[Graphic News] PC sales climb as virus keeps consumers at home

　PCs, somewhat left behind in the mobile internet age, are making a comeback as people stuck at home due to the coronavirus rely on them for work, education and entertainment, industry watchers say. 　Gartner and International Data Corp. reports show shipments of desktop computers, laptops and workstations grew in the second quarter as pandemic-related disruptions to the supply chain were overcome. 　IDC determined that PC shipments worldwide jumped 11.2 percent to 72.3 million units on the

July 16, 2020

[Graphic News] Amazon becomes world’s most valuable brand

　Amazon has overtaken Apple as the world’s most valuable brand, according to global market research conducted by Kantar. 　The report, titled 2019 Top BrandZ, claims the value of the e-commerce giant’s brand grew to $415 billion. 　Apple came second, valued at $352 billion, with Microsoft in third place at $326 billion 　South Korea’s Samsung had the 40th biggest value at almost $32 billion.

July 15, 2020

[Graphic News] Global shipbuilding orders at historic low in H1

　New orders of ships worldwide fell to a historic low in the first half of the year amid the coronavirus pandemic, industry sources said. 　In the January-June period, global new shipbuilding orders totaled 5.75 million compensated gross tons, or a total of 269 ships, according to data provided by global market researcher Clarkson Research Service. 　The tally is the lowest since 1996, when the market tracker began to compile related data, and a 42 percent drop from the previous year, the

July 10, 2020

[Graphic News] Samsung dominates US 5G smartphone market in Q1

　Samsung Electronics dominated the 5G smartphone market in the United States in the first quarter of the year, a report showed. 　Samsung’s Galaxy S20 series, which was unveiled in February, made up 94 percent of the US 5G smartphone market in the January-March period, according to market tracker Strategy Analytics, with the S20 Plus being the bestselling model. 　The midtier S20 Plus accounted for 40 percent, followed by the high-end S20 Ultra with 30 percent and entry-level S20 at 2

June 11, 2020

[Graphic News] NCSoft ‘s Lineage 2M highest grossing app on Google Play Store

　Lineage 2M, a mobile massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Korean online game maker NCSoft, was the highest grossing app on the Google Play Store during the first quarter of the year, industry data showed. 　The mobile version of mega-hit Lineage II was the most popular app in the world on Android platforms during the January-March period, partly on the back of the novel coronavirus pandemic that confined people to their homes, data from analytics firm App Annie showed. 　The mo

June 5, 2020

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s GDP ranks 10th worldwide in 2019

　South Korea’s gross domestic product ranked 10th in the world in 2019, down two notches from the previous year, data showed. 　Asia’s fourth-largest economy registered $1.64 trillion in nominal GDP last year, according to the data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation. 　It marked South Korea’s first ranking drop since the 2008 global financial crisis. The OECD analyzed 38 advanced and emerging economies. 　The United States topped the global GDP list with $21.43

June 2, 2020

[Graphic News] US video game industry sees record April sales: survey

　Spending on video games in the US jumped to a new April record as locked-down consumers sought refuge in playing games, industry figures showed. 　A total of $1.5 billion was spent on video game hardware, software, accessories and game cards, eclipsing a previous April high of $1.2 billion spent in the US in 2008, according to NPD analyst Mat Piscatella. 　April was the first full month of tight restrictions on people’s movements in the US to prevent the spread of the deadly novel cor

May 28, 2020

[Graphic News] Apple dominates global smartwatch market

　Apple again commanded a majority share of the smartwatch market in the first quarter, when the COVID-19 outbreak encouraged health tracking and drove a 20 percent rise in shipments. 　Global smartwatch shipments reached 13.7 million units in the first three months of this year, defying a worldwide slump in consumer electronics arenas such as mobile phones. Apple’s share inched up a percentage point to 55.5 percent, according to Strategy Analytics. 　Samsung Electronics was second with

May 14, 2020

Car sales in Russia plummet 72%

MOSCOW (AFP) -- Cars sales in Russia plummeted by a historic 72.4 percent in April, manufacturers said Wednesday, after the industry was hit by the sweeping restrictions imposed to slow the coronavirus pandemic. Year-on-year sales in April totalled just 38,922 units across the country, according to the Association of European Businesses which represents foreign investors in Russia. This is "the biggest drop of monthly sales in the history of AEB statistics" since records began in 20

May 12, 2020

Saudi Aramco Q1 profits of $16b as virus impacts earnings

DUBAI (AP) -- Saudi Aramco, the kingdom's energy producer, announced on Tuesday a net income of $16.7 billion for the first three months of the year and dividends of $18.75 billion for shareholders. Despite posting the highest quarter dividends in 2020 of any listed company, its profits were 25 percent down, compared to the same time last year when earnings topped $22 billion.  Aramco President and CEO Amin Nasser said the company expects the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on gl

May 12, 2020

[Graphic News] Samsung tops 5G smartphone shipments in Q1: report

　Global 5G smartphone shipments grew to 24.1 million in the first quarter. 　Samsung Electronics was the top vendor of 5G smartphones, shipping 8.3 million units globally in the first quarter this year, according to market tracker Strategy Analytics. 　Huawei Technologies came in a close second, shipping 8 million 5G smartphones, as Vivo, Xiomi and OPPO rounded out the top five. 

May 12, 2020

[Graphic News] Global PC shipments slide amid pandemic supply problems

　Global personal computer shipments dropped the most since 2013 in the first quarter, after the COVID-19 pandemic ensnared the Chinese supply-chain and created production problems for major hardware companies. 　PC makers shipped 51.6 million laptops, desktops and workstations in the first three months of 2020, a 12 percent decrease compared with a year earlier, research firm Gartner said in a statement. 　China-based Lenovo Group kept the No. 1 spot among PC vendors, with about 24.4 percent

April 22, 2020

[Graphic News] China becomes top patent filer: UN

　China last year became the world leader in international patent filings, unseating the United States which had held the top spot for more than four decades, the UN said. 　The World Intellectual Property Organization said that China topped the ranking with 58,990 applications followed by US, Japan, Germany and South Korea. And for the third consecutive year, China-based telecoms giant Huawei Technologies topped the global rankingwith 4,411 PCT applications. (AFP)

April 21, 2020

SoftBank Group forecasts $7b full-year net loss

TOKYO (AFP) -- Struggling Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group on Monday forecast a $7-billion net loss for the year ended March due to the negative impact of coronavirus and losses related to WeWork. The telecoms and investment giant, led by flamboyant entrepreneur Masayoshi Son, also said in a surprise press release it expected to suffer an operating loss of 1.35 trillion yen or $12.5 billion. The firm cited a 1.8-trillion yen loss at its SoftBank Vision Fund, blaming “the deteriorati

April 13, 2020

Moody's cuts South Africa's credit ratings to junk

Moody's has downgraded South Africa's credit rating to junk status, piling more anguish on an economy already in recession and battered by Africa's worst coronavirus outbreak. Two other major international rating agencies Fitch and S&P had cut the credit rating of Africa's most developed economy to subinvestment level in 2017. Losing its last investment grade rating will see the country being excluded from the FTSE World Government Bond Index. The downgrade late Friday came as South Afric

March 28, 2020

[Graphic News] Samsung retains top spot in S. American smartphone market: data

　Samsung Electronics retained its dominant position in the South American smartphone market last year, data showed. 　Samsung accounted for 38 percent of the South American smartphone market in 2019, up 1.4 percentage points from a year earlier, according to market researcher Counterpoint Research. 　Motorola was the runner-up with a 15.5 percent market share, up 2.7 percentage points from a year ago, while Huawei Technologies came in third place and LG Electronics and Apple were fourth and

March 16, 2020

Global economic coordination lacking in virus crisis

With the global economy melting down after the failure of Lehman Brothers in 2008, world leaders swiftly created an international forum that committed to boost economies by spending more and keeping trade open. Central banks announced rate cuts within seconds of each other. The approach to the economic shock from the coronavirus outbreak is, so far, looking very different. The disease for most people causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some, it can cause more severe illness. With the w

March 15, 2020

Coronavirus puts 'fragile' global recovery at risk: IMF to G20

RIYADH (AFP) -- The deadly coronavirus epidemic could put an already fragile global economic recovery at risk, the IMF warned Sunday, as G20 financial chiefs voiced "real concern" over its economic ripple effects. Global growth was poised for a modest rebound to 3.3 percent this year, up from 2.9 percent last year, International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva said after a two-day meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Riyadh. But the projected recov

Feb. 24, 2020

Automakers in China gradually reopen after virus shutdown

BEIJING (AP) -- Automakers are reopening factories in China that were idled by anti-virus controls as they try to reverse a sales slump in their biggest market. Local officials have orders from the ruling Communist Party to get businesses functioning again while still enforcing anti-disease curbs that shut down much of the world's second-largest economy. "Local governments are putting their full weight behind helping businesses open,'' the president of the American Chamber of Commerce i

Feb. 17, 2020

IMF chief sees 'mild' virus impact on global economy

WASHINGTON (AFP) - It is too early to tell the economic toll from the virus outbreak in China, but the hit to global growth should be "mild," International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva said Wednesday. The death toll from the new coronavirus epidemic in China has climbed past 1,350, but hopes have risen that the outbreak could peak later this month. The IMF is expecting a "V-shaped impact," with a sharp decline in activity in China followed by a sharp recovery,

Feb. 13, 2020