Tianfeng International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in his forecast for future iPhones that rumors of a USB-C connector in Apple phones are not destined to come true.
Over the past few years, most Android smartphones have switched to USB-C, while iPhones have long used the proprietary Lightning connector. It has long been rumored that the iPhone will also switch to USB-C, but Ming-Chi Kuo doesn’t think so.
The analyst claims that the USB-C interface does not contribute to the profitability of the Apple MFi-accessories project, and the water-resistance of a smartphone with such a connector will be lower than that of Lightning. Therefore, if Apple ditches the Lightning connector in its smartphones in the future, it is definitely not in favor of USB-C. Ming-Chi Kuo believes the company could switch to MagSafe magnetic charging entirely.
However, he added that in the coming years, the iPhone will still stick to the Lightning interface, as MagSafe technology is far from perfect. The analyst also believes that this year the iPhone 13 will not receive a fingerprint sensor.
The same person stated that the third generation iPhone SE will not receive a new design and/or a larger screen. The smartphone will target fans of this line and will receive the same 4.7-inch display. The biggest changes will be the updated SoC and support for fifth-generation networks.
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Apple finally defeated Samsung in the global smartphone market
Apple overtook Samsung to become the world’s leading smartphone brand amid record sales of iPhone smartphones. The company showed a huge jump in the last quarter of last year, while Huawei‘s position weakened greatly.
According to Counterpoint Research, shipments of iPhone smartphones increased 22% in the previous quarter. The surge is driven by the release of the iPhone 12 lineup, which supports fifth-generation networks. Also, sales of previous models did not fall, the demand for which is stable after the price decline.
The company has shipped 90 million smartphones and has more than 23% market share. Analysts note that Apple has strengthened its position in the premium segment of smartphones in China. According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, two of the top three selling premium smartphones in China are from Apple.
The second place in the quarter belongs to Samsung, which received about 19% of the market. The third place went to Xiaomi, followed by Oppo and Vivo, which took the fourth and fifth places, respectively. Huawei dropped to 6th place.
If we consider the results for the year, then Samsung is in the lead, Apple is second, Huawei is third, followed by Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo and Realme. The latter was the fastest growing brand in the past year.
Counterpoint Research’s data is broadly consistent with estimates by another analyst firm, IDC, which we have already published.