NASA: Dream Chaser Spacecraft to Begin Phase Two Flight Testing

Press Release.-

Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC) Dream Chaser full-scale, flight test vehicle is ready for transportation to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) in California where Phase Two flight tests will be conducted in coordination with Edwards Air Force Base (AFB). Dream Chaser program upgrades and initial hardware testing were completed at the Louisville, Colorado spacecraft assembly facility, and within the next several weeks the same Dream Chaser vehicle that conducted Phase One flight testing will arrive at NASA’s AFRC. Upon arrival, SNC will begin a series of pre-flight ground evaluations to verify and validate the vehicle’s system and subsystem designs. 

After successful completion of all ground testing, Dream Chaser will begin its Phase Two free-flight testing. These activities are being conducted through a Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP).

“Dream Chaser continues to make strong progress toward orbital flight,” said Mark N. Sirangelo, corporate vice president of SNC’s Space Systems business area. “In addition to Phase Two flight testing, our on-time completion of the first two milestones under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract in the last two months positions us well to be on-schedule for orbital operational flight. 

We are very grateful for all the support we have received from NASA and the U.S. Air Force, and are excited to continue the legacy of historic flight testing that is the hallmark of NASA AFRC and Edwards AFB.”

What Are We Testing?

The vehicle will undergo a series of tests building on those performed in Phase One, including tow-tests, pre-flight tests and ending with free-flight testing. SNC is also performing additional critical tests to validate the Dream Chaser’s orbital flight software and calculate the spacecraft's handling and performance characteristics. Along with other pre-flight and post-flight evaluations, this data will be used to confirm Dream Chaser’s subsonic aerodynamic properties as well as flight software and control system performance requirements.

“These tests are significant for us in multiple ways; building on our previous flight test, completing a significant milestone under our CCP agreement, as well as gathering crucial data that will help complete the design of the vehicle being built for our CRS-2 contract,” said Sirangelo.

CCP Testing Supports CRS-2 Development

The Phase Two flight test efforts will be highly supportive of, and executed in parallel with continued work being done by SNC under the NASA CRS-2 program. The Dream Chaser test vehicle has been upgraded to include several hardware and software components being integrated into the Dream Chaser Cargo System design for the CRS-2 program, allowing for actual flight testing of the new components. The flight tests will act as a bridge between previous work with CCP and the next-generation vehicle currently under development for the forthcoming International Space Station cargo resupply missions.

About Sierra Nevada Corporation

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) provides customer-focused technology solutions in the areas of aerospace, aviation, electronics and systems integration. SNC has been honored as one of “The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Space,” and one of America’s fastest growing companies. SNC’s Space Systems business area based in Louisville, Colorado, designs and manufactures advanced spacecraft, space vehicles, rocket motors and spacecraft subsystems and components for the U.S. Government, commercial customers, as well as for the international market. SNC has more than 25 years of space heritage, participating in more than 450 successful space missions and delivering 4,000+ systems, subsystems and components around the world.

For more information on SNC visit www.sncorp.com and follow us at Facebook.com/SierraNevCorp and Twitter @SierraNevCorp. Sierra Nevada Corporation and SNC are trademarks of Sierra Nevada Corporation.

Nexus Angelfish and Swordfish Google`s smartwatches renders and specifications surged.

Nexus Angelfish smartwatch is similar to the LG Urbane LTE in terms of bulk, but we imagine this is to accommodate for a larger battery due to the LTE connectivity featured on the smartwatch  It’s apparently 43.5mm in diameter, making it smaller than the large 46mm Moto 360 but larger than the standard 42mm variant.

In terms of colour options, it seems like the Nexus Angelfish smartwatch may only be available to buy in a single colour, titanium.

Swordfish

The Nexus Swordfish (codename, not official!) looks to be a bit simpler. Described as being similar to the Pebble Time Round without the huge screen bezel in terms of design, Swordfish also sports a different button arrangement when compared to Angelfish.

While Angelfish features three buttons, Swordfish features only one – a crown on the right-hand side of the smartwatch. It’s said to have a polished metal cap with a rigid crown-like bezel similar to that featured on the Apple Watch, which should again help convey the premium look and feel of the smartwatch.

Without the extended functionality of Angelfish, Swordfish can afford to be thinner than its counterpart measuring in at 10.6mm thin. While the thickness of Swordfish is pretty impressive at 0.8mm thinner than the current Moto 360, it’s not quite impressive enough to compete with the 7.5mm thin Pebble Time Round.

The Nexus Swordfish smartwatch is said to be available in more colours than Angelfish, with three choices available – Silver, Titanium and Rose Gold.

The smartwatches will be revealed after the launch of the upcoming Google Nexus 5/6 smartphones, which are due out later this year or  near the end of 2016, if not early 2017.

pcadvisoruk

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 first Ad hints features . Video

Samsung Korea just released today in Korean the first Galaxy Note 7 ad:

The translation of the captions on the video  are:

Password should be complicated ? 

Good selfie depends on lighting ? 

Foreign language needs a rote memorization ? 

Falling into water means a dead-end ? 5, then 6 ? NO NOTE

The ad starts with  various ways to unlock a phone: fingerprint scanning, lock-screen patterns. 

Suggesting that those tech are old and complicated,and the Note 7 will bring something new :Iris scanner is simple, perhaps?

Then  a young woman lying on a bed is trying to take a sexy selfie with the help of some lighting, showing a  light bulb ,LED holiday lights near her face. Those are old  methods. Could this mean the Note 7 will have a front-facing flash?

Next up, we see someone highlighting words in various old-fashioned, dead-tree books, picking out phrases in Asian scripts and in French, Russian and English. The caption mentions foreign words and memorization. Perhaps those busy highlighter pens mean the Note 7 and its S Pen stylus will include some sort of language feature?

After that we see a very retro rotary phones sinking in a pool, with a caption that, roughly translated, asks "If you drop it in water, you're screwed?" This one's clear: The Note 7 will reportedly come with IP68 certification, which means it'll be dust resistant and that you'll be able -- should you choose -- to safely immerse it in water at a depth of at least one meter, or more than three feet.

Then we get a series of glowing numbers that counts off from zero to 5 along with a caption that asks whether 6 comes after 5. This scene refers to Samsung's decision to skip the number 6 for its next Galaxy Note and go straight to 7 so the numbering is in line with its flagship Galaxy S7 phone.

And finally, the spot ends with someone simply writing the word "No" on a piece of paper, and then adding a "t" and "e" to make "Note." The "no" seems to be answering all the questions posed by the captions. In other words, with Samsung's new device, you won't need complicated passwords or intricate lighting setups. You won't need to memorize stuff. You won't be hosed if your phone takes a swim. And no, 6 doesn't follow 5. Is confirmed by Samsung the next Galaxy Note will be the 7.

"It's different from the rest. It's freedom."

Samsung  will unveil the next Galaxy Note at a launch event in New York City on August 2.

CNET via SAMSUNG

S-Pen coming for underwater use on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Samsung's upcoming new and improved tablet phone will have little hardware overhaul as the world's top smartphone vendor is focused on highlighting some improved software-related features.

Edge screen, water resistance and iris scanning could be the three main points that Samsung plans to highlight at the company's unpacked event on Aug. 2 in New York, said officials, last week.

"Simply put, the Note 7 is an expanded version of the Galaxy S7 edge smartphone. The Note 7 will only be available with a curved screen in accordance with Samsung's latest strategy to promote mobile devices with breakthrough form factors," said a Samsung official.

The large-display phone with a stylus for handwriting is expected to have a 5.8-inch screen.

The Note 7 will be the first in the Note series to have the water-resistant feature.

More importantly, users will be able to use the "S-Pen" even underwater, according to executives at Samsung's first-tier local component suppliers.

The new product will also be equipped with iris scanning recognition technology, although initial use of the software is expected to be limited given the scarcity of services using the eye-scanning technology.

It's unlikely that the Note 7 will have a dual-camera as the company's strategy is to cut manufacturing costs. The S-Pen will be embedded in the bottom of the device.

The Note 7 will support the Samsung Pay service.

The Note 7 is the successor to the Galaxy Note 5. Samsung has already confirmed that it will skip the name "Galaxy Note 6" in order to line up its next device with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge flagships.

But it remains to be seen whether the Note 7 will appeal to consumers if it does not awaken idling demand for Samsung devices in target markets.

The unit price of the Note 7 will be between 7 percent and 8 percent higher than the previous version. 

Given some new additions, such a price hike won't greatly kill consumer appetite as Samsung plans to offer subsidies to mobile carriers in countries where the Note 7 will be available.

Samsung introduced the Galaxy Note 5 for 890,000 Won in Korea and $699 in the United States without subsidy plans.

The company said its mobile chief Ko Dong-jin will handle the upcoming unpacked event. 

"Samsung's premium handset replacement program ― Galaxy Club ― will be applied to the Note 7," Ko said in a recent meeting with local reporters. 

The executive remains confident the Note 7 will compete with Apple's soon-to-be-released mobile phone ― tentatively named iPhone 7 ― in major markets. The "iPhone 7" is expected to be released in the latter half of the year.

"We have to admit that Samsung's smartphone business is under pressure. But I think Samsung will be fine," said the senior executive, adding an upgraded Gear VR headset will also be launched soon.

 KT

LG Electronics will supply telematics systems to Japan’s Toyota Motor.

LG Electronics will supply telematics systems that support wireless Internet in cars to Japan’s Toyota Motor, according to news reports on July 22. 

The company’s vehicle component business division has recently signed a deal with the Japanese auto giant to produce telematics systems to be equipped in Toyota vehicles sold in Japan and North America. 

LG is No. 1 player in the global telematics market with some 30 percent market share. 

The company will supply 11 key parts for General Motors’ first full-electric Chevrolet Bolt that debuts in October. 

Samsung GALAXY Note 7 to arrive with a 3500 mAh battery. Confirmed.

South Korea Telecom just published last week what looks like some specifications of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in August 2 

MODEL: SM-N930S_64GS

INTERNAL STORAGE: 64GB

WEIGHT: 169 GRAMS

BATTERY: 3500mAh

DISPLAY: QHD S.AMOLED

SIZE: 73.9(W) x 153.5 (L) x 7.9(H) (m.m)

newsmydriver

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Wallpapers leaked. Free Download.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Wallpapers have been leaked. We have made them JPG files right down here but you can download them in PNG format from the link below.

DOWNLOAD WALLPAPERS

AA

2Q 2016: China smartphone market share: Huawei 20.8%, OPPO 12.7%, BBK/vivo 10.6 %, says TrendForce.

Huawei’s production volume has been revised downward; OPPO and Vivo continue with their stellar performances

Huawei’s smartphone production volume in the second quarter increased 7.4% over the previous quarter, arriving at 29 million units. Huawei is secure in its position as the third-largest brand in the global smartphone market, but its domestic rivals are becoming more aggressive. 

The sales of Huawei’s flagship P9, which features a dual camera, may fall short of expectations as other Chinese brands release competitive products. Taking this into consideration, TrendForce has made downward correction to projection of Huawei’s annual smartphone production volume.

OPPO’s and Vivo’s smartphone production volumes were exceptionally high in the first quarter and continued to increase in the second quarter, with growth rates respectively at 15% and 8%. TrendForce expects both brands to maintain strong performances in the third quarter, with quarterly production volume increases exceeding 20%. On the whole, OPPO and Vivo have emerged as clear winners in this year’s smartphone market. 

Wu pointed out several factors for OPPO and Vivo’s success: “Both brands concentrate their operations in China and their main strength lies in their management of their channels, which have spread out into the country’s third- and fourth-tier cities. They are able to maintain their growth momentum via the expansion of their channel networks. 

Furthermore, OPPO designs its products to fit users’ needs and preferences, as in the case of its well-received flagship R9. Vivo on the other hand differentiate itself with special hardware upgrades. Vivo’s Xplay 5, which hit the market in the first half of 2016, was the first smartphone to carry 6GB of memory. In the second half of the year, Vivo will rely on X7 and X7 Plus with their unique camera feature to attract consumers.”

Lenovo’s smartphone production volume in the second quarter benefitted from the returning demand in overseas markets. While the brand is having difficulty increasing sales due to competitors’ aggressive pricing in the low-end and mid-range segments, it has generated interests with innovative products. 

Phab 2 Pro, for instance, is the first consumer smartphone to incorporate Google Tango, an augment reality platform. Moto Z series, which features the modular design, is set for market launch this September. How the market reacts to these innovations remains to be seen. TrendForce projects Lenovo’s smartphone production for this year to be under 60 million units.

Short base period also benefitted Xiaomi in the second quarter. The brand’s quarterly smartphone production volume grew by over 27% to 14 million units. A major sales contributor was Mi Max, a new phablet model that was released this May. Increasing competition and lack of physical retail network will have a negative impact on Xiaomi’s annual production volume, which is projected to be slightly below 60 million units as well.

2Q 2016: Smartphone Wordlwide market share: Samsung 24.5%, Apple 15.1%, Huawei 9.2%, says TrendForce.

Global Smartphone Production Volume Rose 8.9% Between First and Second Quarter to Reach 315 Million Units, TrendForce Reports

Worldwide smartphone production volume totaled around 315 million units in the second quarter, representing an 8.9% increase over the previous quarter and a marginal year-on-year increase of 3.2%, according to the latest report from the global market research firm TrendForce. 

Sales gradually recovered after the market endured the off season of the first quarter. Chinese brands in the second quarter continued to enjoy strong domestic demand generated by telecom operators’ smartphone subsidies. At the same time, they also benefited from demand pickup in North America and the emerging markets. In sum, Chinese brands have become major growth drivers in global smartphone sales.

“The combined production volume of Chinese brands in the second quarter reached 139 million units, up 13.8% from the previous quarter,” said TrendForce smartphone analyst Avril Wu. “For the second straight quarter, the combined volume from Chinese brands was larger than the combined volume of the two leading international brands, Samsung and Apple. Furthermore, the volume growth rates of respective Chinese brands are expected to be above the global average in the third quarter.”

Apple’s production volume supported by sales of iPhone SE while Samsung saw a slight drop of 5%

Apple in the second quarter posted an iPhone production volume of around 48 million units, up 13% from the previous quarter. This increase was attributed to the shorter base period and steady sales of iPhone SE, the latest mid-range model in the series. 

About 9 million out the total iPhone units produced during this quarterly period were iPhone SE. “Sales figures of iPhone SE were not particularly exceptional because Chinese smartphone brands put up strong competition in the mid-range device market by lowering their prices,” said Wu. “Nonetheless, iPhone SE has helped prop up sales for Apple before the market launch of the next iPhone.

Samsung’s smartphone production volume in second quarter dropped slightly by 5% versus the prior quarter to about 77 million units. Before the release of the next flagship models, Samsung is depending on the Galaxy J series, which is noted for having a high cost-performance ratio, to sustain the overall sales. Due to strong promotional efforts, sales of Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge were still brisk in the second quarter. 

The next flagship to be released by Samsung this year is Galaxy Note 7, which aims to attract consumers with cutting-edge hardware (e.g. 6GB LPDDR4, a biometric recognition system that scans iris patterns). The market expects a very tight match between Galaxy Note 7 and the next iPhone release in the third quarter.

Sales of LG’s flagship, G5, have been average at best. LG’s smartphone production volume for the second quarter amounted to around 17 million units. Due to the short base period, LG’s production volume grew over 10% quarterly.

 “The release of V20, LG’s flagship for the second half of this year, will be at the end of the third quarter at the earliest,” said Wu. “However, it will face stiff challenges from Samsung and Apple’s offerings.”

2Q 2016 Top 5 PC Vendors in Europe, Middle East and Africa(EMEA): HP 25.4%, Lenovo 19.4%, Dell 11.9%, says IDC.

Source: IDC EMEA Quarterly PC Tracker, Preliminary Results, 2016Q2, July 2016

* PC shipments = desktops and notebooks (including workstations)

Notes: UKI = the U.K. and Ireland; the Mediterranean = Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain; DACH = Austria, Germany, and Switzerland; Nordics = Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.

Shipments are branded shipments for all form factors (including desktops and notebooks) and exclude x86 servers as well as OEM sales for all vendors. Data for all vendors is reported for calendar periods.

PC shipments in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) performed above expectations, reaching 16.1 million units in the second quarter of 2016 — a 4.7% YoY decrease, according to International Data Corporation (IDC). Looking at regions, Western Europe stabilized at -0.8%, while Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East and Africa remained constrained respectively at -8.5% and -13.3%.

Notebooks in EMEA posted good performance, stabilizing at -1.7%. For the first time, the YoY comparison was not impacted by Bing shipments. In fact, notebook shipments in Western Europe went up by 4.1%, driven by the commercial segment that registered a 10.5% increase. This brought the growth of EMEA commercial notebooks into positive territory with a 3.7% YoY growth. In contrast, the consumer notebook market continued to decline. Desktop PCs posted a 10.0% decline overall, in line with forecasts, in EMEA.

The EMEA region remained hit by volatile exchange rates, oil price fluctuations, and macroeconomic and political developments, all of which created a difficult market, especially in Western Europe and the Middle East. Windows 10 is accelerating but is failing to drive large renewals, while new designs based on Skylake were generating strong interest and supported new form factor penetration.

"In EMEA, notebook continued to outperform desktop with improvements mainly in the commercial segment.” said Andrea Minonne, research analyst, IDC EMEA Personal Computing. "Multiple factors drove this growth. In the Nordics, back to school was one key contributors to shipments. Renewals and continued expansion over desktop in some sectors and countries also led to an increase. New product designs based on Skylake and Windows 10 generated large interest among business users seeking enhanced mobility features and supported new form factor penetration from a low base."

In Western Europe, Brexit may bring some additional challenges to the PC market (see IDC Expects a "Challenging Transition" as a Result of Brexit). No evidence of market contraction can be attributed directly to the referendum outcome yet. But some PC manufacturers might review their plans for next year due to uncertainty. Many vendors also said they might revise their price strategy just after the quarter's closing. 

This will affect consumer behavior as many users may opt to stretch the life span of their devices rather than sustaining a price increase to purchase new ones. In enterprises, IT budgets and plans could be reviewed as businesses will be more cautious. Compromises are likely to be made as all price increases cannot be absorbed. Currency fluctuations in the U.K. and beyond are under the spotlight, affecting channel stock intake. On one hand, some vendors have looked to optimize their channel position ahead of price increases, pushing more shipments in June. On the other hand, cleaning inventories remains a key focus in some countries: stocks are not at an ideal level but the overall situation is not as bad as last year. 

Trends are different not only at a global level, but also within regions. In particular, Western Europe appears very fragmented: the UKI and Mediterranean regions contracted in the second quarter, while the DACH and Nordic regions were positive. The back-to-school season helped limit the PC market decline, boosting shipments in 2016Q2.

"The Western European market fared better than expected," said Malini Paul, senior research analyst, IDC EMEA Personal Computing. "As anticipated, the commercial segment continued to drive the overall market. After several quarters of decline and a stabilization last quarter, 2016Q2 marked the return of commercial notebooks to positive double-digit growth. In the absence of Bing comparisons, the consumer segment returned to almost normal market conditions. However, inventory levels in some channels remained high. This could have an adverse impact on shipments in the next couple of quarters if products are not moving as fast as expected."

The PC market in CEMA remains constrained by a lack of public spending, weak currency, political uncertainty, and economic slowdown. The PC market in CEE declined 8.5% YoY, in line with forecasts. The PC market in MEA performed slightly lower than forecast at -13.3% YoY.

"The CEE PC market continues to struggle, with the commercial space suffering the strongest decline at -10.5% YoY, with the lack of public sector spending in some countries as well as weak corporate deals all affecting the overall commercial space," said Nikolina Jurisic, product manager, IDC CEMA. "The consumer space was supported by gaming computers even if volumes are still limited, and the desktop consumer space was flat compared with notebooks, dropping in the high single digits. The MEA PC market continues to suffer, however, and some of the key markets, namely Turkey and Egypt, experienced some relief. The continuation of a large-scale PC project contributed toward the growth in Egypt. At the same time, some other key markets continued to decline sharply, with Nigeria and Saudi Arabia halving shipments YoY due to currency issues as well as low oil prices."

Vendor Highlights

In a very diversified market, there is ongoing consolidation and the top 5 vendors' share continues to grow. The three major players account for 56.5% of the total market volume, compared with 55.1% in 2015Q2.

• HP posted a strong performance, increasing its share to over 25% in EMEA. The vendor's performance was boosted by particularly strong notebook results on the commercial side, driven by a successful, innovative product strategy.
• Lenovo maintained its second place with 19.4% market share. Growth was slower, however, as it tackled a number of market challenges, especially in CEMA. Consumer notebooks and commercial desktops gained share from competitors, despite contracting from last year.
• Dell recorded a slower quarter as it faced strong competition, especially in MEA. It benefited, however, from sustained commercial notebook growth in Western Europe.
• ASUS was in fourth place, with notebooks contributing to its growth, especially on the consumer side thanks to the vendor's strong and attractive line up.

• Acer remained in fifth place, with its market share flat compared with last year. The vendor remained focused on inventory management to build up strong shipments ahead of the back-to-school season especially in Western Europe.

Outside the top 5, Apple retained sixth place. Fujitsu and Toshiba were seventh and eighth respectively, with both registering double-digit shipment contractions but maintaining their focus on the B2B segment. MSI and Wortmann closed out the top 10, in ninth and 10th place respectively.

LG to develop foldable smartphone.

LG Electronics, which has struggled to elevate its smartphone sales for years, is said to have recently jumped into developing foldable display possibly to adopt it for its future mobile devices. 

The Electronic Times reported on July 21 that LG Display, the Korean tech giant’s sister display-making unit, has started its own foldable display development following last year’s setting up of a related task force team. 

Citing unnamed sources, the daily said LG’s foldable smartphone can be used like a tablet when unfolded and become a smaller device when folded. 

LG Display recently signed a licensing deal with Canada’s IGNIS Innovation to share organic light-emitting diode circuit technology. Even though the company didn’t reveal the specifics, industry watchers predict it could be used for foldable display. 

Early this year, the company started installing production equipment for the sixth-generation plastic OLED at its E5 plant in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province. Its operation is expected to start in the first half of next year.

LG Display declined to confirm the project. 

1Q 2016: As Slate Tablet ODM Shipments Fall, Detachable Tablets Will Drive Future Market Growth, says IDC.

IDC’s Worldwide Tablet Assembly (ODM) Research Report 2016Q1 shows global tablet shipments overall (including slate and detachable) dropped a massive 40% from the previous quarter. However, looking deeper into this trend, there is a significant difference between slate tablets and detachable tablets.

• Global slate tablet assembly industry trends show slate tablet assembly shipments dropped by 41% from the previous quarter, and 20% from last year, impacted by demand for large screen mobile phones. Taiwan ODM vendors made up approximately 34% of the global shipments, while ODM assembly vendors on the Chinese mainland accounted for almost 50%.

• Global detachable tablet assembly industry trends assembly shipments dropped by 35% from the previous quarter due to an off-peak season. However, boosted by continuous new product launches by brand vendors and the replacement of traditional notebooks, detachable tablet shipments grew markedly, up by 154% from last year. Taiwan's ODM industry continued to take a share of over 80% of the total global assembly business, thanks to the support of orders from Apple, Microsoft and other leading firms. This made Taiwan the convincing champion of global ODM shipment.

In terms of vendor performance, the Top 5 ODM vendors ranked by shipments are shown below. Thanks to support from international key accounts, Foxconn was firmly in the top shipment spot.

Note: Brand vendors’ in-house manufacture is not included in the table above.

In terms of product specifications, 7-inch slate tablets were still the mainstream product, accounting for 52% of the global total shipment. Rear cameras were mainly 5 megapixels, making up around 40% of the global ODM shipments. Detachable tablets of 11-inch or larger, with rear cameras mostly 8 megapixel, made up approximately 60% of ODM shipments worldwide.

According to Annabelle Hsu, Senior Research Manager at IDC, “Looking into 2016Q2, global slate tablet shipments will continue to drop slowly over time. By comparison, detachable tablet shipments are expected to grow over 30%, due to increased market demand and new models launched by vendors.”

Companies Covered

Shanghai Huaqin Communications Technology Limited Company, Foxconn International Holdings Limited, Pegatron Corporation, TPV Technology Limited, Quanta Computer Inc.

Regions Covered

China

2Q 2016: Worldwide Smartwatch Market share: Apple 47% (-55%), Samsung 16% (+51%), Lenovo 9% (+75%), market declines 32%, says IDC.

Table Notes:

• Data is subject to change.
• Vendor shipments are branded device shipments and exclude OEM sales for all vendors.
• The "Vendor" represents the current parent company (or holding company) for all brands owned and operated as a subsidiary.
• The table represents a combination of both basic and smart wearable devices.
• Data only includes smartwatches capable of running third party applications on the device itself. Examples include Apple Watch, Moto 360, Gear S2. Devices like the Fitbit Blaze and Withings Activité are excluded since IDC considers these as "Basic Wearables" that do not run third party applications.
• All other wearable form factors (i.e. eyewear, earwear, clothing, wrist bands, etc.) are excluded.

For the first time, the worldwide smartwatch market saw a year-over-year decline of 32%, according to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker. Smartwatch vendors shipped 3.5 million units in the second quarter of 2016 (2Q16), which was down substantially from the 5.1 million shipped a year ago. Apple held the top rank by shipping 1.6 million watches. However, it was the only vendor among the top 5 to experience an annual decline in shipments. In fairness to Apple, the year-over-year comparison is to the initial launch quarter of the Apple Watch, which is in many ways the same product offered in the most recent quarter with price reductions.

"Consumers have held off on smartwatch purchases since early 2016 in anticipation of a hardware refresh, and improvements in WatchOS are not expected until later this year, effectively stalling existing Apple Watch sales," said Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst for IDC Mobile Device Trackers. "Apple still maintains a significant lead in the market and unfortunately a decline for Apple leads to a decline in the entire market. Every vendor faces similar challenges related to fashion and functionality, and though we expect improvements next year, growth in the remainder of 2016 will likely be muted."

Perhaps one of the biggest omissions in the smartwatch market is the absence of traditional watchmaker brands among the leading vendors. "To date, only a small handful of traditional watchmaker brands have entered the smartwatch market, trailing far behind their technology brand counterparts," said Ramon T. Llamas, research manager for IDC's Wearables team. 

"This seems to be changing, albeit slowly, as key vendors like Casio, Fossil, and Tag Heuer have launched their own models to the market. Still, participation from traditional watchmaker brands is imperative to deliver some of the most important qualities of a smartwatch sought after by end-users, namely design, fit, and functionality. Combine these with the brand recognition and distribution these brands already have, and it's reasonable to expect the smartwatch market to grow from here.

"What will bear close observation is how the smarwatch market evolves from here," added Llamas. "Continued platform development, cellular connectivity, and an increasing number of applications all point to a smartwatch market that will be constantly changing. These will appeal to a broader market, ultimately leading to a growing market." IDC does expect to see the market return to growth in 2017 driven by the aforementioned market developments. Exactly when that rebound happens will depend heavily on when vendors drive a better use case.

Vendor Highlights:

Apple: Despite a down quarter, Apple remains far and away the market leader in smartwatches. Apple faces the same challenges as other OEMs, but the pure exposure of the device and brand through tactical marketing gives it a leg up on the competition. Watch 2.0, along with updates to watchOS, could help drive existing user refresh and more importantly, a new wave of first-time buyers.

Samsung: The Korean vendor has done well with distribution though American telcos and this has paid off as Samsung holds the number 2 position among the top 5 smartwatch vendors. In particular, the Gear S2 lineup is off to a great start as Samsung has successfully de-coupled the smartwatch from the smartphone. Focusing on the telco channel to drive future success in telco-driven markets is likely to remain the core strategy for Samsung moving forward.

Lenovo: The first-mover advantage is still paying off for the Motorola brand as it continues to be the smartwatch of choice for those interested in Android Wear-based circular displays. Moto's recent attempt to branch out to the fitness market with the Moto 360 Sport have been met with mixed results as the device still lacks some of the benefits of fitness-first devices from the likes of Fitbit, Garmin, or others.

LG Electronics: The Watch Urbane recently intoduced a new SKU supporting LTE connectivity. Like Samsung, LG's growing presence in the US telco channel has proven beneficial as the operators seek new revenue streams. Though LG is first to offer an LTE-enabled Android Wear watch, the lack of complete support from Google – Android Wear 2.0 is set to launch later this year with support for LTE – stifles the device's aspirations.

Garmin: Rounding out the top 5, Garmin has almost doubled its share since last year due to the introduction of new smartwatches like the Fenix 3. Though the number of apps and Connect IQ-enabled devices have grown in number over the past year, they still remain relatively small and cater to a niche audience – athletes. 

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