Devices & Platforms

Smartphone shipments have for the first time surpassed feature phone stock in Africa,  showcasing the rise in adoption of more advanced handsets across the region.

“Breaking news,” says the MTN Cameroon Twitter feed, continuing: “Canal+ is now available on MTN TV.” Yes, MTN Cameroon has partnered Canal+ to deploy a streaming platform. But how will this service benefit Cameroon’s leading network – and its users?

Global smartphone shipments are predicted to grow by 4% year-on-year in 2024 to 1.21 billion units due to rebounding consumer demand.

Apple continued its retail expansion in Asia by revealing it will open its first Apple Store in Malaysia in June.

Smartphone shipments in Latin America surged 23.3% year-on-year in Q1 due to retailers moving to clear inventory, and Chinese vendors pushing aggressively.

The Indonesia smartphone market saw a sharp rise in smartphone shipments due to the holiday season, as it continued its recovery. 

Telecom Argentina and OSS vendor Intraway have announced plans to establish a joint digital company to create a platform that allows regional CSPs to monetise their networks using Open APIs under the GSMA Open Gateway initiative.

Global smartphone shipments increased 7.8% year-on-year to 289.4 million units in Q1 2024, marking a third consecutive quarter of growth and indicating that recovery of handset sales is well underway. 

Indonesian telco Telkomsel has announced that it has launched an eSIM service for local customers, making it the last of the country’s major operators to do so, as the industry awaits upcoming eSIM regulations from telecoms regulator Kominfo.

Global smartphone shipments are expected to rebound 3% to 1.2 billion units year-on-year in 2024, with emerging markets driving this growth according to analyst company Counterpoint Research. 

Smartphone shipments in Africa grew 6% to 68.7 million units in full-year 2023 due to rising consumer confidence in H2. 

Corning Incorporated, an innovator in materials science, is showcasing at MWC 2024 a new radio access network (RAN) compute platform, developed in collaboration with Dell Technologies and Intel, to speed the deployment of 5G networks inside high-density buildings.

Thales announced on Monday it is partnering with Google to launch its new eSIM Discovery service that aims to make it easier for users to download and activate eSIMs onto compatible Android devices, including tablets, laptops, and smartwatches.

The Indian government is working on developing an Indian mobile phone brand, a minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, whose portfolio includes communications, said this week.

IDC reported the Indian smartphone market was flat with a 1% uptick in shipments totalling 146 million units in 2023. 

Nokia and Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo reached a resolution and threw out their lawsuits from the Indian high court which was originally filed by the Finnish company. 

India’s smartphone market leader Xiaomi requested the Indian government to provide manufacturing incentives and lower import taxes, amid heavy scrutiny levied at Chinese companies in the country. 

Bangladesh operator Grameenphone has launched “AppCity”, which it says is the country’s first cross-platform app marketplace that serves as both an app store and an API hub.

Nokia announced it signed a multi-year patent cross-license agreement with Chinese smartphone vendor vivo. 

Indian conglomerate Tata Group is reportedly in talks to partner with Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer Pegatron to set up an iPhone factory in India, as Apple aims to shift its reliance on Chinese manufacturing.

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus and Reliance Jio partnered to set up a 5G innovation lab in India. 

Alviere, a leading embedded finance platform provider, has announced that it has been chosen by Onafriq, Africa’s largest digital payments network, to enable payments and remittances from the United States to Africa.