Canalys: China to Own Almost 50% of Smartphones in Asia Pacific by 2016

The latest report from analysts Canalys says that China is going to own almost 50 percent of the 594 million smartphones that are shipped in the Asia Pacific region in 2016. That number equates to almost 25 percent of the worlds’ projected smartphone shipments in that year. The researchers explained that superb phones from the likes of Apple and Samsung have helped sparked this smartphone domination. The growth and low-cost chipset providers will also help the country’s feature phone companies to migrate their businesses to the smartphone category.

Smartphone sales in China are already remarkable this year. Nicole Peng, Canalys research director for China, explained further about how smartphone sales will penetrate beyond the first- and second-tier cities in China in the coming years – out into smaller cities and the countryside. She said that the GPRS smartphones will gain momentum with consumers in the third- and fourth-tier cities, where 3G coverage would still be limited, mainly due to the low costs of some smartphones. The report expects a dramatic increase in first-time smartphone users in the country over the next year.

In terms of tablet shipments, the US is expected to retain its number one position, beating China by a factor of four in terms of the number of tablet shipments in the country. The report also shows the power struggle between iOS and Android in smartphone and tablet platforms over the next few years. You can check the full report here.

[Source: Canalys via Bisnis, Image Source]