SpaceX and T-Mobile said Wednesday that the FCC requiring devices compatible with the companies' supplemental coverage from space (SCS) service to be certified under its Part 25 satellite communications rules -- when they're already certified under the agency's terrestrial wireless rules -- is "overly prescriptive." In a docket 23-65 request, they asked the commission to waive rules so consumers can use devices approved as of June 29, 2024, for service under the agency's Parts 22, 24 and 27 rules, without a need for Part 25 certification. They said that under current FCC rules, consumers can't use SCS service unless the maker of their equipment modifies the device's authorization. SpaceX and T-Mobile said making SCS service providers like them block service on a device-by-device basis could create consumer confusion. The June 2024 date relates to when a streamlined certification authorization period for manufacturers went into effect; that ends this June, they said.
An estimated 405 million generative AI-capable smartphones will ship this year -- roughly one of every three units shipped, Counterpoint said Wednesday. That will be up from 241 million in 2024, it said. The integration of GAI into smartphones is accelerating faster than expected due to chipset advancements and more competitive large language models, it said. In addition, GAI capabilities are becoming standard in premium phones and will expand into the midrange segment this year. Apple and Samsung are expected to dominate the GAI market initially.
A majority (75%) of new passenger cars sold globally in 2024 featured embedded cellular connectivity, up slightly from 71% the year before, Counterpoint said Wednesday. The growing prevalence of embedded connectivity in mass-market cars is driving the increase, with automakers integrating real-time navigation, connected in-car entertainment and advanced telematics. It said embedded cellular connectivity is increasingly a standard feature.
New U.S. tariffs against China and weakening consumer demand will result in a slower market for PCs and tablets than originally forecast, IDC said Wednesday. Global PC volume is now expected to hit 273 million in 2025, a 3.7% increase over 2024, while tablet shipments are expected to shrink 0.8%, IDC said. It projects an anemic compound annual growth rate of 0.4% for PCs in 2025-29. “Price hikes stemming from tariffs in the US combined with subdued demand are leading to a negative impact within the largest market for PCs,” said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers.
Demand for Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses helped drive a 210% year-over-year jump in global smart glasses shipments last year, Counterpoint said Wednesday. It said Metas represented more than 60% of the market share in 2024. An array of competing smart glasses have come on the market since late 2024, most of them from Chinese companies, it said, and numerous other launches are expected this year and next.
Apple's iPhone 15 was the best-selling smartphone in 2024 internationally, Counterpoint Research said Monday. For a third straight year, Apple and Samsung products claimed the 10 top spots on the list, it said.
Testing platform LambdaTest said Monday that developers can now use the company’s platform to validate apps for the Samsung Galaxy S25 series of devices before they launch commercially Feb. 7. “This makes LambdaTest the first in the market to offer developers and testers worldwide the opportunity to run manual and automated tests at scale on the latest Samsung Galaxy real devices before anyone else,” the company said. "From web to mobile applications, users can now seamlessly validate their app’s performance, compatibility, and user experience on Samsung’s flagship S25 series -- days before it reaches the hands of consumers."
Global smartphone shipments increased 2.4% year-over-year to 331.7 million units in Q4, IDC reported Monday. That marked the sixth consecutive quarter of shipment growth, closing 2024 with 6.4% growth and 1.24 billion shipments, “marking a strong recovery after two challenging years of decline,” IDC said: “We expect the market to continue growing in 2025, albeit at a slower pace, as refresh cycles continue growing and pent-up demand is fulfilled.” Apple led with a 23.2% market share, Samsung (15.6%) followed, with China’s Xiaomi (12.9%) after that. Of the three, only Xiaomi saw its market share grow over Q4 2023. “This past quarter was particularly remarkable for the largest Chinese smartphone vendors: Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Honor, Huawei, Lenovo, realme, Transsion, TCL, and ZTE,” IDC said: “They achieved a historic milestone as they shipped the highest combined volume ever in a quarter, representing 56% of the global smartphone shipments in Q4.”
The market in India for premium smartphones saw a compound annual growth rate of slightly more than 50% in 2021-2023, ResearchAndMarkets.com reported Tuesday. Premium smartphones were defined as devices costing more than $350. “The swift expansion of the premium smartphone market is driven by increasing disposable income, urbanization, and a change in consumer preferences in favor of upgrading to high-end devices for better performance, advanced features, and superior user experiences,” the report said.
Virtual reality headset shipments globally fell 4% year over year in Q3, the third consecutive quarter of declines, Counterpoint said Friday. The augmented reality/AI smart glasses segment is set to grow in 2025, with the debut of the Android XR operating system and new entries from major tech companies as main drivers. Counterpoint said the VR market is struggling with hardware limitations and costs, and expects slight growth in the global VR market in coming years, compared with "significant expansion" in the global augmented reality smart glasses market.