back to article Samsung sole winner as US smartphone market hits sixth quarterly decline in a row

The US smartphone market registered yet another year-over-year decline in shipments in the first calendar quarter, this time down eight percent compared to Q1 2023. The data was published by Counterpoint Research, which says the drop was partially due to supply chain issues pushing iPhone 14 shipments from Q4 2022 into Q1 2023 …

  1. Throatwarbler Mangrove Silver badge
    Terminator

    LOL no

    I really don't see AI driving phone sales. What will it add that Siri et al. do not? It's only going to appeal to the sort of person who masturbates to Bitcoin price updates, at least initially. For the rest of us, I don't think the ability to create mobile deepfake pornography is a killer application.

    1. DS999 Silver badge

      Re: LOL no

      AI is a capability, just like high performance is a capability. If a new phone is double the CPU or GPU speed of the previous one that's not a reason to buy, unless you have an app that can benefit from that additional performance.

      Same thing with AI, there will need to be apps that take advantage of those capabilities for it to become a reason to buy.

      1. Roland6 Silver badge

        Re: LOL no

        > there will need to be apps that take advantage of those capabilities for it to become a reason to buy.

        Currently, that’s the camera, with AI photo editing to manipulate the image to get the “perfect” picture. However, if you actually want the imperfect picture - the joke is the person with their eyes closed, image manipulation just gets in the way.

        1. BebopWeBop

          Re: LOL no

          Or just a picture that the image processing software has not determined will be 'perfect'.

    2. UnknownUnknown Silver badge

      Re: LOL no

      What most people would want is just Siri, Google and Alexa not being completely dumb as shit, and unable to process spoken language properly, or know about songs they just played that are in My Music.

      Try fixing that first.

  2. Groo The Wanderer

    The only reason people buy new phones nowadays is a) they lost the old one b) they destroyed the old one c) the vendor is forcing them to replace it through planned obsolescence to maximize their own profits.

    1. yetanotheraoc Silver badge

      Skipping a generation

      I'm waiting for d) the next-gen Anti-AI-Algorithm (AAIA, pronounced aye-yai-yai). Of course it will need a specialized AAIAC (AAIA-capable) chip which my current mobile lacks.

      I'm reminded of the Stephen Wright joke where he put a humidifier and a dehumidifier in the same room and let them fight it out.

    2. EricB123 Silver badge

      Missing phone replacement reason

      You forgot d) Their phone was stolen.

      1. Groo The Wanderer

        Re: Missing phone replacement reason

        If it was stolen, you've lost it, haven't you? Maybe at gun point, but you no longer have it....

  3. Mayday
    Terminator

    New phones - why?

    I recently bought a new iPhone 15 Pro to replace my rather old iPhone XR. Main reason being is due to favourable tax refund conditions provided under Aussie legislation (outside the scope of this post). For a while, I was buying new phones every year or two because they used to offer more than the previous model, but now each model upgrade is incremental at best, and certainly not worth the ~$2k AUD to “upgrade” every year.

  4. Kevin McMurtrie Silver badge

    No use yet for AI

    Phones might get AI now but there won't be a compelling use for at least two more generations of phones. My ASUS ROG 8 has a crude AI wallpaper generator and a broken AI phone call enhancer. I honestly bought the phone for 1TB storage, good 5G, and a headphone jack.

    The biggest two reasons for new phone technology to fail are Apple and Google. Both are far too slow and self-serving to launch new products any more. It's a bad duopoly stagnating tech.

    1. Gene Cash Silver badge

      Re: No use yet for AI

      > Apple and Google

      It's a really really bad sign when you're sitting there going "I wish Microsoft still made phones"

      Android has been getting worse and worse with each new revision, to the point I don't let my phone update.

  5. xyz Silver badge

    I need glue

    My ultracheap highwayeeway 2019 thingy has "farmers' virus" in that the screen is curling up at the bottom edge due to assorted, nefarious farming activities and another part of the screen has some sort of burn mark due to (I think) chemicals where my thumb's been, but it just keeps going. She'll be right for a few more seasons.

    AI meh.

    1. Roland6 Silver badge

      Re: I need glue

      “Farmers’ virus” - might want to do a deep clean of your phone, or dispose of in the biohazard waste…

      Mobile phones are hazardous microbial platforms warranting robust public health and biosecurity protocols

      1. Denarius

        Re: I need glue

        Biohazard from farming? Nah, more, more ! I seem to be more resistant to bugs than the townies. Dirt, manure are full of immunity inducing safe bacteria. However, an evening shower and food hygiene are essential. I also avoid the foul bug infested self service dont work "touch" screens at fast food outlets when reduced to them being the only option, usually when traveling outside inhabited areas.

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