Makers in the handset supply chain are set to post flat performance in the first quarter of 2014 as pull-in orders from ODMs and brand vendors are unlikely to come until March, according to industry sources.
Since the market is waiting for the release of new models, brand vendor HTC and ODMs Arima Communications and Compal Communications will see their sales decline in the first quarter, affecting business performance of component suppliers, the sources said.
Additionally, handset vendors will also focus on clearing out old models during the January-February period before launching new models at the end of the first quarter or in early second quarter, added the sources.
New models expected to come out in March or April will include HTC's M8, Samsung Electronics' Galaxy 5S, Sony Mobile's Xperia Z2, Nokia's Lumia 1820 and LG Electronics' G Pro 2, the sources noted.
The array of upcoming new smartphones is likely to come with QHD displays over 5-inch and to be powered by either Snapdragon 805 or 800AC CPUs, and mostly supporting fingerprint recognition, said the sources.
