In this episode, we sat down with Asia's top device analyst, IDC's Bryan Ma, to discuss the smartphone market in 2019. Listen in to find out about...

• His view on the latest flagship launches from Google, Apple, Samsung & Huawei
• The impact the China v US trade war will have on Huawei
• Whether we actually need foldable phones
• How much is too much for a smartphone
• Punk music, skateboarding, karaoke and much more...

Show Notes & Timestamps:

02:30  How did a skatepunk foodie from California end out as Asia’s top device analyst?

05:00 Bryan’s take on the Google Pixel 4 launch (loves the AI camera)

07:10 ...the Apple iPhone 11 Pro (loves the 3 lenses)

09:00 ...Samsung Galaxy S10 and Note 10 (he's worried their mainstream products are becoming “rather plain”)

10:50 ....Huawei Mate Pro (likes the Leica lens & sensors) - and what will the impact of the China v US trade war have on Huawei's future?

14:55 What camera functionality will drive future smartphone sales - the lens (e.g. Huawei w/ Leica) or the AI?

16:20 Why the hell would anyone want a foldable phone?

19:50 What is going to drive the next wave of differentiation in smartphones? (today it’s the camera, but the future is all about display technology)

27:50 How much is too much for a smartphone?

30:00 What’s the best phone to buy if I want…

• The best phone
• Best battery life

33:30 Which manufacturer has the best opportunity to gain market share in the next 24 months? His answer may surprise you! 

39:15 Wearables - i had made a prediction that said early adopters would be the only adopters for smartwatches - was I correct? Has the market taken off?

• We need use cases - e.g. Healthcare (Omate’s Elderly Care) or Vault Intelligence for Lone Worker protection

 43:30  Let’s go old school - what was your favourite smartphone pre-iOS and Android?

46:15 What mistakes did the old industry leaders (e.g.Blackberry, Nokia, Palm) make when they were on top of the market that led to their downfall?

Enough of the serious questions, let’s have some fun! 

50:00 What’s your most embarrassing moment you have had on TV?

51:45 You get to live you life all over again - what would you want to be next time?

• Device analyst
• Punk singer
• Karaoke singer
• Skateboarder
• Professional eater

53:00 What is Bryan’s favourite...

• Punk band
• Karaoke song (seriously, he said "Earth Wind & Fire")
• City for karaoke
• Drink while doing karaoke (Baijo - it’s rocket fuel)
• Post-karaoke food