China’s Xiaomi Corp clocked its best quarterly performance ever, with shipments surging 62% to 49 million phones and market share to 14%, taking it to the third position after Samsung and Apple. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd snatched back the crown from Apple as the world’s biggest smartphone producer, accounting for a fifth of overall global sales in the first quarter, market research firm Canalys said. China’s Xiaomi Corp clocked its best quarterly performance ever, with shipments surging 62% to 49 million phones and market share to 14%, taking it to the third position after Samsung and Apple.
Smartphones
Overall, global sales surged 27% to 347 million units in the first quarter as the Chinese economy opened up after the pandemic and a swift vaccine rollout in the United States raised hopes of an economic recovery. South Korea’s Samsung shipped 76.5 million smartphones in the quarter to grab a 22% share of the market, Canalys said. The company on Thursday reported a 66% surge in quarterly profit in its mobile business, thanks to robust sales of its flagship Galaxy S21 smartphone series.
Canalys said Apple shipped 52.4 million iPhones in the January-March period, falling to the second spot with a 15% marketshare, after it wowed Chinese shoppers in the December quarter with its new 5G-enabled iPhone 12.
People upgrading to the new iPhone still drove sales, though, and the company said on Wednesday that overall sales to China nearly doubled.
Last year, people shopped for smartphones and gadgets as they stayed indoors because of the coronavirus pandemic, fuelling a global shortage in semiconductor chips that has roiled industries including autos and white goods.
“Supply of critical components, such as chipsets, has quickly become a major concern, and will hinder smartphone shipments in the coming quarters,” Stanton said.
Apple said on Wednesday that the chip shortage could cost the company $3 billion to $4 billion in revenue in the April-June quarter, affecting primarily iPads and Macbooks.
March-quarter smartphone shipments for China’s Oppo and Vivo brands also surged, Canalys said. China’s Huawei, the former No. 1 that remains shackled by U.S. sanctions, took the seventh place with 18.6 million units after selling its Honor brand last year.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
The South African Smartphone market has had an addition to what observers call an already saturated market, with the launching of the DIXON XK1. This was through the partnership betweenCash Crusaders and KaiOS Technologies. This new smartphone comes with a dual SIM slot which enables users to both maximize coverage and choose the pre and post paid plans that best fit their budget and needs. The DIXON XK1 is said to be targeted at three separate groups:
DIXON XK1
First-time or relatively new internet users who are looking for a safe space and a trusted reference to access vital information, including access to the world’s most popular apps such as Google Assistant, Google Maps, WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, and other relevant, local content. The second group being targeted is the 5 million South Africans who want to use the mobile internet, but are priced out of the smartphone market. While the third people who are looking for a back-up device to switch between operators to get the best price and coverage, to use during activities like hiking or their chosen sports activity.
According to the CEO of Cash Crusaders, Sean Stegmann “digital inclusion is a major topic in South Africa and we are happy to be able to play our part in increasing access to the essential life tools and services found online.”
“Mobile phones are no longer luxuries. However, buying a phone and a data plan are still substantial investments for many of our customers. The new DIXON XK1 provides users with all the essential features of a smartphone at a fraction of the price. The limited data used to access apps in the device, as well as the flexibility to use different SIM cards from any operators, could best cater to the needs of our customers”.
Apps and Functions: Pre-installed with essential and popular apps such as WhatsApp, Google Assistant, Google Maps, YouTube, Facebook, and many other applications unique to KaiOS. It also comes with a KaiOS app called ‘Life’ which features training and lessons related to digital literacy and other educational content.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
As smartphones are becoming increasingly integrated into our everyday lives, it is essential to choose one that fits your lifestyles and your needs. Every mobile phone brand is trying to stand out from the rest by upgrading their technology and introducing new functions; however, the best way to measure their value is through their performance side by side. Today, we have selected three android phones for comparison: the TECNO CAMON 16 Premier, Huawei Y9 (2019), and Samsung A41.
TECNO CAMON 16 Premier
Mobile phone screen design
While the three phones consider the different needs of users, they differ quite a lot when it comes to design. TECNO focused on the user’s convenience and has shifted its fingerprint scanner to the side so that it will be easier to gain access to the phone. This was a good move on TECNO’s part as it was a concern when we tested Huawei’s Y9 (2019) that was rear-mounted. This stopped me from unlocking the phone accidentally every time my fingers brushed the scanner. The CAMON 16 Premier also opens faster and is extremely convenient to do so, so much so that it felt intuitive after a while. The unlocking time of CAMON 16 Premier is less than a second, and this is a marked improvement from even their CAMON 15. This allows users to save time over minute actions; making the Samsung A41 and Huawei Y9 (2019) appear inferior. It seems that TECNO has done a lot of user research on this aspect, and the attention to detail made us feel very good about the CAMON 16 Premier.
Huawei Y9
In terms of screen size, which is a crucial consideration for users today, the TECNO CAMON 16 Premier takes the lead with its display with over 6.85” of high-resolution screen while 6.53FHD hole screen on Samsung A41 and 6.59”FHD notch on Huawei Y9 (2019). This is the real estate for users to watch their favorite TV shows or make video calls, users can enjoy greater visual details. The bigger screen is more comfortable to watch for extended periods, allowing users more considerable viewing time before getting tired. The CAMON 16 truly shines when users watch their favorite high-resolution videos. The widescreen works in perfect sync with the 90Hz ultra-clear resolution, so users do not have to strain their eyes to enjoy a high quality viewing experience.
Camera function – front and rear cameras
The camera qualities of a phone have become a clear determining factor for users when it comes to buying a phone. After much consideration, the TECNO CAMON 16 Premier once again stands out with their ultra-clear visuals that reflect what you see with your eyes. It boasts a 64MP ultra quad-camera while the Huawei Y9 (2019) only has a rear camera of 13MP. The Samsung A41 comes a little closer with a 48MP triple rear camera and a panorama function but still shy of the quality that CAMON 16 Premier can produce.
TECNO’s CAMON series has always been notable for its superior camera and photography capabilities. They put the user’s needs first and develop technology around that, bringing the user an unprecedented clear photography experience. Each camera lens has its mission and an outstanding feature, genuinely living up to their expectations that each picture could be a masterpiece. Based on the MTK flagship-level G90T core chip, the CAMON 16 Premier supports 64MP full-size output. As we understand, this is an industry-first, and not many phones can compete with this configuration. With five rear flashes, the user can get clear and bright photos regardless of the darkness of their environment.
Camera function – anti-shake function
Clear photos will always be a priority when shooting. TECNO CAMON 16 Premier uses the Super Hybrid Video Anti-Shake (Super HIS) to stabilize and has produced fantastic photography results. Another advantage is that it supports 960 frames of super slow-motion shooting, thus expanding the potential of video shooting exponentially. The CAMON 16 Premier’s 8Gb of RAM aslo helps tremendously in accelerating the video processing time.
It seems to us that the TECNO CAMON 16 Premier is not merely a phone but a professional camera integrated with many other easy-to-use phone functions. These functions ensure the users get the best photo quality everywhere, every time. It is impressive that TECNO managed to fit something of this quality into a mobile phone.
Battery life
Battery life is a significant feature that determines how long your phone can last while you complete your tasks. The TECNO CAMON 16 Premier has a 4500mAh battery and a quick charge of up to 70% in just 30 minutes. This is an upgrade compared to the smaller 4000mAh and 3500mAh capacity of Huawei Y9 (2019) and Samsung A41. Furthermore, the user’s safety is TECNO’s priority as CAMON 16 Premier comes with its newest safety features. TECNO has engineered the CAMON 16 to reduce overheating during fast-charge and lowered the surface temperature by two degrees. It does this while simultaneously offering two types of charging options as CAMON 16 Premier has managed to even add a Type-C fast charging capability inside its lithe frame.
This is complemented with another safety function that automatically shuts the phone down when the battery is fully charged. This is a breakthrough in the industry, TECNO has integrated into the CAMON 16 Premier to better protect the mobile phone and the user.
The promising future of AR
One critical measure of a good smartphone is how they approach new technology. In this aspect, TECNO’s CAMON 16 Premier is already off to a strong start with its unique AR Graffiti function that Huawei Y9 (2019) and Samsung A41 do not have. This new function gives users the ability to unleash their creativity digitally and re-imagine their surroundings. The AR Graffiti function has countless brushes and unlimited colors that you can use to customize your photos. This took us by surprise because it is something refreshing on the market, and also we had a lot of fun playing around with this technology.
To make it even better, TECNO CAMON 16 Premier also has other complimentary AR features. AR Sticker and AR Emoji, for example, allows users to interact in many creative ways. The features will enable you to capture any expression you want with over 200 facial features available. This technology also includes light beautification and localization features to make sure you look your best, even in AR. We know AR in smartphones is still an experimental technology, but if this is the direction that it is going to be in the future, then we think the CAMON 16 Premier will become popular very fast.
After reviewing so many functions, the clear winner amongst these three phones is clearly TECNO’s CAMON 16 Premier. TECNO has not only continually integrated advanced technologies into their products, but also makes sure they are an economical product. The CAMON 16 Premier offers outstanding value for money, which is only one of the many other benefits that this phone offers.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
