Cellphone shipments for the current quarter are expected to grow more than 40 percent from a year earlier on the back of foreign brands’ intensive efforts to launch new models, which will result in more orders for local contract makers, Digitimes Research said in a research report on Saturday.
In addition, HTC Corp’s (宏達電) plans to introduce on the market new models, ranging from high-end to middle-range devices, is also expected to boost shipments this quarter, the report said.
The market research group forecast that 23.4 million cellphones are to be shipped this quarter, up 42.2 percent from the previous quarter and up 44.7 percent from a year earlier.
Due to the shipment increase, Taiwan is expected to take a 5 percent share of global cellphone shipments in the second quarter, compared with a 3.8 percent share in the previous quarter.
Last quarter, cellphone shipments fell 1.6 percent sequentially, but rose 40 percent year-on-year to 16.46 million units.
The first-quarter market share was higher than the 3.6 percent share it had over the same period last year, when cellphone shipments totaled 16.17 million units, up 37.5 percent from a quarter earlier, but down 15.7 percent from a year earlier.
As Sony Mobile Communications has intensified its efforts to introduce new smartphone models, such as the new Xperia series, and Nokia Oyj is aiming for the feature phone market, the two international brands are expected to increase their outsourcing to local contract makers, Digitimes Research said.
Sales for local firms Arima Communications Corp (華冠通訊), Chi Mei Communication Systems Inc (奇美通訊) and Compal Communications Inc (華寶通訊) are expected to grow 20 percent to 35 percent from last quarter.
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