A quick snoop around the office reveals an abundance of smartphone handsets by Apple and Samsung, with the occasional Chinese brand laying on a desk.
And that was the likely trend in the majority of workplaces around the world during the first quarter of this year, according to new data from Gartner.
Global smartphone sales grew 1.3 per cent year-on-year with almost 384 million sales, but "demand for premium and high-end smartphones continued to suffer due to marginal incremental benefits during upgrade," Anshul Gupta, research director at Gartner, said.
"Demand for entry-level smartphones (sub-$100) and low mid-tier smartphones (sub-$150) improved due to better-quality models."
Here is a rundown of how the major players performed:
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World's most popular smartphone brands, Q2 2018
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Samsung
The world's most popular smartphone brand saw its market share dip year-on-year from 20.8 per cent to 20.5 per cent, despite favourable reviews of its flagship Galaxy S9 and S9+ and Note 8.
Gartner said Samsung's mid-tier smartphones faced continued competition from Chinese brands, and its growth rate "will remain under pressure through 2018, with Chinese brands' growing dominance and expansion into Europe and Latin America markets".
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Apple
The release of the iPhone X in November has unsurprisingly given Apple a boost in market share (from 13.7 per cent to 14.1 per cent) in the first quarter of 2018, after the company finally added some innovation following years of incremental updates. Its overall smartphone unit sales were up 4 per cent. However, Samsung will need another technological jump to keep the momentum going and ensure that users invest in replacement handsets, according to Gartner.
"Even though demand for Apple's iPhone X exceeded that of iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, the vendor struggled to drive significant smartphone replacements, which led to slower-than-expected growth in the first quarter of 2018," said Mr Gupta.
"With its exclusive focus on premium smartphones, Apple needs to significantly raise the overall experience of its next-generation iPhones to trigger replacements and lead to solid growth in the near future."
It was reported in April that Apple is working on touchless iPhones and curved screens. A new handset, possibly the iPhone XI (or iPhone 11), is expected before the end of the year.
Huawei and Xiaomi
What is Huawei, and how do you pronounce it? That's the response of some people, certainly in the western world where Apple and Samsung dominate. But the Chinese firm's smartphone global market share is growing quickly - up from 9 per cent to 10.5 per cent in the first quarter, as sales increased 18.3 per cent. It has become more competitive in the premium segment with the release of the P20, P20 Pro and Honor 10. Gartner says its future growth depends on it ramping up its share in the Emerging Asia and Pacific areas and "resolving issues in the US market".
Xiaomi, meanwhile, recorded sales growth of 124 per cent year-on-year and market share increase from 3.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2017 to 7.4 per cent this year on the back of an "aggressive pricing strategy". Gartner added that Xiamoi achieved 330 per cent growth in the Emerging Asia Pacific region.
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Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
Company Profile
Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices
Bridgerton season three - part one
Directors: Various
Starring: Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Haltia.ai
Started: 2023
Co-founders: Arto Bendiken and Talal Thabet
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: AI
Number of employees: 41
Funding: About $1.7 million
Investors: Self, family and friends
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Supy
Started: 2021
Founders: Dani El-Zein, Yazeed bin Busayyis, Ibrahim Bou Ncoula
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food and beverage, tech, hospitality software, Saas
Funding size: Bootstrapped for six months; pre-seed round of $1.5 million; seed round of $8 million
Investors: Beco Capital, Cotu Ventures, Valia Ventures and Global Ventures
The five pillars of Islam
World Food Day
Celebrated on October 16, to coincide with the founding date of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Food Day aims to tackle issues such as hunger, food security, food waste and the environmental impact of food production.
The five pillars of Islam
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi’s Arabic Language Centre will mark International Women’s Day at the Bologna Children's Book Fair with the Abu Dhabi Translation Conference. Prolific Emirati author Noora Al Shammari, who has written eight books that feature in the Ministry of Education's curriculum, will appear in a session on Wednesday to discuss the challenges women face in getting their works translated.
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
Results
2.15pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner: Hello, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihi (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Right Flank, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,000m
Winner: Leading Spirit, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
3.45pm: Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 Dh575,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,400m
Winner: Ode To Autumn, Patrick Cosgrave, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh125,000 1,200m
Winner: Last Surprise, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,200m
Winner: Daltrey, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihi.
