The beginning of 2015 was excellent for Apple as the sales of iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S remained strong. The total shipment of iPhones in the first quarter was over 60 million units, exceeding the market expectations. As the second quarter is drawing to a close, the smartphone market shifts its attention to the next-generation iPhone (iPhone 6S or iPhone 7). Interests on the next iPhone's future sales results are growing as more information about its specs have been leaked to the public.
Japan’s rapidly aging population has led to a projected shortage of caregivers, and the country’s industry giants are now scrambling to take part in this booming market of elderly care services. Panasonic and Toyota, for examples, are some of the major players that have entered the emerging sector of nursing care robots for the elderly.
Mobile payment has quickly taken off since the launch of Apple Pay, and many tech companies are vying to establish a dominant role in this emerging industry. Aside from having a sustainable business model, the widespread acceptance of mobile payment is critical for a service provider in generating a steady profit. A report from Topology, a division of TrendForce, states the global shipments of mobile phones with near field communication (NFC) feature reached 400 million units in 2014.
The hottest technology trend of 2015 is the Internet of Things (IoT). According to a projection by Topology, a division of TrendForce, IoT-related technologies will mature within the next five to ten years and become applicable in everyday situations. Connected to the cloud and supported by big data analytics, the number of IoT devices is set to grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35% between 2014 and 2020.
China’s mobile healthcare industry is now the hotspot for major investment opportunities, and close to 100 projects across a spectrum of medical fields have been set up since 2014. Montaigne Wang, an industry analyst at Topology, a division of TrendForce, said the competitive landscape of this industry will radically change with the entry of BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent).