Smartphone shipments in 2019 are predicted to reach 1.35 billion units, a year-on-year fall of 3.1%, the research firm Canalys says, adding that this reflects a lowered forecast due to the increasing uncertainty that a trade deal will be reached by the US and China.

The global smartphone market faces another challenging year in 2019, with the US-China trade war the factor that will have the biggest say on whether the market returns to growth or not, the research firm IDC says.

The emergence of 5G and the use of smartphone cameras and other devices is set to bring significant change to consumer shopping habits and the retail sector, according to newly released research.