65% Of Apple Inc. (AAPL) iOS Apps Are Failing To Entice Users: 39% Mobile Apps Being Used Actively In 2014

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June 16, 2014

The current generation is hungry for rapid evolving technology and the latest gadgets. The gadgets started off as fashion fad but slowing becoming an inseparable part of our daily life and smartwatch, among all these gadgets, is the most favorite. The domination of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (KRX:005930) on smartwatch industry looks far from the end, despite of upcoming strong competitors. The Korean electronics giant accounted for 34% of smartwatch units sold worldwide last year and in the last 8 months, Samsung Galaxy Gear accounted for 78% of total smartwatch sales revenue in the US – the largest smartwatch market as if now. A recent report by NPD Group has tracked down the sales of smartwatches and revenue generated by them in the U.S. for a eight-month period starting from October 6, 2013 to May 25, 2014. Nearly 3 million smartwatches were shipped worldwide and in last eight months. In U.S. half a million smartwatches were shipped during the last eight months and one-third of of these were sold during the holiday season alone. The total smartwatch sales in the U.S. generated $96 million as revenue since the last calendar quarter of 2013.

The recent report also inherits few findings that were recorded during the month of January. The aggressive marketing strategy, introduction of mid-range smartwatches are contributing to the general fluctuations in the average cost of a smartwatch. However, the current average cost of a smartwatch is roughly around $189. According to the study conducted in January this year, more than one-fifth of the U.S. consumers showed a keen interest in purchasing a smartwatch but the high cost of the device is a limiting factor. Almost one–third of 16-24 years of age and a quarter of the 25-34 year olds were interested in buying a smartwatch. Interestingly, women are more inclined to buy wearable gadgets as 58% women were found favouring to own it. Although only a narrow segment of society is fascinated by a smartwatch, the awareness of wearable gadgets has reached to a considerably high-level within short span of time.

The January report also tracked the awareness parameters in the US. More than half the consumers were found aware about a wearable technology and one out of 3 people were looking forward to buy one such device. The smart glasses had have the maximum appeal among the early adopters while a simple wearable fitness tracker apparently was not all that in demand with only 36% early adopters going for it; the smartwatch had the same percentage of consumers. The users had different preferences while going for a wearable gadget; they might prefer it for making or receiving calls, listening to music, taking photos, web browsing or counting calories. The designing and look was found to be a key aspect for consumers making a decision to buy a wearable gadget. The above statistics might have changed in last 6 months, but it help understand the adoption and users’ perspectives towards smartwatches in the U.S.

“Design has always been a key motivator for technology purchases, but for wearable devices there is a greater focus because the devices are worn externally,” said Ben Arnold, executive director, industry analyst The NPD Group.

Smartwatch, or for that matter any wearable gadget, is not restricted to it being used as a fitness tracking device. Though, many health-apps are being developed and 50% of consumers prefer using wearable fitness trackers for counting calories, wearable gadgets are increasingly being used for making or receiving calls, web browsing and many more productive activities. This will lead to greater demand of smartwatch apps and create more jobs for smartwatch app developers, estimated to grow up by 300% by the end of 2014.

The smartwatch shipment is expected to reach 373 million by 2020. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is venturing optimistically in the market with iWatch. Samsung and Pebble are already making their presence felt in the market.

The period from 2014 to 2015 is going to be interesting and decisive for the smartphone industry. The smartwatch industry is estimated to witnessed a ten-fold growth this year. The vendors’ penetration is not all that high and companies like Samsung and Pebble got a quick head-start. Samsung was the leader in global smartwatch shipments in the second half of 2013 with Pebble in the second lead. Samsung’s strategy in bundling Gear smartwatches with Galaxy and Note smartphone looks like a clear market winner.

Mozilla $25 Firefox OS Smartphone Will Kill The Feature Phone Market In India, Not Smartphone !

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June 14, 2014

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Mozilla is taking the smartphone, rather feature phone, market head-on in collaboration with Indian companies Intex and Spice. Powered by Spreadtrum Processor and based on Firefox OS, the company is launching $25 smartphones in India and Indonesia. The phone will reportedly be launched in July this year. The actual specifications of the product have not been revealed but a reference design discloses Spreadtrum SC6821 processor, 3.5″ HVGA touch screen display, integrated WiFi, Bluetooth, FM and camera. The phone is almost perfect for all those users willing to make a switch from feature phone to smartphones or making their foray into the world of mobile devices. But the major discussion here is whether Mozilla is attempting to take on the smartphone market or rather mutilate the feature phones in India to mere nothings.

Smartphone or a Feature Phone?

Unarguably, the smartphone market in India is price sensitive. 78% of smartphones shipped in India in Q1 2014 were below the range of $200 and the low-price smartphone phenomena continues at the global level as the average selling price of smartphone has been declining constantly for last few years to reach $260 in 2018. The smartphone penetration in India is below the mark as of now. India is the second largest country by the number of mobile subscriber with 933 million mobile subscribers but the total smartphone shipments reached at the end of Q1, 2014 remain at a meager 91.59 million – a mere 9.8%. This leaves more than 90% of mobile subscribers still in possession of a feature phone which they are more likely to upgrade. This portrays a huge opportunity-window for the vendors provided they come with cheaper smartphones. But the price at which Mozilla is venturing in the mobile phone market might kill the feature phone business as well. The feature phones in India start as low as $18-$20, while the Mozilla is launching its smartphone for $25. Getting a more functionally enabled phone just by investing another $5 seems a real wise move.

Indians tend to shy away, at first, from the technology due to lack of awareness and education about it and refrain from sending a huge amount of money. But a web-browsing enabled touch-screen cell phone with a camera, bluetooth, wi-fi, and preloaded app store seems a more mature, money-wise investment. Mozilla is duly optimistic about the smartphone expecting the shipment to reach 10 million units in the next 12 months. Moreover, the updated version of Firefox OS gives enhanced POP3 support, offers better gaming and messaging capabilities.

Feature Phone Vendors To Witness Strong Competition

The launch of $25 smartphone also presents a great challenge for feature phone vendors, especially Samsung and Nokia, in India. Nearly 71% of mobile phone sold in India during Q1 2014 were feature phones. Of this, Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd. (KRX:005935) and Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) has grabbed the biggest chunk of the pie. While Samsung is riding high with strong sales of its smartphones, Nokia is on bigger threat as the the company contributed just 4% to smartphone sales in the last quarter and majority of its revenue came from feature phone sales. Besides, homegrown vends, such as Micromax, Karbonn and Lava, will face the heat as feature phone sales are still the main drivers for the these companies.

The ‘Firefox’ Way May Have Less Apps

Mozilla $25 smartphone would be powered with relatively new Firefox OS. But the insiders at Mozilla believe they have a better chance at competing with the other new OS – be it Windows Phone 8 or Tizen. The biggest advantage with Firefox is that it is based on advanced HTML5 that is becoming popular among app developers. On the flip side, it will face the same problem Windows Phone 8 OS or forked Android going through due to the scarcity of apps. However, considering Mozilla Firefox is here to kill feature phone, its quite unlikely that availability of apps would be a considerable factor among feature phone users.

“With a $25 price tag, there is no price gap between a smartphone and a feature phone. This attractive price point would help motivate feature-phone users to switch to smartphones,” said Mozilla Chief Operating Officer Gong Li.

It will be interesting to watch out for the effect of $25 smartphone on the life-span of feature phone. The device may face severe competition in the smartphone market but at this cost, it will be the first choice for people going for a feature phone. The Firefox OS may present certain navigation problems but in India – a price-sensitive and less app-driven market – it could end up attracting the feature phone customers right away. Besides, it will go a long way in attracting students who are about to buy their first mobile device as a touch-screen with a camera phone and can still be a novelty in the interior parts of India.

Number Of Smartwatch App Developers To Grow By 300% By 2014E !

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Neeraj M

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June 13, 2014

Global Smartwatch industry will see a massive traction late this year. Almost every tech giant is gearing up to venture into smartwatch market, estimated worth $3 billion by B2C revenue in 2014. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iWatch, Microsoft Smartwatch, LG G Watch, Moto 360 and HTC One Wear and few of the most awaited smartwatches, scheduled to launch in the fall of 2014. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) is also tapping the market with engineering driven approach; Google Android Wear, the tweaked Android OS, especially designed for smartwatch, is reportedly around the corner.

The annual shipment of smartwatch is estimated to reach 373 million by 2020 and the growth will largely be fueled by Google Android Wear OS. On contrary, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (KRX:005930), the current leader of smartwatch industry, is chasing the market with new OS – Tizen.

The second half of 2014 is going to be full of excitement and releases with more than half a dozen of innovative products are lined up to debut. With so much happening around, this new infographic sheds light on current market scenario of smartwatch industry. Designed by DreamChrono and powered with Smartwatch Group data points, the infographic outlines the leaders of the industry by their market value shipment, industry projection, growth and much more. Not surprising enough, Samsung has topped the list with 800,000 units of smartwatch shipped during 2013.

The smartwatch shipment jumped to 3 million units in 2013, from 300K in the previous year, which results in an astounding 10X growth in a short span of time. Samsung grabbed the largest chunk of the pie with 34% market share, followed by Nike, Garmin, Fitbit, Sony and Pebble. Samsung led the market with distinctive margin; rest top players were engaged in a close competition with nearly 1% point difference in their market share.

Smartwatch industry is estimated worth $12.12 billion by 2015 and Healthcare industry is going to lead the growth. Applications areas, such as Medical Heath, Wellness, are going to be the main drivers. Interestingly, there would be more than 200 companies with smartwatch offerings by the end of 2014, up by 500% as compared to last year.

The evolution in smartwatch industry will also create a new opportunity window for all app developers. Smartwatch-only OS, such as Google Wear and Tizen, will create new revenue streams for app developers who have started feeling burn-out of already crowded smartphone app industry. As compared to 25,000 smartwatch app developers in 2013, the industry will gain attention of 100,000 smartwatch app developers by the end of 2014.

The smartwatch market is heading towards deserved price competition; the average price of smartwatch is expected to be $214. Samsung Gear 2 is ranked among the best smartwatch available in the market, but will face a tough fight from its archrival Apple.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) To Sell 80.59 Million iPhone In Fiscal Q3 And Q4 2014 [EXCLUSIVE]

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June 12, 2014

iPhone sales have always been a point of discussion among industry insiders and business analysts. Before every quarter, we see various projections that help to estimate the sales and performance of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). Recently Morgan Stanley’s AlphaWise Smartphone Tracker has come out with another report that predicts iPhone sales in the ongoing quarter to be 39 million. This spells a rather good quarter in favor of Apple if the estimate is accurate signalling 25% Y-o-Y growth. Taking a step further, we have factored many other aspects with the report, including Apple’s last three years quarterly and yearly iPhone sales performance, that have helped us to project nearly 41.59 million units of iPhone sales in the third quarter – or call it fourth fiscal quarter of 2014 for Apple – of this year.

The AlphaWise Smartphone Tracker may not be an accurate tracker but they have never missed the actual sales by more than a 10% point. In the last quarter, the forecast was 40.6 million units while the actual sales were 43.7 million units, 8% increase from the projection. The Consensus estimate – come from WSJ – missed the beat by almost 15%.

iPhone sales, generally, in any quarter are driven by various factors like the carrier deals, upgraded package and the impending launch of a new iPhone. Especially third and fourth quarters have been recording low sales in wake of the new iPhone release rumours in the following quarter.

Apple’s financial quarter is bit complex in comparison to calendar year. The financial year for the company starts from October 1 and end on September 30. Therefore, the last calendar quarter of any year is termed as first fiscal quarter of next year. To make the below calculations easier, all quarters are attributed to fiscal year.

iPhone Sales Grow By 81.8% in the Holiday Season

iPhone sales have always witnessed a remarkable boom during the festival season falls in the first fiscal quarter which corresponds to the last calendar quarter ends on December 31. During its first fiscal quarter of 2012, post the launch of iPhone 4S in October 2011, Apple sold 37.04 million iPhones, a staggering 116.9% Q-o-Q increase from fiscal Q4 2011, ended on September 30, 2011. Though Apple has not been able to break its own record for Q-o-Q growth, it registered another 77.9% growth in the fiscal Q1 2013 sales.

A similar trend was observed in fiscal Q1 2014, post the launch of iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, when a whooping 51 million iPhones were sold that resulted in a 50.8% Q-o-Q growth. In the past three years, the growth from fourth fiscal quarter to the following first fiscal quarter has been 81.8% on an average. Looking at the figures, it is easy to suggest that Apple has been timing the launch of iPhone intelligently for last three years, considering holiday season that follows iPhone launch. This is helping Apple to record upsurge in sales of just-launched iPhone every year.

Apple Most Likely To Witness a declining iPhone Sales in Q4, 2014

The hop from the third fiscal quarter to fourth fiscal quarter has been gradual – be it increase or decrease. In fiscal Q4 2013, Apple registered a disappointing Q-o-Q growth of 8.3%, while a year before in Q4 2012, it witnessed a marginal Q-o-Q growth of 3.4%. However, this does not follow an incremental pattern on yearly basis; in fiscal Q3 2011 20.34 million iPhone were sold, whereas in Q3 2102, Apple’s iPhone sales dived to mere 17.07 million, resulting in negative 16.07% Q-o-Q growth. Averaging the consequent growth and decline percentage, it is likely that Apple might witness another decline in its iPhone sales in Q4 2014. We have also tried to understand the Y-o-Y growth in iPhone shipment in fiscal Q4 that remained to 36.54% and 20.41% in 2013, respectively.

Considering Morgan Stanley’s forecast for fiscal Q3 2014 and its difference between projections and actual sales, Q-o-Q growth in fiscal Q3 and Q4 for last 3 years, and Y-o-Y growth pattern, it is safe to say that Apple might manage to close the fiscal 2014 with nearly 41.59 million iPhone shipments in Q4 2014.

The Cupertino-company needs to strategize on its iPhone sales before the launch of iPhone 6. The users will consider waiting for the latest, large-screened device rather than investing their money on an older device.

Will Apple Stick to The Forecast?

A recent report from IDC estimates 1.2 billion smartphone shipments in 2014, including 177.6 million iPhones shipments. Considering the 51 million and 43.7 million accomplished iPhone sales in fiscal Q1 2014 and Q1 2014 respectively in accordance to estimated iPhone shipments in Q3 and Q4, Apple is expected to close the ongoing fiscal year, ending on September 30, 2014, with nearly 175.29 million shipments of iPhone. In fiscal Q3 and Q4 together, the company is expected to sell nearly 80.59 million units of iPhone. In fiscal Q1 2015, Apple is reportedly set to launch two variants of iPhone 6, which will apparently help the company to witness the best performing quarter of the calendar year 2014. Last year Apple sold 51 million units of iPhone during the same quarter and even if the company manages to sell equal number of iPhone – quite likely more than that, though – it will beat the IDC’s 177.6 million projection, so the total number of smartphone shipmates in 2014.

With the onslaught of variety of smartphones, Apple might have to rework its strategy and launch iPhones in the entry-level segment as well as with a larger screen if it wants to stick with the earlier predicted iPhone 6 sales of 90 million. It could be well achieved if the giant-screen variant of iPhone 6, with 5.5 inches screen, could get expected market response. Apple is targeting to sell atleast 20 million iPhone 6 phablet devices in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. And, if the sales figures stands anywhere close to estimations, Apple could sell well above 210 million units of iPhone in 2014 (calendar). However, the high Average Selling Price (ASP) of iPhone might push away the informed customers.

ZTE Introduces ZTE Open C For $100: New Firefox OS To Help Improve Market Share ?

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June 11, 2014

The first smartphone on the latest version of Mozilla Firefox OS, ZTE Open C, is officially on sale on eBay. The Firefox OS version 1.3 is based on HTML5 and has been updated for better performance. The ZTE Open C, priced at $99.99, is currently targeting the markets of U.S., UK, Germany, Russia and more than 20 other European countries. But the bigger question remains, why is ZTE targeting the markets with Firefox OS ?

“We are excited to work together with Mozilla and eBay to offer the ZTE Open C to consumers globally, following our successful collaboration last year. ZTE will continue to make a comprehensive range of innovative devices available to appeal to consumers who demand great user experience and performance, at different price points,” said Adam Zeng, CEO of ZTE Mobile Devices.

The ZTE Open C comes packed with 4-inch screen, 1.2 GHz Qualcomm processor based on A7 architecture, 512 MB RAM and an all-plastic body. The latest Firefox OS offers dual-sim dual-standby, improved MMS capabilities, POP3 support, and direct access of music from lock screen and improved support from graphics and gaming.

Why Is ZTE Targeting the Markets with Firefox OS?

Smartphone penetration is increasing rapidly. In Q1 2014, 285 million smartphones were shipped and the figure is expected to reach 1.8 billion units by 2018. The same report forecasts the loss of market share of Android and iOS. However, this will be good news for Windows Phone and other OSs. The market share of other OSs is expected to increase by 3x and this is the market ZTE and Firefox are targeting for.

Samsung Electronics co., Ltd. (KRX:005930) is the undisputed leader in the Android-powered smartphones’ market as it has placed its bet in all segments of smartphone. ZTE has attempted to tap this market with a new approach by launching smartphones as low as $100. These smartphones focus mainly on users trying to make a shift from feature-phones to smartphones.

Another important aspect to factor is the target markets. Countries like U.S. and U.K. are driven by mid and premium range smartphones, largely by iPhone. The smartphone penetration in US has already reached nearly 70%. These developed countries apparently have next-to-nil market for entry-level smartphones due to the greatest exposure and high consumption of app usage by users. Therefore, by factoring such scenarios, the decision to introduce a dirt-cheap entry-level smartphone to matured is unlikely to bring much of sales to ZTE.

Will ZTE Lose or Gain with Firefox OS?

The Firefox OS is technically fine but it has its drawbacks. It gives the basic experience of an app-based smartphone but navigation between apps can be a bit tiring. However, with this price range, it can be a win-win situation for both Firefox and ZTE. Though Motorola launched Moto E at a price range of $129, Mozilla is also planning to take a step ahead by launching smartphones as low as $25 featuring Firefox OS.

The patent fee which is to be paid to Microsoft for use of Android is another factor that can cause vendors to make the switch from Android to Firefox OS. Even a less amount of patent fee increases the overall ASP (Average Selling Price) of the device. The users prefer going for a low priced device while buying their first smartphones.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) Lost LTE Smartphone Market Share In Q1 2014: Samsung And China Top Gainers !

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June 11, 2014

It’s hard to believe that it’s been just two years since Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) took its first step into the field of 4G with iPhone 5 and with in such brief duration the company has turned the market in its favour. In Q1 2014, Apple grabbed 42% share of the global LTE smartphone shipments, thereby leading the pack, claims a recent Counterpoint report. But this didn’t surprise much as one out of three LTE smartphones, largely addressed as 4G smartphones, shipped shipped in the U.S. – home country of Apple. On the flip side, Apple lost 2% of its LTE smartphone market, largely to Samsung, in Q1 2014.

Mobile phones have had an interesting history; from a simple bar-phone used for making calls to phones specifically developed for messaging, from the feature phones to high-end smartphones and now the latest version LTE smartphones and phablets. The adoption of 4G smartphones is pacing in countries like Korea, Japan, Australia and U.S., which are also known as early adopters of mobile technologies. In Q1 2014, more than one-fourth of smartphone shipments constituted of LTE smartphones globally, while USA alone accounted for one-third of the LTE smartphone shipments.

LTE Smartphone Shipments Grew by 91% Annually

The total smartphone shipments in Q1 2014 stood at 285 million units, resulting in a 33% Y-O-Y growth, while LTE smartphone shipments grew at an astounding 91%. However, this is not surprising since the mobile data traffic is projected to grow to 2.5 GB per active mobile subscriber from 650 MB in 2013, an astounding 4X growth in next 5 years.

Korea and Japan are the forerunners in the field of 4G technology, but China has surpassed Korea and is expected to leapfrog Japan by the end of 2014 to become the second largest LTE smartphone market globally. China boasted of 97.5 million smartphone shipments in Q1 2014 which accounted for 93% of total mobile phone shipments in China. The growth of smartphone shipments in China is directly linked to the rapid adoption of 4G technology.

European countries have access to 3G technology, while 4G adoption is rampant. Currently, North America and Western Europe boast of a larger share in global mobile data traffic but APAC will emerge as the major contributor by 2019. The technology is gradually shifting from 2G to 3G and now towards the faster 4G.

Kyocera Records a 375% Annual Growth

The combined share of Apple, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (KRX:005930) and LG Electronics Inc. (KRX:066570) accounted for three-fourth of the global LTE smartphone market.

The top-5 fastest growing LTE smartphone brands are Kyocera Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:KYO), ZTE, Huawei Technology Co. Ltd. (SHE:002502), Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) and LG.

Fujitsu Limited (ADR) (OTCMKTS:FJTSY) and BlackBerry Ltd. (NADSAQ:BBRY) are the only companies to record a negative growth.

Samsung and Apple are the key players in the leading LTE smartphone markets of USA, China, Korea and Japan. Though Samsung doubled the number of its LTE smartphone shipments, its global share in the market increased marginally. The Chinese and Japanese vendors, with the LTE smartphones in the range of $150-$200 (sub 1000 Yuan), are expected to capture a sizeable share of market. Kyocera, the Japanese mobile vendor, recorded the greatest growth, a whooping 375%, while ZTE grew at a rate of 225% annually in LTE smartphone shipments. LG is expected to maintain its annual growth with its much talked-about flagship product, LG G3.

The Effect of 4G on Battery Life

The battery of mobile phones has always been a cause of concern for the mobile users. The larger screen size, the increasing processing capabilities of smartphones, data transfer at high-speed; all eat into the battery levels of the phone. A majority of users rely on battery-saving applications to conserve the battery for longer backup. Our smartphones are indispensible for us and in the coming days, with the faster 4G technology, they’ll be more likely used for browsing and video consumption. By 2019, almost 50% of smartphone users will be using 4G technology. The smartphone vendors will have to pay a lot more attention to the battery life in order to lure the customers.

The 4G technology is growing by leaps and bounds and it presents an opportunity-window for the home-grown vendors. Though the smartphone market in developed countries is stagnating, there is still scope for the LTE smartphones. However, it is pertinent for companies to play at entry-level and mid-range smartphones. Super-LTE phones are expected to play a major share in the market with multi-mode and multi-band services.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005935) Set To Sell First Tizen Smartphone Samsung Z: Will The Effort Pay Off ?

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Vasanth R

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June 10, 2014

Samsung Electronics Co.Ltd. (KRX:005935) has recently announced its decision to launch its first Tizen OS powered smartphone the Samsung Z in Russia. The smartphone powered with open-sourced Tizen OS will be available in the country from coming July onwards. This announcement comes soon after the Korean electronics giant unveiled the Simband and SIMI and other products powered by Tizen OS. It’s becoming increasingly clear that the Samsung-Tizen combination is aiming to be the next big ecosystem in the global consumer device market.

As mentioned earlier, the development is as a huge gamble for Samsung and its future ambitions. With this launch, Samsung’s global reach in consumer electronics is effectively being translated into an entire ecosystem, powered by Tizen OS. It also signals the company’s intention of gaining a lead in the internet of things (IoT).

Is A Tizen OS Ecosystem Really Feasible?

In Q1 2014, Samsung had a share of 32% of the global smartphone market, with 89 million smartphone shipments. Although sales are high, low-cost locally made Android handsets are providing tough competition to Korean giant in India and China. To distinguish itself from all other OEM’s, Samsung has been silently developing Tizen in partnership with Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) and other carriers over the past few years. These efforts have allowed Samsung to race ahead of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and others in the wearables market, although it faces challenges there as well.

It is still too early to dismiss the Tizen ecosystem as a far-fetched dream of Samsung, which will never be accepted on the scale of Android. The sucess or failure of the Tizen OS depends on its functionality and the availability of apps. A Tizen powered smartphone bears an uncanny resemblance to Android, albeit with far fewer apps. The Tizen powered smartphone may be just the beginning as Samsung’s ambition is to have connected TVs, Fridges and other devices all powered by its own OS. As it is already a leader in consumer electronics, the company has a clear vision of its long-term agenda.

Apple Will Face The Heat From Samsung’s New Ecosytem

Samsung’s reluctance to continue with Android OS can be seen in its lack of initiative in countering Motorola’s Moto G, which has gained tremendously because of its budget price. Although the average ASP of a smartphone is on a decline, Samsung is well-aware of, and enjoying too, the high profits to be gained from selling mid range and high-end smartphones. Hence the Tizen OS smartphone will be released first in emerging markets and will be priced competitively.

Till Tizen OS becomes more widely accepted, Google is unlikely to be affected, at least in the smartphone segment where it has 80% share of the market. The main target will be Apple, which is yet to unveil its first wearable product, iWatch is reportedly schedule for October, and this is the segment where Samsung will hurt Apple the most as it will follow the same strategy it did with smartphones. Thorough its massive advertising power, it may well have the advantage it needs to take on Apple and Android simultaneously.

Will Samsung Android Users Move To Tizen OS?

Samsung has repeatedly followed a policy of trial and error, and it is also extremely efficient at launching new products at random intervals to hold on to consumer interest, unlike Apple which believes in only the best quality products. Apple’s flourishing ecosystem of Macs, iPads iPhones are maintained by its high-end consumers who are loyal to their brand, no matter the price. The very reason behind its retention rate of 76% among users, while Samsung has struggled to win customer satisfaction even in its home country. This simple reason could be a major folly for Samsung just as Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) failed when it launched Windows 8 OS. If the strategy succeeds however, Samsung will create a new ecosystem to rival Microsoft Windows and Apple’s iOS.

Most of Samsung’s core customers were gained through sales of low-end product and it is not clear if Android users will see any benefits in moving to the Tizen platform. This would turn Samsung into a company similar to Nokia, which is still struggling to find its way despite doubling its shipment in Q1 2014. Several developers have also expressed reservations about developing HTML 5 apps for Tizen OS.

Samsung Will Not Risk Venturing Into Europe and the U.S.

Samsung is hoping to use Russian and India as launch pad for Tizen OS as it has the greatest share of smartphone market in both countries and the lack of apps will also cease to be a factor. Till it becomes more universally accepted, Samsung will need to keep developing Tizen OS before it can venture into Europe and America where Android and iOS still dominate. The next two years could see the release of a variety of products all powered by Tizen OS. Unless users see real benefit in moving to a new platform, Samsung will struggle to make any early gains. The company has scaled up to a point where it aims to be a complete consumer electronics giant, independent from others.

Is The Tizen shift in Samsung’s best interest? Moreover will Apple be able to counter the new threat? Do let us know in the comments section below.

50% Gamers Are Spending Playing-Time On Smartphone And Tablet !

By

Tejas Tripathi

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June 10, 2014

In respect to gaming world in current market where gaming companies prolong to generate new addictive games, applications and new generation consoles, gaming has a wide range of experiences and options for gamers to hold on to. A new report from Nielsen, shedding light on the gamers in the U.S., claims that gamers are spending more time on gaming platforms than ever before and smartphones have emerged as the mains drivers to this growth. The 360º Gaming Report states that weekly-invested time on multi-platform gaming has reached to 6.3 hours in 2013, a 12% increase from the previous year.

Gaming has its own sentiments and addiction, may it be a full-fledged console, handheld micro console device, smartphone, tablet device or a personal computer. The changing equation of the device market is pushing game/app development companies to launch more number of games. Besides, gamification of products/services is a new marketing strategy of companies to create increase awareness and user engagement. Besides offline gaming habits, users are also tend to turn towards more on internet games. As technology marches on, the scope of internet gaming – or iGaming as it’s called – continue to expand and sites like this online gambling site are significantly penetrating this industry, estimated worth US$41.4 billion annually by 2015.

In last three years, U.S. gamers have found smartphones and tablet as a new gaming companion. Explosive adoption, more powerful processor and larger screen have made Smartphones and tablets best suitable to play games on-the-go. This has strengthened the gamers to take there gaming world with them almost everywhere, be it inside the home or outside. The increased time spend on gaming is attributed to adoption of smartphone and tablet as gaming devices. Nearly 50% console gamers in the U.S. used a smartphone or tablet to play game in 2013, which is 15% higher than 2011.

However, 7th generation consoles are still the most favourite among gamers in the U.S., PC are not far behind though. Gamers are reportedly shifting their weekly gaming time to smartphone and tablet due to the comfort of multi-tasking and on-the-go elements comes with these devices. In 2013, gamers in the U.S. are spending 19% of their gaming time on smartphone and tablet, combined, which is more than double the time they used to invest in 2011. Interestingly, gamers have also started exploring much advanced 8th generation gaming consoles in 2013 and this figure is poised to grow in next few years. PC and 7th generation devices are constantly losing their grip on gamers, they still controls two-third of gamers time.

Adventure And Puzzle Games Are The Favourites

A recent study done by InMobi, titled Mobile Gaming Cross-Market Analysis, depicted that RPG, Adventure Games and Puzzle Games are more preferred and are favourites among US gamers. Among two, Puzzle Games are being played almost every second gamer in the U.S., while one out of every four gamers in the U.S. play Adventure games. The main reason for this trend is pegged to high adoption of smartphones and responsibilities of home and family.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPad Users Are High Consumers Of Gaming, Media And Entertainment Content All Day !

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June 10, 2014

Since their inception, the tablets and smartphones have ventured into our lives like no other device has ever done. A recent Flurry report attempts to track down the usage of tablets in general and iPad in particular with regard to different age groups and the productivity they offer. The tablets were touted to be devices that would take over lives, with the potential to replace magazine racks and television and at some point of time, computers too. But, its interesting to know that after 4 years of introduction of iPad by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), the tablets are somewhere losing their edge. Now a smartphone with a large screen or a phablet is more preferable for all our work.

In Q1 2014, Apple shipped just 16.4 million units of iPads. The declining sales are a cause of worry for Apple but these low sales figures are in contrast with the aggressive sales of iPhone. However, in the past four years, the tablets especially iPads, have become an essential part of an average U.S. household. To study the roles of tablets, Flurry has attempted to break down the usage of tablet in two major categories – media consumption and productivity. The audience has also been segmented in two categories – age group of 13 to 24 which includes teenagers and college students and the working adults that comprise the 25 to 54 age group.

Adults and Teenagers Both Follow the Similar Pattern

The media consumption of the adults and teenagers is conspicuously similar. Both the age groups prefer to use tablets in the prime time, i.e 7pm to 11pm. The media consumption includes Gaming, Media and Entertainment app usage. This clearly portrays the fact that by 2019, almost 50% of data consumption will come from videos, considering all the three industries are more focused on video contents. Though the excessive usage of tablets is not new, it sure is a disturbing trend. The over-usage of apps has led almost 12.5% of mobile users to become mobile addicts.

The findings highlight one important factor: the consumption of entertainment, media and gaining content, via app, among tablet users in general and iPad users in particular is high due to all-day usage by both age group people. The consumption reaches to the peak between 7 pm and 8 pm and declines shapely after 9 pm.

Working Class Rarely Uses Tablets as a Replacement to Computer

The teenage and college group is slowly migrating from traditional PCs to tablets. Therefore major usage hours are mornings as they wake-up, mid-afternoon, mid-evening and late night. However, the adults preferred to keep their tablets low during the office-hours while the usage drastically went up the prime-time. But this might change in favour, since the introduction of MS Office on iPad and the giant-screen tablets, like Microsoft Surface-Pro 3, are now available along with a detachable keyboard. Another point in favour is the introduction of various business and productivity apps combined with the growing BYOD culture. A report suggests that Business and productivity app market would be worth $58 billion by 2016 and the availability of big screen tablets and commonly used business apps like Microsoft Office will fuel this growth.

The usage pattern of tablets suggests two major scenarios – either the tablets are losing their identity or they present an outstanding opportunity for vendors as well as users for their capability to replace PCs. There’s no doubt that a modern day smartphone can perform all the major functions but the tablets present the advantage of a dedicated device. Moreover, the average life-span of a smartphone is 2 years while that of a tablet is 4-5 years.

Four Ways That Technology Is Changing The Way We Do Business !

By

Dazeinfo

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June 10, 2014

Not that long ago, if you wanted to make an appointment to bring your car in, you called the fix-it shop and hoped the busy mechanic had the time to answer the phone. Now, you can schedule it online. And when it was time to pay their employees, business owners had to set aside a couple of hours to cut the checks. Now, all such tasks can be handled by automated software much efficiently.

These are just some of the many ways technology is changing the way that we do business as business owners and as a consumers. Consider the following four nifty devices and systems that often save time and even money:

Automated software

Automated software is becoming an increasingly popular technological option with business owners, Adotas notes. Not only can these programs save business owners both time and money by having the software handle various tasks instead of employees, it can also simplify and streamline these tasks. For example, automated software is now being used to handle finances and payments, to back up data on computers and other devices, and even to take care of things like marketing.

Cloud-based services

This is another money-saving technology that is ideal for business owners who want to improve and grow their IT capabilities, store tons of data in an easy-to-access format, or perform a variety of other tasks. For example, business owners who want to save money by avoiding purchasing data storage hardware can turn to cloud storage technology for their servers, as Carbonite notes.

Cloud-based technology is also helping business owners and changing the way they conduct business in the event of a natural disaster or loss of information. Instead of using traditional costly and time-consuming disaster recovery software and services, cloud-based backups keep valuable data safe and sound no matter what Mother Nature or hackers dish out. For people who want to give the cloud a try for their business but are not sure if they can learn to use the technology, many companies offer user-friendly programs. For example, Zipwire offers a cloud-based contact center that business owners can easily learn to use and manage — all for an affordable price.

Websites, emails and apps—oh my!

Technology is revolutionizing the way business owners are communicating with their customers. From emailing clients to remind them about hair appointment to websites that allows customers to place orders, ask questions and leave feedback, these methods make it easier than ever to stay in touch with clients and get more business.

Radio Frequency Identification

RFID technology is poised to change the way companies do business. Radio frequency identification involves using microchips filled with important data that are then attached to items before they are shipped out to customers across the country and even the world. The microchips help business owners accurately track where the shipments are at all times, valuable data for both the business owner and the customers who are waiting for their shipments.

Nokia Lumia 520 Is The Most Popular Windows Phone: Lumia 72x and 62x Are Catching Up Fast !

By

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June 9, 2014

The $7.18 billion acquisition of Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) by Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is finally paying off. Nokia continues to capture the Windows Phone market like no other OEM does and Lumia 520 successfully hogs one-third of the Worldwide Windows Phone device market. Out of the 10 countries surveyed for the AdDuplex Report for May 2014, Lumia 520 emerged as the most popular Windows Phone in 9 countries. The report is based on data collected from 4,114 Windows Phone apps running AdDuplex SDK v.2. However, Nokia Lumia 625, previously perceived as the next Nokia’s volume seller, captured less than one-fourth of the share of Nokia Lumia 520.

These findings clearly portray the different adoption scenario of Windows Phone devices in various countries. It also highlights the growth of low-end, mid-range and high end Windows phones, and phablets. Besides worldwide Windows Phone OS market scenario, the market share of Windows devices OEM is another highlight of the report.

According to another report, Windows Phone recorded a positive growth in all but two countries in the 3 months ended in April, 2014. The decision of Microsoft to waive the licensing fees for all the manufacturers, developing a smartphone under 9-inch screen size, is a sure way to lure the OEMs. Despite this, any other vendor, apart from Nokia, has not been able to capture a sizeable chunk of the market. AdDuplex points out that Poland is the only nation where any other brand, other than Nokia, has featured in the list of top-3 Windows Phone devices. HTC 8S has seized a 9.4% Windows Phone device market share in Poland.

Lumia 520 Captures More Than Half-the Market in Many Countries

The quick adoption rate of Windows 8.1 and the low-price have been the facilitator of huge market captured by Nokia Lumia 520. In Spain and South Africa Lumia 520 has captured more than half the Windows Phone Market with 52.1% and 51.1% market share, respectively, while in the U.S., Lumia 521 and Lumia 520, together, have captured 54.9% market. The emerging smartphone markets are price-sensitive and this has a clear impact on the sales of Windows phone devices too. Almost 53.3% Windows Phone users have affability towards the low-priced Windows devices, while a meager 2% market share was captured by Windows powered phablets.

Windows Phone 8.1, though, is in nascent stage with 5.2% of Windows Phone OS market, its better and advanced features are already luring the customers. The changes in the user-interface, bevy of built-in apps and Cortana, the personal voice assistant, are some of the features attracting the users. In the upcoming months, Windows 8.1 will be available as a free download to the existing users. Windows Phone 8 OS still holds three-fourth of the total Windows Phone OS.

Lumia 72x and 62x Are Catching Up Fast

Nokia Lumia 72x – 710 and 720 – and Lumia 62x – Lumia 610,Lumia 620 and Lumia 625 – are the high and mid-range Windows powered devices. Countries like Brazil, Russia, France, Czech Republic, Poland and Thailand are shifting towards the higher-range smartphones. In Russia, the combined market share of Lumia 72x and 62x is more than Lumia 520 while in Brazil, the Lumia 710 and 720 capture almost one-third of the Windows Phone market combined. Interestingly, the collective Windows Phone market share of Lumia 610,620,625,710 and 725 is almost the same as Lumia 520’s share in India, though the country is touted as one of the most price sensitive, but fastest emerging, smartphone markets. In Q1 2014, India recorded 186% Y-O-Y growth, resulting in 17.59 million units of smartphone shipments.

Surprisingly, Windows Phone market in Thailand has not changed much in last nine months. However, it is the only nation where Lumia 1520 and Lumia 1320 featured in top-10 Windows Phone devices. The Windows Phone market, at the cost of iOS and Android, is rapidly moving forward. The U.S. smartphone market is saturating, while the European nations are shifting towards the Windows Phone. However, it will be interesting to watch out for the incoming vendors and the their contribution to the market.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone 6 New Leaked Images: 12 Mega-Pixel Camera, 4.7-Inch Screen !

By

Neeraj M

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June 8, 2014

The latest leaked images of Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 6 has confirmed that the next iPhone going to have rounded corners, bigger screen and power button on the side. These new leaked images of iPhone 6 are much clearer and looks quite genuine than the one leaked last month. However, both the leaks justify new iPhone 6 with a bigger screen and back panel with Apple logo-cut.

Nowhereelse.fr first exposed the latest leaked images, claimed to be Apple’s next-generation iPhone 6. In accordance to earlier leaked image, iPhone 6 appears to be an entirely metal panel, but ditching glass strips found on iPhone 5 and iPhone 6, but still keeping separation line near those.

The latest leaked images of iPhone 6 also shows off the side views that details about the volume button and a mute switch button on the left side of the iPhone 6. On the right side of the panel there is a SIM Card slot and a new power button, which is shifted from the top of the device in earlier iPhones.

Importantly, the hole for the camera flash is still rounded unlike the oval shape in iPhone 5S. This strengthens the earlier claims that Apple may be introducing an upgraded camera quality and may abandon “True Tone” flash it introduced in iPhone 5S. Possibility of introducing a 12-megapixel camera with iPhone 6 is quite high, however Apple could surprise us all with 16-megapixel-camera quality.

Apple is expected to announce the launch of iPhone 6 either in late August or early September this year. However, few rumors have claimed that Cupertino-company would launch iPhone 6 along with iWatch in the month of October. Chances for Aug-Sep launch are much higher as Apple may introduce larger-screen iPhone 6 Phablet devices along with iWatch in another event somewhere in October. Apple has reportedly restarted the production of 5.5-inches iPhone 6 Phablet devices, whose production was halted due to battery issue. Company is reportedly targeting to ship 20 million iPhone 6 Phablet devices this year.

After 4 Years Jobs Are Back In The U.S.: 58% People Employed Now [REPORT]

By

Aarzu Khan

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June 8, 2014