A New Smartphone for Every Fifth Person on Earth: Quantifying the New Tech Cycle
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Summary:
The enormous global demand for smartphones in recent years has created a new global tech cycle. In 2016 alone, global smartphone sales reached close to 1.5 billion, one for every fifth person on earth. In turn, this has engendered complex and evolving supply chains across Asia. We show that the new tech cycle cannot be captured by standard seasonality, but depends on smartphone product release dates. Decomposing cycle from trend, we also show that the sale of smartphones may have peaked in late 2015. Asia, however, continues to gain in importance as the global tech manufacturer.
Series:
Working Paper No. 2018/022
Subject:
Export performance Exports International trade Mobile internet Technology
English
Publication Date:
January 24, 2018
ISBN/ISSN:
9781484339695/1018-5941
Stock No:
WPIEA2018022
Pages:
22
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