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Samsung captures lead in global smartphone market

Samsung.(File Photo: IANS)

Samsung took the top spot in the global smartphone market in August driven by sales growth in India as the market recovered from a nationwide lockdown, a Counterpoint Research report said on Friday.

The South Korean tech giant also recaptured the top spot in India in July-August period, according to Counterpoint’s latest Monthly Market Pulse report.

Samsung has now reached its highest market share in India since 2018 by adopting an aggressive online channel strategy to benefit from opportunities arising due to anti-China sentiments in the country, said the report.

“Geopolitical policies and political affairs among nations are affecting the smartphone market in many ways. There will be heightened marketing activity to seize opportunities in these regions and segments,” Research Analyst Minsoo Kang said in a statement.

“As a result, the concentration of top players in the smartphone market will be much stronger. We see players like Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi and OPPO benefiting the most.”

However, even as Samsung snatched the top spot in the India market dominated by Xiaomi for long, the Chinese smartphone maker is showing a significant increase in its market share globally, especially in markets where Huawei used to have strong presence, such as Central Eastern Europe.

In the global smartphone market, Samsung captured 22 per cent share.

In April, Samsung lost the top spot to Huawei due to sharp declines in its major markets of India and Europe.

After achieving its highest global share of 21 per cent in April, Huawei became No. 2 in the market with 16 per cent share in August.

Huawei’s market share is expected to fall further in the future due to US trade sanctions, said the report.

Apple has managed to maintain its share well in the off-season period. With the October 13 launch of the new iPhone 12 series, Apple’s sales are expected to rise but only in November as the launch is later than previous years.

The long lifecycle of iPhone 11 series and successful new iPhone SE will help Apple bridge the gap till then, Counterpoint said.

Also Read: Samsung profits fall 60%, Galaxy S10 selling strong

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-Top News Asia News

Khalilzad urges Taliban to stick to the peace deal

Zalmay Khalilzad.

US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has urged the Taliban to remain committed to the implementation of the agreement between the two, warning that the rising level of violence in the country, especially in Helmand province, was threatening peace.

“Following several meetings General Miller and I had with the Taliban, we agreed to re-set actions by strictly adhering to implementation of all elements of the US-Taliban Agreement and all commitments made,” TOLO News quoted the envoy as saying in a series of tweets on Thursday.

“This means reduced numbers of operations. At present too many Afghans are dying. With the re-set, we expect that number to drop significantly.

“Attacks have been on the rise in recent weeks – threatening the peace process and alarming the Afghan people and their regional and international supporters,

“We will do our part and will monitor implementation actively. All parties must deliver on their responsibilities. We thank our international partners for their assistance and support,” he added.

Khalilzad’s remarks came as clashes between government forces and the Taliban in Lashkargah, the capital of Helmand, and surrounding areas continued for a sixth consecutive day on Thursday.

According to UN statistics, so far 35,000 people in Helmand have been displaced due to the latest conflict which broke out last weekend.

Also Read: Afghan peace talks remain in logjam

Also Read: Afghan President visits Kuwait, Qatar

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-Top News Arab News

Israel Parliament Approves Peace With UAE

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Yoav Dudkevitch/JINI via Xinhua/IANS)

Israel’s parliament approved the normalization deal signed last month between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The peace agreement was approved in an 80-13 vote in a special session of the Knesset, or the parliament on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

During speeches ahead of the vote, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for peace with Lebanon, Israel’s neighbor in the north. The two countries have recently launched US-brokered negotiations to end a long-time dispute over their maritime border.

“I call on the government of Lebanon to continue and complete these talks,” Netanyahu said, adding that the move could “one day, in the future, lead to true peace.”

Israel and the UAE signed an agreement to normalize their relations in Washington on September 15. During the ceremony, a peace deal was also signed between Israel and Bahrain.

The UAE and Bahrain became the first Gulf countries to agree to form official relations with Israel.

Previously, two Arab countries, Egypt and Jordan, had signed peace agreements with Israel.

Also Read: Israeli Move To Build New Settlement draws Ire

Also Read: Palestine to take legal action against Israeli settlers

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Business

IPL First: Kohli plays 200 games for a single team

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has added yet feather to his illustrious cap by becoming the first player to play 200 matches for a single Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise.

Kohli achieved the feat during Royal Challenger Bangalore’s game against Kings XI Punjab which his side lost by eight wickets at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday evening.

He has played 185 matches for RCB in the IPL, in addition to 15 appearances for the Bengaluru-based franchise in the now defunct Champions League T20. The 31-year-old is the leading run-scorer in the IPL history, accumulating 5,716 runs in 185 matches.

“RCB means a lot to me, not many understand that emotion. 200 games for them is unbelievable, I wouldn’t have believed it in 2008. It is an honour, they’ve kept me and I have stayed on,” Kohli had said before the start of RCB’s game against Kings XI.

Kohli’s RCB has not been able to win the IPL trophy even once in the past 12 editions, a stat which he is eager to change in the ongoing IPL edition. So far, RCB have won four games of the eight matches and stand at the third spot in the points table in IPL 2020.

They will take on Rajasthan Royals in their next encounter in Dubai on Saturday.

Also Read: Anrich Nortje Shatters IPL Pace Records

Also Read: Rohit Sharma becomes third in IPL to cross 5K runs

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Business World News

Global spending on cloud set to cross $1 trillion: Report

Accelerated by Covid-19 disruption, the global spending on overall Cloud services will surpass $1 trillion in 2024, sustaining a double-digit compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.7 per cent, according to a new IDC report.

The total worldwide spending includes the hardware and software components underpinning cloud services and the professional and managed services opportunities around cloud services.

The strongest growth in cloud revenues will come in the [cloud] as a service category – public (shared) cloud services and dedicated (private) cloud services.

This category, which is also the largest category in terms of overall revenues, is forecast to deliver a five-year CAGR of 21 per cent, accounting for more than 60 per cent of all cloud revenues worldwide by 2024, the whole cloud forecast from IDC said late on Thursday.

“Cloud in all its permutations – hardware/software/services/as a service as well as public/private/hybrid/multi/edge – will play ever greater, and even dominant, roles across the IT industry for the foreseeable future,” said Richard L Villars, group vice president, Worldwide Research at IDC.

Also Read: Microsoft and Telstra partner to harness next-gen Cloud, IoT

“By the end of 2021, based on lessons learned in the pandemic, most enterprises will put a mechanism in place to accelerate their shift to cloud-centric digital infrastructure and application services twice as fast as before the pandemic,” he added.

The services category, which includes cloud-related professional services and cloud-related management services, will be the second largest category in terms of revenue but will experience the slowest growth with an 8.3 per cent CAGR.

This is due to a variety of factors, including greater use of automation in cloud migrations.

The smallest cloud category, infrastructure build, which includes hardware, software, and support for enterprise private clouds and service provider public clouds, will enjoy solid growth (11.1 per cent CAGR) over the forecast period, the IDC said.

Also Read: ‘Accenture Cloud First’ gets $3 Billion Investment

The Covid-19 pandemic has largely proven to be an accelerator of cloud adoption and extension and will continue to drive a faster conversion to cloud-centric IT.

“The adoption of cloud services should enable organisations to shift IT from maintenance of legacy IT to new digital transformation initiatives, which can lead to new business revenue and competitiveness as well as create new opportunities for suppliers of professional services,” the IDC report mentioned.

Hybrid Cloud has become central to successful digital transformation efforts by defining an IT architectural approach, an IT investment strategy, and an IT staffing model “that ensures the enterprise can achieve the optimal balance across dimensions without sacrificing performance, reliability, or control”.

Also Read: Wipro, IBM Partner To Offer Cloud Solutions

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Business USA

Artemis Programme: NASA grants $374 mn worth contracts to 14 Cos

NASA has picked 14 US companies, including several small businesses, as partners and awarded them $370 million in total to develop a range of technologies that will help forge a path to sustainable Artemis operations on the Moon by the end of the decade.

The space agency selected partners to develop technologies in cryogenic fluid management, lunar surface, and closed-loop descent and landing.

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate will negotiate with the companies to issue milestone-based firm fixed-price contracts lasting for up to five years.

“NASA’s significant investment in innovative technology demonstrations, led by small and large US businesses across nine states, will expand what is possible in space and on the lunar surface,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.

“Together, NASA and industry are building up an array of mission-ready capabilities to support a sustainable presence on the Moon and future human missions to Mars.”

Bridenstine announced the selections during a keynote address at the virtual fall Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium meeting on Wednesday.

The selected companies include SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Nokia, Sierra Nevada, SSL Robotics and United Launch Alliance (ULA), among others.

“This is the most Tipping Point proposals NASA has selected at once and by far the largest collective award value,” said NASA’s Associate Administrator for Space Technology Jim Reuter.

The majority of the funding will help mature cryogenic fluid management technologies via in-space demonstrations led by small business Eta Space, Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, and ULA.

The ability to store these super-cold liquids, whether they are launched from Earth or produced in space, for an extended period and transfer propellant from one tank to another, is crucial for establishing sustainable operations on the Moon and enabling human missions to Mars.

Intuitive Machines will develop a small, deployable hopper lander capable of carrying a 2.2-pound payload more than 1.5 miles.

As part of its Artemis program, NASA plans to send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface in 2024 and establish a sustainable presence there by the end of the decade.

The agency will use the Moon to prepare for its next giant leap – human exploration of Mars.

Also Read: 8 Nations Join NASA’s Lunar Exploration Programme

Also Read: MUSK: SpaceX will send NASA astronauts to space this year

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Business Economy

Indian e-com to garner $6.5bn in festive sales: Report

Online retailers in India are expected to generate approximately $6.5 billion (Rs 47,751 crore) in sales during the festive month (October 15-November 15), with around 5.5-6 crore online buyers participating, a new report forecast on Thursday.

About 75 per cent of these sales will occur from October 15-21, the period in which Flipkart will hold its ‘Big Billion Days’ event and Amazon’s ‘Great Indian Festival’ sale will start on October 17, according to the report by global market research firm Forrester.

“The growth in online retail spending during the festive month will see a growth of 34 per cent (year-over-year),” said Satish Meena, Senior Forecast Analyst.

There has been a fundamental shift in buying behaviour, with consumers having developed a general averseness to go out and latched on to online channels.

“The inhibitions of buying online are gone, and a transformation that would have taken two years has happened in five months. With sharp contraction in the economy and a pressured job market, consumers flocked to online channels to get the best bargains,” Meena elaborated.

Some pent-up demand from the lockdown period was let out during the Prime Day sales event in August, but “we expect a lot of demand in consumer electronics, home appliances, smartphones, and home furnishing to drive more sales during the festive month”.

“We also expect an increase in share of purchase from tier 2 and 3 cities due to migration of employees to smaller cities as offices are closed,” said Sanjeev Kumar, Forecast Analyst at Forrester.

Due to Covid-19 and the ensuing lockdown, retail and recreation-related mobility saw its highest decline for the month of April.

Most of these are likely to be micro, small, and medium enterprises, which are increasingly recognising a greater potential for sales as the pandemic drives more people to shop online.

“Attractive festive deals and product discounting along with flexible payment options will boost affordability for consumers, hence making it another successful festive-year period for e-tailers in India,” he added.

Also Read: India Set To Be A Top Investment Choice: Survey

Also Read: India Inc skeptical of govt’s plan to push festive demand

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Business Economy

Fall In External remittances To Weaken Demand: Ind-Ra

Fall in external remittances is likely to affect the consumption demand, according to the India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra). The rating agency on Thursday also said that muted external remittances growth is more of a structural issue than transitory.

According to Ind-Ra, the muted growth would further weaken aggregate consumption demand, though the impact will be restricted to few states, given their skewed shares in foreign remittances.

“On the macro front, a considerable flow of remittances directly impacts aggregate demand and thus banking sector deposits,” the agency said in a report.

“Meanwhile, banks with a higher non-resident Indian (NRI) deposit ratio in the total portfolio will be better able to hedge their risk than others, as the overall banking sector deposits are stable along with muted credit offtake.”

Historically, India has remained as the largest receiver of remittances in the world; however, the share of remittances as a percentage of gross disposable income receded to 2.5 per cent in FY19 from 3.5 per cent in FY10.

“Foreign currency non-resident (FCNR) has witnessed a year-on-year fall in deposits, whereas overall NRI accounts have reported an increase,” the report said.

“However, in Ind-Ra’s rated portfolio, The Federal Bank Limited (‘IND AA’/Stable) and The South Indian Bank Limited (‘IND A’/Negative) have reported subdued growth in NRI deposits.”

The agency opined that the key risk for banks will only emerge if the fall in deposits will continue amid an increase in withdrawals due to the factors induced by pandemic.

“At the same time, banks will be able to manage this risk better with the help of improved domestic deposits amid muted credit growth,” the agency said.

It added that in spite of the muted external remittances, the impact would largely be restricted to the aggregate consumption level in the first order.

“The agency believes the buoyancy in foreign capital flows would compensate the requirement of capital,” it added.

Also Read: IMF Foresees Steep Fall And Rise For India’s GDP

Also Read: India Set To Be A Top Investment Choice: Survey

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-Top News UAE News UK News

Asian Lite Weekend, October 16, 2020 – MI5 Suspects China, Russia Threat On UK Security

MI5 Suspects China, Russia Threat On UK Security; G20 extends debt suspension for poor nations; Young, Healthy People May Have to Wait Longer For Vaccine; Pak to Face Tougher FATF Scrutiny; US Appoints New Officer to Oversee Tibetan Issues – all in Asian Lite Weekend – please click here to read.

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Sport

Kings XI survive difficult final over to clinch 8 wicket win

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) survived an extraordinary late choke to end their run of defeats with an eight-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Chasing RCB’s total of 171/6 wickets, KXIP were cruising for much of the game, thanks to half-centuries from captain KL Rahul (61 not out) and Chris Gayle (53), who was playing his first game of the season and Mayank Agarwal’s 45.

However, KXIP struggled to get two runs from the last over bowled by Yuzvendra Chahal, taking it all the way down to the last ball. The first two were dot balls after which Gayle managed to get off strike. After another dot ball, Rahul hit the ball straight to cover and ran for the single. Gayle didn’t make it to his end and was run out which left new batsman Nicholas Pooran needing to score a run off the last ball for KXIP to avoid a Super Over.

Pooran did the needful, hitting a six just over long-on to finish the game.

Before that, however, KXIP put up a clinical show. The opening partnership of Mayank and Rahul performed once again as they put up 78 runs. Agarwal fell to Chahal after which Gayle joined Rahul and put up 93 runs for the second wicket.

Isuru Udana (10) and Chris Morris (25) smashed 24 off the last over to take Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to 171/6.

RCB were struggling for much of the innings despite the quick start to the innings provided by openers Aaron Finch (20) and Devdutt Padikkal (18), as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals after the opening stand was broken.

AB de Villiers (2), who had smashed an unbeaten 73 off 33 balls in RCB’s previous game, was demoted to No. 7 on Thursday with Washington Sundar (13) and Shivam Dube (23) being sent ahead of him. De Villiers came in during the 18th over and was dismissed by Mohammed Shami after scoring just two runs off five balls.

RCB captain Virat Kohli was the highest scorer for his team with 48 off 39 balls but it was Morris and Udana who took the team past the 150-run mark. Shami, who had given away just 21 runs in his first three overs and accounted for the wickets of Kohli and De Villiers, ended up being hit for a four and three sixes in the last over.


Brief scores: RCB 171/6 wkts in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 48, Chris Morris 25; Murugan Ashwin 2/23) lost to KXIP 177/2 wkts in 20 overs (KL Rahul 61 not out, Chrus Gayle 53; Yuzvendra Chahal 1/35) by 8 wickets