TAIWAN: Shipments of smartphones in the Taiwan market are expected to stage a rebound in the second quarter of 2016, triggered by the adjustment of 4G service pricing by major telecom operators, according to sources from local channels. The price adjustment has triggered replacement demand for smartphones as users seek to secure a renewed contract with an affordable new smartphone and new rate, said the sources.
Meanwhile, declining sales momentum for iPhone devices since March has offered an opportunity for Android-based smartphone vendors, including HTC, Sony Mobile Communications and Huawei, to ramp up their shipments from the second quarter, the sources indicated. Sales of smartphones in the local market totaled 728,000 units in January, 710,000 in February and 672,000 in March, according to data compiled by retail channels. Smartphone shipments are expected to stay flat in the local market in April before picking up again in May-June, said the sources.
