Please find herewith the January 2016 edition of the Counterpoint Research Market Pulse covering the global sales in December 2015.

Overview:

Some of common themes after December 2015 sales analysis & monthly research topic are given below:

With Apple now having issued its CY4Q financial results, its strength is evident. While Apple’s own forecasts suggest headwinds ahead for iPhone, the company enjoyed a strong 4Q and December. This is evidenced from our sell-through analysis.
India is now growing to be a strong part of Apple’s portfolio of geographic markets.
Samsung held the ship steady thanks to better performance from its mid-range devices – especially the J-Series, which continues to perform well across many markets.
Strong performances were also evident from Oppo and Vivo – two related players that have found a winning formula – for now.
Meanwhile Huawei – one of the outstanding performers of 2015 is struggling to hold its share gains. It is likely doing rather better in value share than volume share, as its portfolio continues to skew toward premium and high-mid-tier products.
Sell-in was weak in December as inventory corrections occurred and factories closed early in December for the holidays.
Apple related suppliers were experiencing longer vacations than the previous year, which signals weaker iPhone sales in coming months. Sell-through in Europe, Japan and China was strong, while the US was weaker than the previous year, as lower than expected sales happened since Cyber-Monday.
CES took place earlier this month. Our team of analysts have summarised some of the key announcements from the event. While mobility was central to many of the products on show, smartphones launches were few in number and featured brands trying to get a toe-hold in the US market. Center stage went to a diverse array of connected electronics from automotive to wearables.

Monthly Market Pulse - January 2016

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