Smartphones: Biggest market now China, not US

People buy new iPhone 4S at an Apple store in Hong Kong earlier this month as Apple's latest smartphones are officially released in the territory on Friday. Aggressive discounting of the iPhone in China is one reason smartphone sales are booming there.

Πηγή: CSM
By Devindra Hardawar

Nov 24 2011

Smartphones in third quarter sold in greater volumes in China (up 58 percent) than in the US (down 7 percent). US sales of smartphones could bounce back with release of iPhone 4S, at least temporarily.

It was bound to happen eventually. Smartphone sales in China for the third quarter of 2011 surpassed U.S. sales, making China the largest smartphone market by volume, reports Strategy Analytics.

The firm’s research found that smartphone shipments reached 23.9 million units in China during Q3, while the U.S. had 23.3 million units shipped.

Even more telling is how those sales compared to the past quarter: China grew 58 percent, while the U.S. fell 7 percent. Strategy Analytics notes that U.S. shipments were atypical for the quarter, since many consumers were waiting for the iPhone 4S, so the U.S. could still bounce back to the lead in coming quarters. But given China’s population of 1.3 billion, I suspect that it will soon be able to leap ahead of the U.S. in smartphone sales organically.

“China’s rapid growth has been driven by an increasing availability of smartphones in retail channels, aggressive subsidizing by operators of high-end models like the Apple iPhone, and an emerging wave of low-cost Android models from local Chinese brands such as ZTE,” said Strategy Analytics director Tom Kang in a statement today.

The firm says that Nokia leads China’s smartphone market with a share of 28 percent. HTC, on the other hand, leads the US market with 24 percent.

CEO of Islamic Relief USA Appointed to U.S. State Department Working Group

Abed Ayoub, CEO of Islamic Relief USA

Πηγή: prnewswire
By Islamic Relief USA

Nov 21 2011

WASHINGTON, Abed Ayoub, CEO of Islamic Relief USA, has been appointed to the U.S. State Department's Religion and Foreign Policy Working Group to help inform U.S. policy.

Along with the other members, Ayoub will take part in dialogue and provide input on relevant topics including the challenges and opportunities for partnership. The group also will identify model action programs or projects for collaboration between the U.S. government and NGOs.

"We feel honored to be in this group, working with diverse leaders," Ayoub said. "As a humanitarian organization, we can bring a lot to the table. Unfortunately, most of the disasters in the world are in the Muslim world, and we're hoping that we can maximize the benefits going to the beneficiaries by being in this group."

The Religion and Foreign Policy Working Group is divided into sub-groups. Ayoub will serve on the Sub-Group on Faith-Based Groups and Development and Humanitarian Assistance, which examines faith-based organizations' challenges, opportunities and resources in addressing societal needs for such assistance. This forum also will work to ensure NGOs' freedom to operate and deliver humanitarian aid.

Other members of the Development and Humanitarian Assistance sub-group include Richard Stearns, President/CEO of World Vision; Carolyn Woo, CEO of Catholic Relief Services; David Beckmann, President of Bread for the World; and Ruth Messinger, President of American Jewish World Service.

The group held its first meeting in October. Ayoub said the Development and Humanitarian Assistance sub-group discussed the role of humanitarian organizations and heard issues facing the State Department, particularly the drought and famine inEast Africa.

"The State Department wants to engage faith-based organizations," Ayoub said. "Hopefully Islamic Relief can participate in solving world issues and ease the suffering of the people."

The group will continue to meet through November 2012.

Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization with eight consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator. Its mission is to alleviate suffering, hunger, illiteracy and disease regardless of color, race, gender or creed, and to provide aid in a compassionate and dignified manner. Islamic Relief USA aims to provide rapid relief in the event of human and natural disasters and to establish sustainable local development projects, allowing communities to better help themselves. In 2010, Islamic Relief USA programs benefited more than 4.3 million people in 34 countries, including the United States.

In addition to its 4-star rating on Charity Navigator, Islamic Relief USA meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, a national charity monitoring group affiliated with the Better Business Bureau system. Islamic ReliefUSA is on the U.S. government's Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity list, and it is also a signatory to the code of conduct of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.