Devices & Platforms

Curaçao-headquartered data centre operator Blue NAP Americas has partnered with Radian Arc, a global GPU-based infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) provider, and North American telecoms consultancy Emerging International, to launch the first artificial intelligence IaaS (AI IaaS) platform for the Caribbean and Central America.

Telecom Egypt, the country's main telecom services operator, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian healthcare technology company KareXpert to launch a comprehensive digital healthcare platform managed through a secure national cloud hosted within Egypt.

Thai operator AIS has teamed up with Samsung and insurance provider Bolttech to launch a new smartphone and tablet protection service aimed at offering comprehensive support for device users.

Indonesian telco Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison announced on Wednesday it has signed a strategic MoU with Chinese phone maker Transsion Holdings to make affordable smart devices available to Indonesians, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

IDC has cut its forecast for global smartphone shipments in 2025 to just 0.6% growth (1.25 billion units) down from a previous projection of 2.3%, due to persistent economic uncertainty and volatility across many regions as key factors behind the revision.

The African smartphone market recorded its eighth consecutive quarter of growth, with shipments rising 6% year-on-year in Q1 2025 to reach 19.4 million units.

Xiaomi reportedly revealed plans to invest CNY50 billion (US$6.9 billion) over the next 10 years to develop its own mobile processors, and is set to unveil such chips this week.

According to analyst firm Canalys, the Southeast Asian smartphone market declined in Q1 2025, marking the end of five consecutive quarters of growth due to economic headwinds.

MTN has announced that it will offer up to 1.2 million of its prepaid subscribers an option to buy a 4G smartphone for just ZAR99 ($5.42).

The global smartphone market recorded flat growth in the first quarter of 2025, as signs of saturation emerge in key developing regions, according to the latest report from analyst firm Canalys.

Canalys has predicted that Egypt’s smartphone market could stabilise following the enforcement of new regulations aimed at curbing its long-standing grey market, which led to a sharp drop in shipments at the start of the year.

The global smartphone market recorded just 1% growth year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, with persistent macroeconomic pressures continuing to weigh on consumer demand, according to analyst firm Canalys.

Apple airlifted US$2 billion worth of iPhones from India to the United States last month, in a strategic move to shield against the impact of rising US import tariffs.

Zimbabwe’s telecoms regulator is urging the government to introduce mandatory handset registration in a bid to tackle rising cybercrime and improve the safety of mobile money transactions.

Alcatel is planning to restart mobile phone sales in India – or, more accurately perhaps, French technology brand Alcatel, operated independently by China-headquartered TCL Communications under a license from Nokia, is making a comeback in the Indian market.

Samsung Electronics has appointed mobile chief Roh Tae-moon as acting head of its consumer and smartphone unit following the death of former boss Han Jong-Hee.

Smarter trade is a continuing aim of digitisation efforts by industries across the world, as shown by two recent deals involving natural gas supply and port management led by companies in the Middle East.

StoneX Group and Bamboo Payment Systems say they are planning a leading solution for global merchants and financial institutions that need to collect and make payments in Latin America.

ZTE Corporation has unveiled a range of new, AI-enabled devices during MWC2025 in Barcelona, under the banner of its "AI for All" product strategy.

It’s being widely reported that Apple should be able to sell its iPhone 16 phones in Indonesia soon. Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita suggested this week that the long-running issue, centring around local manufacture – or the lack of it – could be close to being resolved.

The African smartphone market grew 9% to 74.7 million units in 2024, as easing inflation across the continent boosted consumer purchasing power.

The Latin American smartphone market surged by 15% in 2024 to 137 million units, with Korean vendor Samsung maintaining its position as the market leader by shipments.

Apple has launched its latest AI-powered smartphone, the iPhone 16e, in a bid to gain market share in emerging markets such as India, where it has been ramping up its focus.

Oman has announced plans to start an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor chip manufacturing project in Salalah Free Zone, Dhofar, in the south of the country, following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on Monday.

The Southeast Asian smartphone market rebounded in 2024 as vendors shipped 96.7 million units, an annual growth rate of 11%, snapping two years of decline.

The Indian smartphone market grew by 4% to 151 million units in 2024 and became Apple’s fourth largest market as rival Samsung recorded decline. 

The global smartphone market grew by 7% to 1.22 billion units in 2024, marking a rebound after two consecutive years of decline, with emerging markets highlighted as the industry’s key growth driver.

A China-based rival to ChatGPT, called DeepSeek, sent shockwaves across the technology industry by reportedly becoming the most downloaded free app on Apple devices and operating with fewer resources than its US counterpart.

Intracom Telecom has upgraded its uni|MS Network Lifecycle Automation & Management Platform.

Apple entered the top five highest-shipping smartphone vendors in India, as the overall market recorded a 5% shipment increase in 2024, despite ending Q4 with a decline.

Global smartphone shipments grew by 3% to 330 million units in the last quarter of 2024, marking a fifth consecutive quarter of growth, but analyst house Canalys noted this was a significant slowdown in growth.

The dispute between the Indonesian authorities and Apple is rumbling on as the smartphone giant apparently remains barred from selling the iPhone 16 in Indonesia despite a recent investment deal.