3 minutes into the keynote and we've already covered token growth. Which is very important and impressive. Anyone who hates token talk should get used to it. #GoogleIO
Excellent update on the overall foldable smartphone market as well as insight into the Motorola announcements from MWC.
Great commentary from @fjeronimo and @NabilaPopal
https://t.co/mwOPYIWsKO
🔥 IDC’s Day 1 Hot Takes from #MWC26 are live.
On the ground in Barcelona, insights from Ryan Reith, Dr. Ramazan Yavuz, Ignacio Martinez De Lizarrondo, Bryan Ma, Kiranjeet Kaur, Ahmad Latif Ali, Jason Leigh, Len Padilla, Joel Stradling, Paul Hughes, Ashish Nadkarni, and José Ignacio Díaz Llantén
From AI and telecom to devices and infrastructure, our analysts are calling it as they see it.
👉 Read through their Hot Takes and see what stood out on Day 1.
#MWC #MobileWorldCongress #IDCHotTakes
🚨 Higher ASPs, lower unit volumes: How the memory crisis is reshaping the PC and smartphone outlook
The device industry is heading into a structural reset — not a cyclical dip.
In our latest analysis on the memory crisis and its impact on PCs and smartphones, the outlook has deteriorated even beyond our worst-case scenarios from late 2025.
Here’s what matters:
📉 2026 volumes will contract sharply
PCs: -11.3% YoY (revenues +1.6% on higher ASPs)
Smartphones: -12.9% YoY (revenues -0.5%)
⏩ Q4 2025 and Q1 2026 were artificially inflated
Vendors pulled shipments forward ahead of DRAM and NAND price increases. The hangover starts in Q2.
💰 Higher ASPs will mask weaker fundamentals
Revenue may look stable, but affordability pressures are suppressing real demand.
🏭 Scale will determine winners
Larger OEMs with stronger supplier relationships will secure allocation. Smaller and low-end–focused vendors will struggle to compete.
📱 The sub-$150 smartphone segment is structurally at risk
With over 360M units shipped below $150 last year, rising memory costs make this tier increasingly unsustainable — especially in emerging markets.
🤖 AI PCs face a paradox
On-device AI requires more RAM, yet vendors are reducing memory configurations to control BOM costs.
Add tariff uncertainty to the equation, and 2026 becomes a year defined by constrained planning, pricing pressure, and margin compression.
This is not a one-quarter disruption. It’s a reset of TAM, product mix, and competitive dynamics — and the implications will shape the device industry well into 2027.
Read the blog here 🔗 https://t.co/DQxVQGMZI9
The @IDC Devices Team will be on the ground at #MWC26 to bring you real-time "Hot Takes" on the industry's biggest announcements.
📍 Where: Barcelona, Spain
🗓️ When: 2-6 March, 2026
Stay tuned for updates from the floor!
#IDCDevices#MWC26
@Samsung posts record Q4 w/ profit up 3x, driven by memory. MX was down 9.5% YoY, w/ a tough year ahead. IMO, Samsung’s MX is better positioned than its Android peers will emerge with meaningful share gain once the dust settles, capturing the opportunity w/in the crisis.
This is an important purchase for Micron given the market situation. Essentially fast tracks them in the capacity expansion race by not having to build ground up.
Great time to be a memory provider 💰
https://t.co/7DsPnzHoFS
💥 The global semiconductor industry is experiencing an unprecedented memory chip shortage with knock-on effects for the device manufacturers and end users that could persist well into 2027.
In this video, Tom Mainelli, Ryan Reith, and Jeff Janukowicz from @IDC explain the reasons for this crisis and its implications for the market.
🔗 Read the blog: https://t.co/HU6sAUWyRI
@TomMainelli@ryanreith
📱 Ultra-premium smartphones are redefining market momentum.
Top brands are pushing innovation upward, while shifting consumer preferences, especially in China, are reshaping what buyers expect at the high end.
🔗 Explore IDC’s latest global smartphone insights: https://t.co/wDcHeJU8Ho
#SmartphoneMarket #PremiumDevices #MarketTrends
SEA’s smartphone market grew 1.9% YoY in 3Q25.
Samsung led on broad lineup, strong high-end demand, and rising BNPL.
Premium push lifted ASP to US$278; >$400 segment hit 19%.
Indonesia +3.5%, Philippines +8.1%, Singapore +10.3%; Malaysia & Vietnam fell.
#India#smartphone market grows 4.3% YoY in Q3 2025 — reaching a 5-year high of 48M units, led by premium demand.
📈 #Apple ships record 5M units, ranks #4 for the first time.
📉 IDC forecasts Q4 decline with 2025 shipments below 150M.
Read more: https://t.co/QT6dtmXQbu
NEW: Apple is planning to use a custom 1.2 trillion parameter Google Gemini model to help power the new Siri next year. The iPhone maker will be paying the search giant roughly $1 billion annually for it. Details on the partnership here https://t.co/TPbbJ9QQ4p
🚀 OPPO is reshaping the Mid-to-High-End Smartphone market ($400+)💡
👋 Find out how here 👇
https://t.co/FbSo2SyQlD
🏆 According to an IDC survey conducted in Europe and Asia-Pacific, young adults aged 18-35 account for 65.3% of the new buyers of mid-to-high-end smartphones:
📌 71% of young buyers plan to buy a mid-to-high-end smartphone next time.
📌 They are more likely to use interest-free/paid installments, or trade-in deductions.
📌 They pay more attention to imaging capability, AI features and cross-device/ecosystem connectivity.
According to IDC Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, OPPO's global mid-to-high-end ($400+) smartphone shipments rose 46.6% YoY to 4m units in 2025Q2.
#OPPO #OPPOFindX9Series
♻️ The smartphone market is evolving from ownership to optimization.
Rising prices for new devices are driving consumers toward refurbished and used models, reflecting a smarter and more sustainable path to tech ownership.
With affordability, sustainability, and quality standards aligning, used smartphones are becoming the first choice for many buyers and enterprises.
Explore IDC’s latest data and insights on global smartphone market trends: 🔗https://t.co/4KYD1BzeGG
#SmartphoneMarket #Sustainability #RefurbishedDevices #MarketTrendsda
Argentina’s smartphone market is on the rise.
Shipments grew nearly 50% YoY, supported by stronger brand performance, the return of online sales, and fewer fiscal restrictions. Local production is also gaining momentum, opening new opportunities for vendors and supply chain partners.
📊 Stay in the know with IDC: https://t.co/rdFesj23ZZ.
#IDCMobileTracker #ArgentinaSmartphones #LATAMTech #MarketGrowth