Smartphone data points to market turbulence ahead
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The GSMA Device Database, where smartphone vendors register all mobile device serial numbers in advance of shipping, is the authoritative source for mobile device data. Drawing from this dataset, and using GSMA Intelligence estimates, we examine: the aftermath of a year like no other in 2020; Apple's record-setting Q4 that catalysed the start of a market recovery; and the turbulence facing some of the world’s top smartphone vendors. The allocation of device serial numbers does not determine the precise amount of shipments in a quarter, but instead provides a unique forward-looking view of smartphone vendor estimates for each of their device models.
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