54 The PCB Magazine • March 2017
Internet of Things Market in Central and
Eastern Europe to Boom Through 2020
Spending on the Internet of Things (IoT) in Central
and Eastern Europe (CEE) has reached an astonish-
ing $11 billion in 2016 as organizations acceler-
ated their investments in the hardware, software,
services, and connectivity that enable the IoT.
Worldwide Sales of Smartphones
Grew 7% in Q4 2016
Global sales of smartphones to end users totaled
432 million units in the fourth quarter of 2016, a
7% increase over the fourth quarter of 2015, ac-
cording to Gartner Inc. The fourth quarter of 2016
saw Apple leapfrog past Samsung to secure the
No. 1 global smartphone vendor position.
Top 3 Chinese Smartphone Vendors Grab
Nearly Half of China's Market in 2016
According to the latest IDC Quarterly Mobile
Phone Tracker, the smartphone market in China
saw a 19% YoY growth and 17% QoQ growth
in 2016Q4. For the full year of 2016, the market
grew by 9% with top Chinese smartphone ven-
dors taking up a larger share of the market.
Apple Tops Samsung in Q4 to Close Out
a Roller Coaster Year for the
Smartphone Market
Preliminary data from the International Data Cor-
poration (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone
Tracker shows that smartphone vendors shipped
a total of 428.5 million units during the fourth
quarter of 2016 (4Q16), resulting in 6.9% growth
when compared to the 400.7 million units shipped
in the final quarter of 2015.
OPPO and Huawei Make Strides as
Samsung Remains Malaysia's Top
Smartphone Player in 2016
According to the latest International Data Corpo-
ration (IDC) Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, total
smartphone shipments in Malaysia recorded approxi-
mately 2.7 million units in 2016Q4, bringing 2016 to
a close with approximately 8.8 million units shipped,
a reported 5.9% decline year-over-year (YoY).
Internet of Things: A Promising Future
for Sensors
The MEMS and sensor offering has never been
so diverse. Inertial, pressure, temperature, (bio-)
chemical and gas sensors as well as microphones,
fingerprint and iris recognition. All devices are part
of the IoT revolution.
Advances in Artificial Intelligence to Help
Machines Understand Human Thoughts
using Brain Computer Interface
The concerted efforts toward making artificial in-
telligence (AI) technology capable of human-like
cognitive behavior such as learning, reasoning,
problem solving, planning and self-correction
have received a huge boost with advances in deep
learning and neural networks.
Top China Vendors Consolidate Share
in Emerging Southeast Asia Smartphone
Market in 2016
Per the latest International Data Corporation (IDC)
Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, total smartphone
shipments in the emerging Southeast Asia (SEA)
region in 2016 recorded approximately 101 mil-
lion units, or a 4.3% year-over-year (YoY) growth
versus last year.
Researchers Devise Efficient Power
Converter for Internet of Things
The Internet of Things is the idea that vehicles,
appliances, civil structures, manufacturing equip-
ment, and even livestock will soon have sensors
that report information directly to networked serv-
ers, aiding with maintenance and the coordination
of tasks.
IDC Asia/Pacific Predicts 3D Printing
to Hit Mainstream Market in Asia Pacific
in 2018
IDC has just unveiled its latest predictions for the
3D printing market titled IDC FutureScape: World-
wide 3D Printing Predictions – APeJ Implications
and reveals that 3D printing will hit mainstream in
Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APeJ) in 2018.
Electronics Industry News
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