Key Takeaways:

• Global Sell-in Remained Flat, Sell-Through Down. Sell-through was down in December as the new global peak season has shifted to November due to online events. Sell-in, however, was flat as OEMs expected some increase in sales during November and December. Inventory levels rise once more indicating weak Q1 2019 ahead.
• Top Three Global Brands Decline on MoM basis. During December, the top three global brands – Samsung, Apple and Huawei, declined on MoM basis. Apple’s decline was primarily driven by weak demand in China amid rising US-China trade tensions and signs of negative sentiment among Chinese consumers. Oppo and Vivo gained marginally on MoM basis, while Xiaomi declined.
• Ultra-Premium ($800+) Price Segment M/S Declined: Due to a decline in Apple sell-through during the month, the overall market share of ultra-premium price band declined marginally. iPhone XR remains the key performer in terms of volume, ahead of flagships – iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. Huawei has made space for itself with the Mate 20 series, while Samsung struggles.
• Topical Reports: In the case of CES, emerging technologies such as 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Smart Home, and vehicle tech. remained the key focus areas. Companies such as LG, IBM, Verizon, AT&T, MediaTek, Qualcomm shared their vision of AI and 5G innovations. Counterpoint attended the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit. QCOM launched its first 7nm based SoC – Snapdragon 855. We report advancements from the previous SoC and its increased focus on gaming and performance. 

Table of Contents:

• Key Takeaways
• Global Market Status
  • Market Sizing – Demand & Supply / Price band
  • Market Share – Vendor / Price band
• Major Country Landscape 
  • US Market Landscape
  • China Market Landscape
  • India Market Landscape
• Trends in Features and Specs
  • Hardware Trends and Feature Adoption Rates
  • Average Feature Sets
  • Vendor Market Share by Feature Set
• Hit Model Analysis
• Monthly Research Topic 
  • Key Highlights from CES 2019
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit 2018