An International Data Corporation (IDC) report has revealed that smartphone shipments in the Middle East and Africa is set to hit 155 million units in 2015.
TechMoran reports that the company’s Q1 2015 Mobile Phone Tracker reveal that smartphone shipments into these regions have increased by 66% year-on-year during the first quarter, amounting to over 36 million units already.
The report records that smartphones accounted for 63% of the handsets shipped in the Middle East during the quarter and 47% in Africa as against feature phones, which has seen its shipments dip by about 20% in both regions.
The growth in smartphones in the MEA region is tied to Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS, as both platforms account for over 95% of the smartphones shipped in Q1 2015. The growth is also being driven by sub-$200 phones in the region, which account for about 36% of the Middle East smartphone market.
“This price bracket seems to be the sweet point for most vendors launching in the region, as well as for established vendors looking to increase their shares by targeting the lower end of the market,” says Nabila Popal, research manager for IDC’s Mobile Phone Tracker in the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey.
Nigeria and South Africa have received the most significant shipment as they have seen year-on-year growth of 135% and 56% respectively – contributing 14% and 12% to the total smartphone shipments to Africa in Q1 2015.
