Smartphone production declines

Smartphone production in China is weakening. In the first eight months of this year, the country’s manufacturers produced 679 million smartphones, the South China Morning Post reported on Friday, citing data from the Ministry of Information. That is 7.5 percent less than in the same period last year. According to the report, the second quarter was particularly weak: Manufacturers recorded the lowest sales since 2014 as the weak economy curbs consumption.