Lenovo shipped 18.7 million smartphones in Q4 ’14, a new company best
Lenovo has just released its financial report for Q4 2014 and last year, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag for the Chinese technology company. Sales records were broken last quarter, but profit levels have been up and down.
The company acquired Motorola last year and the latest data includes combined sales of both brands. This has helped the company breach its previous sales figures, resulting in 18.7 million smartphones shipped in Q4. From the total, 7.8 million smartphones came from Motorola. For the entire year, Lenovo states that it has shipped 76 million smartphones, another record for the company, which brought in around $9.14 billion in revenue for the year and $2.8 billion for the quarter.
PC sales were also up despite the overall decline in global sales, reaching a record 60 million units for the financial year. It’s impressive that the company’s smartphone sales have now eclipsed its industry leading PC business.
Despite the positive sales, Lenovo saw its quarterly profit decline by a substantial 37 percent in Q4.
Despite the positive sales, Lenovo saw its quarterly profit decline by a substantial 37 percent in Q4. Annually, the company saw its net profit rise by a single percent to $829 million, which fell short of analyst expectations.
However, this can be accounted for by Lenovo’s expensive acquisitions of IBM’s low-end server unit and Motorola, which cost $2.1 billion and $2.9 billion respectively. Motorola, which Lenovo purchased in late 2014, has not turned a profit quite yet, but is expected to return to profit by mid-2016.
“In view of the opportunities and challenges of the new Internet+ era, we are ready to transform ourselves from making mostly hardware to a combination of hardware and software services,” – Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing
The company may also be showing signs of suffering from the slowdown in China’s mobile market. China, which is Lenovo’s largest single market, is showing signs of saturation, as shipments reportedly declined by 4.3 percent in the last quarter.
Lenovo appears to be hedging its position against the saturated PC market. The acquisition of Motorola and an IBM unit suggests that the company sees further potential in the smartphone and enterprise markets, and not necessarily just in terms of hardware.
More on Lenovo products:
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Lenovo launches mid-range S60 in India, costs ₹12,999
Lenovo has just launched its new S60 smartphone, a mid-range handset targeted at the competitive Indian market. The company has been looking to carve out a position for itself in India by utilizing its reputation for price competitive products. Last month, Lenovo launched a similarly priced Intel-powered K80 smartphone in China and has a solid mid-ranger already in its A7000.
The Lenovo S60 is a mid-range smartphone throughout. The handset features a 5-inch 720p display, 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 SoC (MSM8916), 2GB of RAM, 13 megapixel rear camera, 5 megapixel front camera, and 2,150mAh battery. The handset also comes with 8GB of internal memory and a 32GB expandable microSD card slot, along with dual-SIM support and Lenovo’s Vibe UI 2.0 based on Android 4.4.4 KitKat, although 5.0 Lollipop is also in the works.
The rear camera features some higher-end features, including scene detection, face recognition, low light enhancement, Panorama, burst shot, smile shot, and HDR options. However, the handset appears to be lacking LTE support. Overall, the S60 is very similar to Lenovo’s slightly more expensive S90.
If the specifications have caught your fancy, the S60 is available directly through Lenovo’s own website, popular local retailer FlipKart, and through Amazon India for a price of ₹12,999. However, this does put the handset directly up against the very compelling new Xiaomi Mi 4i and the Asus Zenfone 2.
Samsung loses ground to Chinese brands in the tablet market
Newly compiled data from industry researcher Strategy Analytics shows that big names brands in the tablet market, such as Samsung and Apple, have seen their market shares take a plunge this year, while low cost “white box” Chinese products are gaining momentum.
Samsung has been the hardest hit in the past twelve months, having seen its share of the tablet market shrink by 5.6 percent, down to 17 percent of the market in the first quarter. Apple also took a significant hit, as its share declined 4.6 percent from 28.9 in Q1 2014 to 24.3 in Q1 2015. Combined, Apple and Samsung accounted for just over half of the world’s tablet market back in Q1 2014, but this year only managed to grab a 41.3 percent share of the market in the same quarter this year.
“2015 will be the year that Samsung pares down its large product portfolio to focus on a tighter circle of strong performers in the mid- to low-price tiers” – Strategy Analytics
The market appears to be diversifying away from the familiar global brands, and much of this share is being eaten into by growing Chinese manufacturers. Price competitive companies Lenovo and Huawei both saw growth compared with the same quarter last year, up 1.2 and 1.5 percent each, ending up with a 5.3 and 2.4 percent share respectively. Falling costs of previously high-end features have given a big boost to the price/performance value proposition offered by these less-expensive tablet brands.http://embed.chartblocks.com/1.0/?c=5559aa57c9a61dfa486a8330&t=849b5b4af175405The other major winner in the quarter has been “white box” tablets, i.e. non-brand specific devices produced in smaller quantities, which often come from low cost Chinese manufacturers and are powered by Android. This market segment grew by a further 2.7 percent year-over-year and now accounts for a substantial 28.4 percent of the tablet market, making it larger than either Apple or Samsung.
Samsung’s latest budget friendly Galaxy Tab A line-up might help to address the price sensitivity issue and its upcoming Galaxy Tab S2 should keep up Samsung’s presence in the high-end segment, but it’s likely to be another tough year for the established brands.
Which tablets have you been looking at this year?
Hardware manufacturers take notice of MediaTek’s deca-core processor
The upcoming Helio X20 processor, developed by MediaTek, has reportedly received attention from plenty of the largest Android device manufacturers. Companies that have expressed interest in the deca-core processor include Sony, LG, HTC, ZTE, Lenovo, Meizu, Huawei, and Xiaomi. The only major companies missing from that list are Samsung and Motorola, but they have their reasons. Samsung utilizes in-house Exynos processors while Motorola has a close relationship with Qualcomm to take from their Snapdragon line.
The heightened interest in the Helio X20 processor could allow MediaTek to become the go-to for such components. MediaTek has released processors of all levels at competitive prices for hardware manufacturers. The Helio X20 is being aimed at high-end devices and carries a price of about $241.
Source: DigiTimes
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Shipments of ‘white box’ tablets overtake iPads
The hottest-selling tablets aren’t likely to be iPads or Galaxy Tabs these days — if anything, they’re the cut-rate slabs you see in the back of the drug store. Strategy Analytics estimates that shipments of generic “white box” tablets (which typically run Android) overtook iPads in the first quarter of this year, claiming 28.4 percent of the market versus Apple’s 24.3. The analysts largely chalk this up to consistently tepid iPad sales, but they also suggest that small, budget-minded tablet makers are having a field day. That’s not totally surprising. Low-cost Android gear also dominates the smartphone market, and a lot of these tiny outfits operate in China, where price is more of a concern. You don’t need a $500 slate just to watch video in bed, after all.
That shift is partly borne out by what’s happening with other big-name competitors. Cost-conscious Chinese brands like Huawei and Lenovo are thriving, while higher-end rivals that don’t do so well in China (such as ASUS and Samsung) are struggling. If these relative outsiders are going to come back, they may need to either compete more on price or give buyers a reason to pony up. There are signs that this is happening (see Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A and rumors of a giant iPad), but you may not see the results of these efforts until later in the year.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Koji Sasahara]
Filed under: Tablets, Apple, Samsung, ASUS, Lenovo
Source: Strategy Analytics
China’s smartphone market is big, but it isn’t getting bigger
China’s such a big country that there’ll always be an insatiable demand for smartphones, right? Not according to research firm IDC, which believes that the nation’s phone market has contracted by four percent in the last year. The outfit’s merry band of spreadsheet-wranglers believes that the majority of Chinese people now own a mobile device, and as such, will only buy a phone when they want to upgrade.
The company has also drilled down into the winners and losers for the first quarter of the year, with no surprises as to who has come out on top. Apple is sitting comfortably on the number one spot, having shipped nearly 15 million devices in the first three months of the year. Sitting just behind it, however, are local brands Xiaomi and Huawei, which shipped 13.5 and 11.2 million phones in the same period. It’s a sadder tale for Samsung and Lenovo, both of which saw its shipments fall by a painful 53 and 22 percent, respectively.
[Image Credit: Getty]
Filed under: Cellphones, Apple, Samsung, Lenovo
Via: TechCrunch, WSJ
Source: IDC
Lenovo launches mid-range P70 in India
Lenovo has just launched its latest mid-range smartphone, the P70, in India. The handset is available to purchase through the company’s online store for INR 15,999 ($257).
Just in case you need a reminder of the handset’s specifications, it packs a 5-inch 720p display, a 1.7GHz octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 13-MP rear camera an a 4,000 mAh battery.
The P70 runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat straight out of the box, but can be updated to the latest build of Lollipop the first time it’s turned on and connected to a Wi-Fi network.
If you’re based in India, like the sound of the P70 and want to pick one up — hit the source link below.
Source: MobiPicker
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Lenovo starts pushing out Lollipop update for the Vibe Z2 Pro in India
As Lenovo promised back in February, it has today started rolling out the long-awaited Lollipop update to the Vibe Z2 Pro in India. This upgrade brings the latest build of the Android operating system, the brand new ART runtime and a multitude of bug fixes to the handset.
The full changelog can be seen below.
- Material Design: You will quickly notice a whole new colorful look and feel to your device – from fluid animations to new application and system themes, colors and widgets.
- Notifications UI & Priorities: In order to alert you to the mosttimely and relevant information, the format and behavior of notifications have evolved:
- notifications will appear on the lock screen and are intelligently ranked by type and who sent them.
- you double-tap to open one, swipe left or right to clear one, or clear all notifications from the bottom of the list.
- you can set the priority and privacy of notifications for each application.
- very high priority notifications will pop up briefly over other applications so that you can take action.
- when you dismiss a notification on one device it will be dismissed on your other Android devices, if they are connected to the Internet.
- you can further tailor how notifications behave with the new Downtime and Ambient Display settings (see below).
- New Interruptions & Downtime Settings: You can tailor how interruptions behave, choosing to allow all, none, or only priority interruptions. You can personalize what counts as a priority interruption (reminders, events, calls, messages) and even tailor them to be from only contacts you specify. The Downtime setting will allow only priority interruptions during the times and days that you specify. e.g. allow only priority interruptions on the weekend.
- Recent Apps (Multi-tasking): The redesigned Overview space (formerly called Recents) will include both applications and separate activities within those applications. For instance, each open tab in Chrome will also appear here along with recent applications; both your Gmail Inbox and a draft email message will appear as separate cards. This provides a consistent way to switch amongst tasks.
- Flashlight: Lollipop includes a new flashlight option as part of Quick settings (swipe down with two fingers from the status bar to see it).
- Pin a view/app: Screen pinning allows you to keep a specific app or screen in view. For example, you can ‘pin’ a game and your child will not be able to navigate anywhere else on your phone.
- Battery: The Battery settings panel now shows an estimated projection for how much time you have left while discharging or charging. You can also enable a new battery saver mode that will save power by reducing performance and most background data operations to extend your battery life.
- Smarter Internet Connections: With Android Lollipop, your phone will not connect to a Wi-Fi access point unless there is a verified Internet connection. This feature improves hand-offs between Wi-Fi and cellular connections, helping to maintain your video chat or voice-over-IP (VoIP) call as you switch.
- Performance: Your phone now uses the new Android Runtime to help optimize application performance. After upgrading to Lollipop, your applications will undergo a one-time optimization process. Note that the optimization for ART requires more space.
- Security: Encryption can now use a stronger 256-bit key to help protect your data. Note that the stronger key willonly be used after you perform a factory reset on Android Lollipop. Otherwise encryption will continue to use 128-bit key. You can turn on encryption in the Security settings menu.
As is customary with all manufacturer updates, the upgrade is being rolled out in stages, but if you don’t feel like waiting for a notification confirming that it’s ready for your device, you can search for the update manually.
Come comment on this article: Lenovo starts pushing out Lollipop update for the Vibe Z2 Pro in India
Lenovo’s super-light LaVie Z laptop is now available
If you’ve been jonesing for a featherweight laptop but feel that Apple’s MacBook rubs you the wrong way, you’re in luck: as promised, Lenovo is now selling the LaVie Z and LaVie Z 360 in the US. Both 13-inch systems largely resemble what you saw in January, and strike a careful balance between brisk performance and a light design that won’t strain your shoulder when it’s in your bag. They share Quad HD screens, fifth-generation Core i7 processors, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB solid-state drive. The only big difference is the 360’s namesake convertible touchscreen, which turns your PC into a makeshift tablet.
Lenovo may have been optimistic about what it could deliver this month, though. The standard Z is ever-so-slightly heavier than claimed at 1.87 pounds, and the models available now are significantly more expensive than what we were quoted a few months ago. You’re looking at $1,700 ($1,500 after a discount) for the regular LaVie Z, and $1,850 ($1,699 on sale) for the 360 — that’s at least $200 higher than expected. It’s entirely possible that lower-end versions are coming, but you’ll have to pay a premium if you simply can’t wait.
[Thanks, Ibrahim]
Source: Lenovo (1), (2)
Motorola joins the “Make in India” fray
The government of India has launched a policy called “Make in India” which attempts to entice manufacturers to open plants in the country for goods that will ultimately be sold there. Initially the policy is drawing a lot of attention, especially from smartphone manufacturers who see India as a prime market given its status as the fastest growing market on the globe at the present time. We have already seen companies like Xiaomi, Sony, and HTC comment that they are not only working on a sales strategy for the country, but that they are looking at opening manufacturing facilities in India as well. Marcus Frost, Motorola Mobility’s global senior marketing director for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific says the company is exploring “the possibilities of India manufacturing, considering we are significantly growing sales in India and the smartphone market here holds enormous potential.”
The Indian market is growing quickly on the strength of low- and mid-tier devices, so Motorola is in a good spot relative to that market with their Moto E and Moto G devices. Motorola currently holds about 3% of the Indian smartphone market, which trails behind leaders like Micromax and Samsung and even other companies like Sony.
Motorola has operated a manufacturing facility in India in the past, although that plant was shut down in 2013 as part of cost reduction efforts while under Google ownership. Sources say the plant is idle and could spin back up rather quickly if Motorola wanted to go in that direction. Motorola also has a research and development facility in Bengaluru, India.
Front says that while Lenovo is now Motorola’s parent company, and the two parts of the whole actually compete against each other in the Indian market, the Motorola global team will work independently to make a decision as to whether production in India fits in with their global strategy.
source: The Economic Times
Come comment on this article: Motorola joins the “Make in India” fray
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