China's smartphone shipments to surpass the US this year, says IDC
According to market research firm IDC, this year smartphone shipments in China will eclipse those in the United States. China is expected to account for 26.5 percent of global smartphone shipments this year, with the US coming in second with an estimated 17.8 percent of the market. This would indicate a role reversal, as the US and China accounted for 21.3 percent and 18.3 percent of the market in 2011, respectively. The research firm believes that the continued growth in China will be buoyed by the release of lower-priced handsets in the country. "The PRC smartphone market will continue to be lifted by the sub-US$200 Android segment," IDC analyst Wong Teck-Zhung said.
Of course, it's important to note that IDC has a relatively broad...