 94.5 million fewer than in the first nine months of 2019, according to the International Data Corporation.
This year is likely to be the fourth in a row that smartphone sales decline, analysts predict. Despite the drop, however, some models are continuing to perform strongly.
Here are the top six smartphones sold in the first three quarters based on global unit sales, according to industry watchers Omdia, Canalys and IDC.
iPhone 11
Apple sold more than 53 million units of its most popular model in the first nine months of 2020. Sales of the iPhone 11 significantly surpassed the previous best sales record of 32 million units for the iPhone XR in the first three quarters of last year.
The iPhone 11 was rolled out in September 2019 at Dh2,949 ($803) in the UAE, Dh230 less than the launch price tag of 2018’s low-cost iPhone XR. This was the biggest yearly drop in the iPhone's history for a new device of a similar spec to the premium model.
Offering a low-cost, entry-level iPhone allowed Apple to increase its presence in a wider array of price bands – a strategy that competitors Samsung and Huawei have been adopting for years.
Galaxy A51
In December 2019, Samsung launched the A51 as part of its budget-friendly Galaxy A series to attract more customers. Its new 5G variant was launched in April. The phone comes with a 16.5-centimetre display and weighs 187 grams.
The world’s largest manufacturer of smartphones sold close to 19.6 million units in the nine months to September 30.
Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 9
In July 2018, China's Xiaomi, which went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with a valuation of $54 billion. It is known for its affordable devices that draw comparisons with Apple and Samsung phones.
The company managed to sell more than 19 million units of its Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 9 phones in the first three quarters of the year.
The Redmi Note 8 first went on sale in August last year priced at less than Dh500.
Xiaomi's low-end portfolio, particularly the Redmi 9 Series, did well in both India and China. It helped the company ship 46.5 million devices in the third quarter and grab the number three position in global market share, beating Apple for the first time with 13.1 per cent, according to IDC.
iPhone SE
In April, Apple launched its cheapest iPhone, priced at Dh1,699 to attract budget-conscious buyers as it attempts to wrestle market share from rivals Samsung and Huawei.
The strategy paid off and the company sold more than 18.7 million units in the first three quarters of 2020.
“The new SE found success as it managed to effectively target the lower-priced segment, which bodes extremely well for the vendor in this time of [Covid-19] crisis where consumers are shifting towards more budget-friendly devices,” said IDC.
It was the first time that Apple, which typically unveils its phones in September or October each year, launched a new phone without one of its showcase public events.
Galaxy A31
Starting from Dh700, Samsung’s Galaxy A31 comes with a 48MP main camera for better photos and videos. The company has sold more than 12 million units of the A31 since it was rolled out in March.
The South Korean manufacturer incorporated an 'alive intelligence' feature, which included functions such as intelligent searching within all apps, multilingual typing and the smart cropping of images. It also identified important and useful SMS messages, creating 'visual cards' so they can be more easily viewed.
“It’s not just a smartphone, it’s a smarter phone,” the company said.
iPhone XR
Apple's iPhone XR, which retails from Dh2,000, was the best-selling smartphone of 2019. It maintained this momentum in 2020, selling close to 12 million units in the first nine months.
The 2018 iPhone has a 15.5cm display and has 64GB and 128GB storage options.
List of officials:
Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch
Power: 710bhp
Torque: 770Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 340km/h
Price: Dh1,000,885
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
More on Quran memorisation:
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
Forced%20Deportations
%3Cp%3EWhile%20the%20Lebanese%20government%20has%20deported%20a%20number%20of%20refugees%20back%20to%20Syria%20since%202011%2C%20the%20latest%20round%20is%20the%20first%20en-mass%20campaign%20of%20its%20kind%2C%20say%20the%20Access%20Center%20for%20Human%20Rights%2C%20a%20non-governmental%20organization%20which%20monitors%20the%20conditions%20of%20Syrian%20refugees%20in%20Lebanon.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%9CIn%20the%20past%2C%20the%20Lebanese%20General%20Security%20was%20responsible%20for%20the%20forced%20deportation%20operations%20of%20refugees%2C%20after%20forcing%20them%20to%20sign%20papers%20stating%20that%20they%20wished%20to%20return%20to%20Syria%20of%20their%20own%20free%20will.%20Now%2C%20the%20Lebanese%20army%2C%20specifically%20military%20intelligence%2C%20is%20responsible%20for%20the%20security%20operation%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Mohammad%20Hasan%2C%20head%20of%20ACHR.%3Cbr%3EIn%20just%20the%20first%20four%20months%20of%202023%20the%20number%20of%20forced%20deportations%20is%20nearly%20double%20that%20of%20the%20entirety%20of%202022.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ESince%20the%20beginning%20of%202023%2C%20ACHR%20has%20reported%20407%20forced%20deportations%20%E2%80%93%20200%20of%20which%20occurred%20in%20April%20alone.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%20comparison%2C%20just%20154%20people%20were%20forcfully%20deported%20in%202022.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Violence%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
Sweet%20Tooth
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
The%20Specs%20
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Movie: Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster 3
Producer: JAR Films
Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Jimmy Sheirgill, Mahie Gill, Chitrangda Singh, Kabir Bedi
Rating: 3 star
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Read more about the coronavirus
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
