Archive for the ‘smartphones’ Category
Friday, May 10th, 2013
 What is the ideal smartphone size? for most consumers, bigger is better.
In the second half of 2012 existing smartphone owners were most likely to be interested in devices with a screen size between 4.2-inches and 4.7-inches. The Strategy Analytics’ Wireless Device Lab report, “Smartphone Size Preference on the Rise: 4.5″ Most Preferred Size” found an increase in the most preferred smartphone screen size from the same period in 2011, where a 4.3-inch device was most preferred.
Smartphone intenders show greater interest in slightly smaller devices than existing smartphone owners. Males preferred smartphones with larger screens than females, while current brand of smartphone also impacts future screen size preferences.
Nearly all want a bigger screen
Nearly all respondents showed a preference for their next phone to have a larger screen size than their existing handset.
Those small phones are not all that lighter or easier to carry than slightly larger ones and the larger screens are much easier to navigate by touch and provide a superior reading or viewing experience. Here at the TechJournal, we’ve tested a wide-range of smartphones over the years, and even though we have small fingers, those with smaller screens were the most difficult to use and the least satisfactory.
“As consumer acceptance of smartphone sizes increases, many smartphone manufacturers are making larger and larger products,” commented Paul Brown , a Director in the Strategy Analytics User Experience Practice (UEP).
Potential for “phablets”
“The intention of many manufacturers to drive screen size up has been very clear over recent months, and there is the potential for ‘phablets’ at the lower end of the size scale to become more mainstream – especially as manufacturers work to maximize the ratio of screen to overall size, therefore providing a larger screen on a smaller form factor.”
Kevin Nolan , Vice-President for the User Experience Practice at Strategy Analytics, added, “As screen size increases, the way in which consumers interact with the device also needs to be considered. Larger devices are harder to interact with one-handed, and so it is important for user-interfaces, and especially on-screen key placements, to be designed to allow for easy interaction.”
We’ve said this many times at the TechJournal, but the real game-changer for smartphone and tablet use will be very good voice interfaces. While Apple’s Siri is a move in that direction, it’s just a beginning.
Tags: consumer preferences, phablets, screen size, smartphones
Posted in Digital Devices, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Friday, May 3rd, 2013
 Local search via non-PC devices continues its significant pace of growth, driven by the rapid adoption of smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices, according to a report by the Local Search Association and prepared by comScore, Inc.
The continuing shift of mobile usage signals an opportunity for local businesses to evaluate where they devote their online ad spending.
Specifically, the report shows:
- Traffic to online directories and other local resources from non-PC devices more than quadrupled in 2012, reaching 27 percent share of total web traffic in December 2012 from 6 percent share in December 2011. The percentage growth of page hits on online directories and other local resources from non-PC devices grew at more than double the 8 percent growth rate in total web traffic on non-PC devices in 2012.
- 48 percent of U.S. mobile users used their devices to access local content in December 2012, up from 42 percent in December 2011.
- When compared to all smartphone users, Internet Yellow Pages (IYP) app users are more attractive to advertisers based on their age, income, average monthly spending and typical exposure to ads.
The Local Mobile Search report looks at the evolving mobile environment in the U.S. and the growing role of smartphones, tablets and other connected devices in the local search experience, highlighting trends in online directory and IYP usage and demographics. The report is based on December 2012 data from several comScore digital and mobile metrics databases.
Internet Yellow Pages Accessed by Highly Desirable Mobile Users
The comScore data found that IYP app users represent a desirable demographic for local businesses looking to attract new customers:
- More than half of all IYP app users (53 percent) are age 25-44.
- IYP app users are 51 percent more likely to have an income greater than $100,000 versus all smartphone users.
- IYP app users are more prolific shoppers than average smartphone users. 41 percent of IYP users make at least one on-phone purchase per month, versus 19 percent of all smartphone users.
- IYP app users spend considerably more in on-phone purchases than all smartphone users, with 10 percent of IYP app users spending a monthly average of more than $500 on on-phone purchases, versus 4 percent of all smartphone users.
Tool for businesses
Approximately 8 percent of smartphone users accessed IYP apps in the fourth quarter of 2012, while a larger portion – 12 percent of users – leveraged IYP mobile sites via their browser.
“IYP mobile apps are a powerful tool for local businesses to reach ready-to-buy consumers,” said Neg Norton , president of the Local Search Association. “As the market continues to evolve, IYP mobile apps represent an easy first-step for local businesses to expand their integrated advertising efforts into the mobile space.”
Local Searchers Prefer Apps to Browser
As a growing number of consumers use mobile to access local content such as business directories, classified ads, maps, and movie information, they are showing a preference for applications over browsers.
Approximately 77 million smartphone owners relied on applications to visit local content in December 2012, up 22 percent since December 2011. About 69 million users relied on browsers in December 2012, up 12 percent since December 2011.
“Growth in local mobile engagement, particularly via online directories and other local resources, presents a clear opportunity for local search companies to promote their innovative tools to connect businesses and consumers,” said Norton.
“While consumers are showing a preference for apps over browsers, offerings on both platforms deserve attention and investment.”
Online Traffic Patterns Rapidly Changing
The report shows that rapid growth of connected devices is drastically changing how consumers access the Internet. In 2012, growth in the number of PC users accessing the Internet flat-lined for the first time. By contrast, the share of web traffic from non-PC devices including smartphones and tablets more than doubled to 15 percent in December 2012 versus 7 percent in December 2011.
More than one in three (37.3 percent) of all U.S. smartphone users also owned other connected devices at the end of 2012, including tablets (28.8 percent), eReaders (10.0 percent) and other handhelds like portable gaming devices (4.1 percent), providing consumers with additional ways to access the Internet.
“The media landscape continues to diversify as more consumers begin using smartphones, tablets and other connected devices in their daily lives,” said Norton. “Local businesses should pursue mobile advertising strategies and introduce smartphone and tablet-friendly websites to reach consumers increasingly accessing the web from non-PC devices.”
Tags: apps, comScore, Internet Yellow Pages, local search, mobile devices
Posted in Internet/New Media, Marketing, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech life/Culture | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013
A smart phone can contain a lot of information that its owner would rather keep private. But 39 percent of the more than 100 million American adult smart phone owners fail to take even minimal security measures, such as using a screen-lock, backing up data, or installing an app to locate a missing phone or remotely wipe its data, according to Consumer Reports’ Annual State of the Net survey.
At least 7.1 million smart phones were irreparably damaged, lost, or stolen and not recovered last year, Consumer Reports projects. Yet 69 percent of smart phone users hadn’t backed up their data, including photos and contacts. Just 22 percent had installed software that could locate their lost phone.
“When you take your smart phone into your confidence, so to speak, you’re also taking in a host of parties, including app developers, your wireless carrier and phone manufacturer, mobile advertisers, and the maker of your phone’s operating system,” said Jeff Fox , Technology Editor, Consumer Reports.
Take basic precautions
“We recommend that all smart phone users take the basic precautions we outline in this report to ensure that their phones are secure from wireless threats.”
The full report can be found in the June 2013 issue of Consumer Reports and online at ConsumerReports.org.
The report revealed that though most smart-phone users haven’t suffered serious losses because of their phone, there are wireless threats that merit concern.
Among them: malicious software. Last year, 5.6 million smart-phone users experienced undesired behavior on their phones such as the sending of unauthorized text messages or the accessing of accounts without their permission, CR projects. Those symptoms are indicative of the presence of malicious software.
Location tracking can lead to trouble
The location tracking feature that all smart phones have can also leave users vulnerable to wireless threats. One percent of smart phone users told Consumer Reports that they or a person in their household had been harassed or harmed after someone used such location tracking to pinpoint their phone.
CR also projects that at least 5.1 million preteens use their own smart phones. In doing so, they may unwittingly disclose personal information or risk their safety.
A smart phone can be quite secure if users take a few basic precautions, Consumer Reports found. Those precautions include:
- Using a strong pass code. A four-digit one, which 23 percent of users told CR that they used, is better than nothing. But on Android phones and iPhones earlier than the iPhone 5, a thief using the right software can crack such a code in 20 minutes, according to Charlie Miller , security engineer for Twitter. A longer code that includes letters and symbols is far stronger.
- Install apps cautiously. Malicious apps may not lurk around every corner, but they’re out there and can be tricky to spot. For example, CR projects that 1.6 million users had been fooled into installing what seemed to be a well-known brand-name app but was actually a malicious imposter.
- Be alert to insecure Wi-Fi. A projected 13 million users engaged in financial transactions at hot spots in hotels, retail stores, and airports last year. Before using any app to do business at a hot spot, users should check the app’s privacy policy to see whether it secures wireless transmissions of such data. Otherwise, they may disclose sensitive information to a nearby criminal.
- Turn off location tracking. Disable it except when it’s needed, such as for driving directions. Only one in three smart phone owners surveyed by CR had turned it off at times during the previous year.
Tags: apps, location tracking, pass code, public wifi, Security, smartphones, tips
Posted in Best Practices, Security, smartphones, Tech life/Culture | No Comments »
Friday, April 26th, 2013
 Use of sports apps by members of the Arbitron Mobile smartphone panel has been climbing steadily since their post-Super Bowl, mid-winter doldrums, thanks to the NCAA Tournament and opening days of the regular season of Major League Baseball.
In the two weeks following the NFL championship game on February 3, use of mobile sports apps by men, age 18 and older in the Arbitron panel, plummeted from 12.9 percent to 10.0 percent.
Starting the week of March 10, as fans starting filling out their brackets for the NCAA Tourney, use of mobile sports apps boomed, reaching 13.7 percent of men, age 18 and older during the week of the “Elite 8″ and the opening games of Major League Baseball.
While the Arbitron survey didn’t look at NASCAR’s new mobile apps, Tim Clark, director of engagement for NASCAR tells the TechJournal its new mobile apps “have been very successful this year.”
Next week we’ll post our interview with Clark, who is one of more than 100 digital thought-leaders participating in the upcoming Digital Summit in Atlanta May 14-15, where he’ll discuss NASCAR’s digital engagement strategies.
Men 35-44 Are the Most Avid Users of Mobile Sports Apps
It’s no surprise that sports app users are predominantly male. Slightly more than twelve percent (12.4 percent) of the Persons age 18 and older in the Arbitron Mobile smartphone panel use sports apps; by gender—18.4 percent of the men 18+ in the panel use mobile sports apps versus only 6.0 percent of the women 18+.
 Compared to men, the women who do use sports apps log on for fewer sessions (14.8 per month vs. 32.8 per month) and spend far less time with mobile sports apps (34.4 minutes per month vs. 63.8 minutes per month for men).
Men, age 35-44, are the most avid users of mobile sports apps in the Arbitron Mobile smartphone panel, representing the largest share of users within a demographic—22.8 percent, and the most time spent with mobile sports apps—77.1 minutes per month. Men, age 25-34 who use mobile sports apps, do check in with their app most often—42.1 sessions per month.
| Mobile Sports Apps
|
|
Men 18+ |
Men 18-24 |
Men 25-34 |
Men 35-44 |
Men 45-54 |
Men 55+ |
| % Using Sports Apps |
18.4% |
17.0% |
16.2% |
22.8% |
19.2% |
17.2% |
| Time Spent/Month |
63.8 |
60.5 |
71.7 |
77.1 |
47.2 |
50.0 |
| # of Sessions/Month |
32.8 |
35.8 |
42.1 |
35.1 |
22.1 |
22.5 |
U.S. Arbitron Mobile Trends Panels™ Service, March 2013
About Arbitron Mobile
Arbitron Mobile Oy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arbitron Inc., uses a proprietary, on-device software meter to provide marketers, the media, content providers, app developers, and wireless access suppliers with information on how mobile consumers use apps, surf the web, engage in social media, participate in e-commerce, and employ their devices to communicate.
For more information, contact: mobile@arbitron.com or visit the Arbitron Mobile website.
Available insights into the behavior of smartphone users in the Arbitron Mobile panels are included in previous releases regarding social media use, mobile VoIP use, and mobile data consumption.
Tags: Arbitron, basketball, Digital Summit, March Madness, MLB, mobile apps, NASCAR, NCAA, Super Bowl, Tim Clark
Posted in smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech life/Culture | No Comments »
Friday, April 26th, 2013
Are you seeing more of those barcode scans intended for mobile users? We sure are – and smartphone users are pointing their devices at them in record numbers.
Mobile users conducted more than 18 million scans of QR Codes and UPC mobile barcodes in Q1 2013, according to Scanbury’s quarterly trend report.
The month of March 2013 garnered more than 6.7 million scans alone, the highest-generating month registered since the report began in 2009.
“Mobile engagement is on the rise,” said Mike Wehrs , CEO and President of Scanbuy. “Marketers and brands are continuing to strategically integrate commercial grade QR Codes into their campaigns, providing consumers with relevant and timely content that lead to consumer loyalty, relationship cultivation and transactions, as well as gaining business intelligence for creating long-lasting customer engagements.”
Scanbuy’s Q1 2013 Trend Report highlights the following statistics:
- More men scan mobile barcodes, accounting for 65% of the scans, with women accounting for 35% of the scans
- 57% of scans came from the Android OS compared to 41% on Apple iOS devices
- McDonalds, Publix, Tim Hortons , Kohls and Coca-Cola were the most “liked” brands according to data from the ScanLife app
- The United States ranks highest in volume of scans, followed by Spain, France and Brazil, respectively.
In the study, Scanbuy analyzed thousands of scans that were generated from the ScanLife App or the ScanLife Mobile Engagement Platform. The traffic analysis was performed on all ScanLife processed user activities providing a detailed view across numerous verticals and geographies.
To access the full Mobile Trend Report infographic click here: http://content.scanlife.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Trend-Report_Q1.2013.pdf
Tags: barcode scans, mobile, Q1 2013
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Thursday, April 25th, 2013
 Vehicle owners have a high interest in technology related to fuel economy, device/application linking for smartphones, wireless connectivity, natural language voice activation and a variety of infotainment features for their next vehicle, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 U.S. Automotive Emerging Technologies Study released today.
Not surprisingly, features aimed at increasing fuel economy lead the list of desired features, and the price of some others drops interest levels.
The study measures vehicle owner interest and purchase intent for emerging automotive technologies, both before and after the market price is revealed. Among vehicle owners who say they “definitely would” or “probably would” purchase these features in their next vehicle, the highest percentage select the following five technologies both pre-price and at market price:
| Pre-Price Feature Interest |
|
Market Price Feature Interest |
|
| Device/Application link1 |
82% |
Fuel economy indicator (at $50) |
72% |
| Fuel economy indicator |
79% |
Device/Application link (at $250)1 |
67% |
| Active shutter grille vents |
76% |
Active shutter grille vents (at $150) |
61% |
| Natural language voice activation |
74% |
Wireless connectivity system (at $300) |
58% |
| Next generation head-up display (HUD) |
74% |
Surround-view camera system (at $550) |
48% |
Energy Technologies Fuel Vehicle Owner Interest
Of the 22 technology features included in the 2013 study, fuel economy indicator and active shutter grille vents—both energy-related technologies—capture among the highest interest from vehicle owners.
Fuel economy indicator is second highest in pre-price feature interest, followed by active shutter grille vents. In recent years, automotive brands have rolled out fuel economy assisting technology, which has helped increase familiarity with the technology and its benefits.
The active shutter grille vents feature is currently available on select domestic vehicles. Among owners who recently purchased from one of the domestic makes that offers a model with active shutter grille vents, 83 percent indicate pre-price interest in the feature, which is 7 percentage points higher than the study average at 76 percent.
Not unexpectedly, purchase interest declines across all features when a price is introduced.
However, fuel economy indicator and active shutter grille vents have among the lowest drops in interest once price is introduced (decreasing 7 percentage points and 16 percentage points, respectively), compared with other technology features examined in the study.
In part, fuel economy indicator and active shutter grille vents maintain vehicle owner interest because of their lower relative pricing at $50 and $150, respectively.
“Vehicle owners are continually aware of rising fuel costs and the need for better fuel economy. As they have come to understand the benefits of new automotive technology, they are increasingly interested in those that allow them to manage their fuel consumption with greater efficiency and help better manage their cost at the pump,” said Mike VanNieuwkuyk , executive director of global automotive at J.D. Power and Associates.
Smartphones Getting Smarter—In-Vehicle Connectivity Must Follow
During the past five years, there has been rapid adoption of smartphones. More than 67 percent of vehicle owners have a smartphone, while ownership of traditional mobile phones has plummeted to 28 percent in 2013 from 82 percent in 2007, when J.D. Power began measuring ownership of traditional phones. Smartphone technology has revolutionized the way owners have engaged in countless personal and professional activities from their vehicle.
Vehicle owners have high expectations for their smartphone to easily integrate with the system in their vehicle. They want to use their smartphone in-vehicle with the same ease and functionality they have become accustomed to in their personal or business life. However, a key challenge is that many owners keep their vehicles for more than five years, and software upgrades for device linking technology lags the introductions of new smartphones.
 “Automakers have an important opportunity to gain a competitive advantage by working side by side with smartphone and application developers to provide a seamless smartphone experience for in-vehicle control of GPS/mapping, music, weather, search tools, travel and more,” said VanNieuwkuyk. “These connections to smartphone applications need to be robust, affordable and simple to access and use in a vehicle environment.”
In the 2013 study, 82 percent of vehicle owners with smartphones cite pre-purchase interest in an in-vehicle device/application link that would connect their smartphone to their vehicle’s infotainment system, compared with 78 percent in 2012.
Smartphone powered infotainment
Owners want their infotainment system powered by their smartphone to keep their vehicle technology up to date. The physical proximity of one’s smartphone continues to be a concern, as vehicle owners struggle with the limitations of hands-free technology, generating interest in natural language voice activation systems.
Vehicle owners in Generation Y (born 1977-1995) are more likely to be interested in device application linking technology at every price level, but the largest interest increases from 2012 are among Early Boomers, those who were born between 1947 and 1953 (increasing 7 percentage points pre-price; 14 percentage points at $250), which indicates high potential to purchase this technology. Pre-price purchase interest is also higher among men, compared with women, and owners of compact sporty and midsize premium sporty cars, compared with owners in all other vehicle segments.
Autonomous Driving—Gaining Small Interest and Trust
 Fully autonomous driving is still a relatively new concept. While market price interest rises slightly (21% in 2013 vs. 20% in 2012), overall acceptance has room to grow. In recent years, various semi-autonomous driving modes have been implemented in vehicles, particularly those in premium segments.
There is greater interest in semi-autonomous modes such as emergency braking and steering (40%) and automatic park assist (32%) than in a fully autonomous mode.
“Fully autonomous driving is slowly working its way into the mindset of vehicle owners by way of those who utilize semi-autonomous driving features with comfort and confidence,” said VanNieuwkuyk.
“While it will take more time for vehicle owners to embrace fully autonomous driving, the gateway for acceptance is underway given relatively strong interest in many semi-autonomous features.”
Men show high interest at market price for low-speed collision avoidance (58%), emergency braking and steering (42%) and fully autonomous driving (23%). Younger owners are more interested in emerging driving technologies, with Generation X (born 1965-1976) having the highest market price interest in low-speed collision avoidance (59%) and Generation Y having the highest market price interest for emergency braking and steering (44%).
Research conducted by J.D. Power’s Consumer Insight and Strategy Group2 to track social media activity regarding automotive energy, device/application linking and autonomous driving technology finds:
- Consumers believe that vehicle infotainment systems are inferior to their smartphones and tablets and want more mobile apps and control of software updates to integrate with their vehicle.
- Energy technology mentions on social media have shown a notable increase within the past year, as consumers have placed a heightened emphasis on saving fuel. However, fuel economy-conscious vehicle owners seem to struggle with the unfamiliarity of stop/start technology and many social media mentions focus on how to turn this feature off altogether.
- Interest in fully or semi-autonomous driving features primarily originates from wanting to have the latest technology, with the safety benefit being an added bonus. However, consumers still want the responsibility of driving their own vehicle until these technologies fully gain consumer confidence and trust.
The 2013 U.S. Automotive Emerging Technologies Study is based on responses from more than 16,758 vehicle owners. The study was fielded in March 2013. The study includes 22 primary technologies, each with related secondary technologies such as; analyses on infotainment/connectivity safety- and energy-related emerging features; a key emerging technologies packaging exercise; an emerging technologies adoption calculator; and an expanded psychographic and lifestyle-driven analysis.
Tags: automobiles, autonomous driving, consumer preferences, fuel economy indicators, high tech features
Posted in smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech life/Culture | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 24th, 2013
 One-in-five (20 percent) smartphone owners have visited a store after receiving notification that specials, coupons or deals were available nearby, says a new survey from Couponcabin.
Seventy percent of smartphone owners would be at least somewhat influenced to make an unplanned purchase at a store after receiving this type of alert.
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of CouponCabin.com from February 28th – March 4th, 2013, among 2,219 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, among whom 1,096 are smartphone owners.
Geo-targeted alerts
Geo-targeted savings alerts that prompt users to visit stores near them that have specials, coupons or deals are a newly launched feature from CouponCabin.com’s mobile app for iPhone and iPad.
The alerts work when a smartphone’s GPS sends a notification that a special, coupon or deal is available at a store or mall near the user’s current location.
“Our new mobile app puts even more savings power into our users’ hands,” said Jackie Warrick , senior savings adviser at CouponCabin.com. “Now during their daily routine, people can be alerted simply and easily when they can save money around them.”
CouponCabin’s new geo-targeted alerts provide savings opportunities to users without them having to do anything other than look at their phone’s screen.
This is a top priority for smartphone users, as saving money without even thinking about it is the top reason why 47 percent of smartphone owners would like to receive geo-targeted coupons on their device. Rounding out the list of reasons include:
- Would be/is convenient and a time saver – 44 percent
- Would remind/reminds me to use coupons when shopping – 40 percent
- Other – 4 percent
Interest in geo-targeted coupons, deals and specials is strong. Nearly seven-in-ten (67 percent) smartphone owners would be at least somewhat interested in a mobile app that allows them to receive notifications for geo-targeted coupons.
For more information on the latest CouponCabin.com app features, or to download the app, please visitwww.couponcabin.com/mobile.
Tags: alerts, coupons, geo-targeting, smartphone users
Posted in Marketing, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Monday, April 22nd, 2013
Not everyone needs a smartphone that costs more than a PC.
In many parts of the world, smartphone shipments account for a larger percentage of mobile handset shipments than feature phones and low-cost handsets. Yet within the smartphone class of devices, segmentation is increasing to three price tiers (low, mid, and high). And relatively low-cost smartphones will account for nearly half of all shipments in a few years.
Shipments of sub-US$250 low-cost smartphones will grow from 259 million in 2013 to 788 million in 2018, according to recent Market Data from market intelligence firm ABI Research.
Mid (sub-$400) and high ($400+) cost smartphone shipments are expected to grow from 635 million to 925 million over the same period.
Primary drivers
“As the feature phone segment continues to lose its battle for relevance, the low-cost smartphone has become the tool for operators seeking to drive increased data revenues,” says senior analyst, Michael Morgan.
The growth of smartphones in pre-paid and emerging markets will be the primary driver of low-cost smartphone growth. Developed and subsidized markets are also finding that low-cost smartphones can capture the remaining consumers that have yet to convert to a smartphone while minimizing the margin impacts stemming from subsidizing high-cost smartphones.
Mid- and high-cost smartphones will continue to play an important role for operators looking to seed their customer base with the most advanced smartphones.
More dependent upon reliability
Premium smartphones tend to carry the most advanced wireless connectivity and operators who are upgrading their network want to ensure that the handsets running on their network can deliver the best possible experience and customer satisfaction.
“As smartphone penetration moves from early adopters to mass-market and laggard consumer segments, the smartphone as a product will be less dependent on technical superiority, and more dependent on reliability and value,” adds senior practice director, Jeff Orr.
These findings are part of ABI Research’s Mobile Handset Markets (http://www.abiresearch.com/research/service/mobile-devices/) Database, which includes files detailing smartphone and mobile handset shipments, forecasts, and market share.
Tags: cost, customer satisfaction, feature phones, market data, reliabiity, smartphones
Posted in Digital Devices, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Thursday, April 18th, 2013
While 53 percent of women have between one and five shopping apps on their smartphone, they would still much rather shop for clothes and shoes in a retail store, reports a new study published by mobile-retail marketing platform provider Swirl.
But, retailers have an opportunity to influence these shoppers via personalized offers and alluring content.
The independent study of 1,000 women shoppers, titled “What Women Want When Apparel Shopping,” found that retailers should focus their mobile strategies more on enhancing the in-store shopping experience – where 76 percent of women prefer to shop – than enabling online sales transactions on mobile phones.
The study also revealed that women are willing to share personal information with retailers as long as they receive value in return. An infographic illustrating the study findings can be viewed at swirl.com/insights.
Most don’t like buying shoes, clothes via mobile
While many retailers are busy building out mobile commerce capabilities, the reality is that the vast majority of women don’t like to purchase clothes and shoes using their mobile phones.
Swirl’s research found that just one percent of women prefer to buy apparel using mobile apps and sites compared to 76 percent who prefer shopping in-store.
What do women like least about the in-store shopping experience? Crowds (84%), transportation and parking (70%), and interacting with sales associates (45%) were the least liked aspects of shopping in-store.
While smartphone-connected shoppers are now commonplace in retail stores, women are still much more likely to seek style advice from family or friends who are shopping with them (37%) than from a retailer’s mobile app/site (9%).
Even when an item is unavailable in store, only 22 percent of women will use that retailer’s mobile app or site to buy the item. Most shoppers don’t currently have a strong enough reason to engage with retailers on their mobile phones while they shop in-store.
Personalized offers allure shoppers
Personalized offers and content hold strong allure for female shoppers. According to the survey, 50 percent would willingly share their phone’s location and other personal information with a retailer in return for an in-store credit, gift, flash sale or early access to new styles.
For 47 percent, the price tag for sharing location information is just $5.
Women are almost twice as likely to value a personalized offer delivered to their smartphone while shopping in a store (58%), than being reminded of an in-store sale by a sales associate (33%) or making a purchase from an online flash sale site (31%).
“Women overwhelmingly prefer to shop for clothes and fashion in retail stores rather than online via their smartphones or laptops,” said Hilmi Ozguc , Swirl’s CEO.
“That is not going to change dramatically anytime soon. Retailers have a huge opportunity to use mobile technology to influence shoppers by delivering personalized content and offers where and when they matter most – while customers are shopping in their stores.”
Tags: clothing, Content, mobile vs. store, personalized offers, shoes, women shoppers
Posted in Ecommerce, Marketing, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 9th, 2013
By Allan Maurer
 Brian Wong, founder and CEO of Kiip, is participating in the Atlanta Digital Summit May 14-15. On a long flight to Asia some time ago, Brian Wong, founder and CEO of Kiip, one of the top four online ad companies according to Forbes, noticed that as he walked down the jet’s aisle, everyone was playing games on smartphones. What an opportunity for advertisers, Wong thought.
“But it’s terrible the way it played out,” Wong, the youngest person who ever received venture funding according to the Wall Street Journal, said. Many mobile apps and services, for instance, let users pay to have advertising removed.
“I feel bad for the hundreds of thousands of people involved in a creative industry like advertising. The idea of having people pay to remove your work is depressing,” Wong says.
Say display advertising had never existed, he suggests. Then how would you engage users on smartphones and other mobile devices?
That’s what led to the philosophy of Kiip, (pronounced “keep”, which is transforming mobile advertising from “billions of moments of annoyance into billions of moments of delight,” says Wong.
Participating in the Atlanta Digital Summit
Wong has been recognized with many awards for his accomplishments and leadership, including: the Top 20 Under 20 awards for all of Canada; Business Insider’s Top 25 Under 25 in Silicon Valley and 18 Most Important People in Mobile Advertising; Forbes’ 30 under 30; Mashable’s Top 5 Entrepreneurs to Watch; and the AdAge Creativity Top 50. Before starting Kiip, Brian led key publisher and tech partnerships at the social news website Digg.com, where he accelerated the company’s mobile presence by launching the Digg Android mobile app.
He is one of dozens of digital thought-leaders participating in the upcoming Digital Summit in Atlanta, May 14-15.
San Francisco-based Kiip lets premium brands provide rewards to casual mobile gamers for in-game achievements. Their platform is designed for in-game engagement via a universal game moment: the achievement moment.
Catch those special moments
The idea is to catch the user while he or she is the most engaged, happy, and attentive. It’s the first solution to help premium brands reach the exploding casual mobile gaming market using fleeting real estate in meaningful moments. It is venture backed by Hummer Winblad, True Ventures and a group of rockstar angels.
“We work with clients to find out which moments they’d like to own,” Wong explains. A client such as Gator Aide wants fitness moments, for instance. Where are those moments? They’re when a user logs a run, checks into a gym for the fifth time, or completing a workout.
Then, Gator Aide rewards them with say a free song for their workout.
Think creatively
Kiip isn’t the only organization taking advantage of moments of achievement, Wong notes. “Facebook gifts lets you send a physical gift to a friend on a birthday or other moments of achievement and is making a lot of money making it easy,” he says.
“I don’t want to sell people hard,” Wong says.
Kiip, which is just over three years old, thinks creatively to find those special moments when a marketing ploy might be welcome instead of annoying. Just finished a run? You might be thirsty and appreciate a Gator Aide. Just looked up and bookmarked a recipe? That could be messy. You might need some Sparkle paper towels.
“Marketers burden themselves complaining about how limiting a phone’s screen size is,” Wong, now just 21, says. “They bitch and moan, it’s a tiny screen. But it’s one of the most intimate devices we own. So there are opportunities for a brand to create a close connection to the user.”
Advisor to XPCP
Just today is was announced that Wong has joined CrossPacific Capital Partners (XPCP) as Advisor. Brian will focus on advising XPCP’s investments in the areas of internet, gaming, social media, and mobile. Wong graduated from the University of British Columbia at the age of 18. In 2010 Wong became the youngest entrepreneur to ever raise Venture Capital in North America.
After initial seed contributions by a number of angel investors including XPCP Managing Partner Frank Christiaens, Wong closed a total of more than $4M for his A Round, and all this before he turned 20. Other investors in KIIP include Verizon, Hummer Winbladt, and Relay.
In 2012 KIIP did a B Round of more than $11M on the strength of its rewards platform, which reached 1 billion moments at the end of 2012. In 2013 KIIP is seeing major revenue growth as its products continue to sell exponentially.
Tags: Atlanta, Brian Wong, Digital Garage, Digital Summit, fitness, IPG, Kiip, m Hummer Winblad, mobile ads, moments of achievement, Relay Ventures, San Francisco, secret sauce, True Ventures
Posted in entrepreneurship, Events, Internet/New Media, Marketing, smartphones | No Comments »
Thursday, March 28th, 2013
 Numerous studies have shown that texting while driving is more dangerous than drinking and driving, but that doesn’t seem to be stopping many people from doing it.
Nearly half of commuters self-reported texting while driving in a recent poll, and 43% of those who did called it a “habit.”
Commuters are texting and driving even more than teens – 49%, compared to 43%. And the problem has gotten worse. Six in 10 commuters say they never texted while driving three years ago.
Awareness of dangers increasing
So while efforts to raise awareness of the dangers of texting while driving are working – 98% of commuters surveyed said they know sending a text or email while driving isn’t safe – there’s clearly more work to be done to change behaviors.
Survey sponsor AT&T is calling on employers to help end texting while driving by taking action during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, and beyond.
It’s asking businesses to join the more than 165 organizations already engaged in theTexting & Driving-It Can Wait movement, and to use the policies, technologies and communications materials available free at att.com/itcanwait to help move their employees beyond being aware of the danger to making a personal commitment not to text and drive.
Businesses should encourage responsible behavior
 As of December 2011, these states passed laws limiting cell phone use while driving. “Businesses can help keep their employees and others on the road safe by encouraging responsible behavior behind the wheel, including obeying all laws related to the use of electronic devices,” said U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue .
“We also encourage all businesses to consider joining the ‘It Can Wait’ movement to end texting while driving. Together we can help turn the tide on this serious issue.”
Through It Can Wait, AT&T has reached millions with the insight that most text messages are trivial, and no text is worth dying for. It has made the dangers of texting and driving real and personal by giving thousands of people hands-on experience with driving simulators and sharing the heart-wrenching stories of people – like Jamie Nash in this video – whose lives have been forever changed by texting-while-driving accidents.
More than 1.3 million personal commitments never to text and drive have been made at ItCanWait.com, through Facebook, text-to-pledge, tweet-to-pledge or at events.
For more information, please visit www.ItCanWait.com.
Commuter survey conducted by ResearchNow on behalf of AT&T
http://www.att.com/Common/about_us/pdf/twd_commutor_survey.pdf
Teen survey conducted by Beck Research on behalf of AT&Thttp://www.att.com/Common/about_us/txting_driving/att_teen_survey_executive.pdf
Tags: AT&T, dangers, driving, It Can Wait, texting
Posted in Digital Devices, smartphones, Tech life/Culture | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 26th, 2013
Near field communications is likely to become much more prominent in the near future. The number of NFC-enabled devices in use will exceed 500 million in 2014, according to a new report.
ABI Research’s “NFC Devices, Strategies, and Form Factors” calculated that a minimum of 285 million mobile and consumer electronics devices will ship in 2013 as OEMs continue to drive the market for NFC as mobile operators struggle to gain control and bring their services to market.
Mobile manufacturers moved ahead with NFC in 2012 whilst MNOs were still largely focused on payments, where they have struggled to deliver tangible services. This has allowed predominantly Android OEMs to seize the initiative as they have delivered new services and features for connecting devices, sharing data and content, picking up information, and utilizing tags.
“NFC has reached the point of no return,” commented John Devlin, practice director. “It all hinged on handsets; and next year we will see half-a-billion devices in the hands of consumers as it becomes more widely integrated. Up until this point banks and other service partners were holding back from committing to MNOs and it has always surprised me that they did not drive this forward themselves and invest to take charge of this market’s potential.”
Brands taking different paths toward NFC
Companies such as Blackberry and Samsung have developed and implemented clear strategies around NFC. They are differentiating themselves as they look to generate new service-based revenue streams utilizing NFC. Other brands, such as LG and Sony, are taking a different path as they horizontally integrate NFC across their broad product portfolios.
“Put simply the OEMs have innovated and made use of the simple abilities that NFC offers to increase interaction of people, devices, and their immediate environment. This is not just in mobile; tablets, PCs and peripherals, speaker docks, televisions, cameras, gaming and domestic appliances are all increasingly incorporating NFC,” Devlin added.
These findings are part of ABI Research’s NFC Research Service (http://www.abiresearch.com/research/service/nfc/).
Tags: banks, Blackberry, MNOs, NFC, OEMs, Samsung
Posted in Digital Devices, Mobile, smartphones, Telecommunications | No Comments »
Friday, March 22nd, 2013
Tablet sales exploded nearly 300 percent over 2011, Apple regained its smartphone market share lead, and LTE smartphone sales rose 151 percent in the 4th quarter of 2012, according to Infonetics.
“FDD-LTE was the biggest driver for smartphone growth in the final quarter of 2012, with unit growth of 151%, the second straight quarter of triple-digit growth,” reports Julien Blin, directing analyst for consumer electronics and mobile broadband atInfonetics Research.
“TDD-LTE smartphones are also ramping fast, albeit from a much smaller base, despite a temporary dip in growth in the 4th quarter. In 2012, 5 times as many W-CDMA/HSPA smartphones shipped as LTE smartphones. By 2015 we expect LTE smartphones to overtake W-CDMA/HSPA.”
Blin adds, “Similarly in the tablet space, the growing popularity of low-cost LTE tablets, shared data plans, and improved LTE network coverage (especially in developed markets like North America and Western Europe), will drive LTE-enabled tablets to close the gap on WiFi-only tablets by 2017.”
MOBILE BROADBAND DEVICE MARKET HIGHLIGHTS
- The global smartphone market totaled $247 billion in 2012, up 51% from 2011
- Owing to the introduction of the iPhone 5, Apple regained its lead in smartphone revenue market share in 4Q12 with 37%, followed by Samsung with 29%; Samsung maintains its lead in smartphone unit share
- Sales of tablets reached $42 billion worldwide in 2012, jumping 281% over 2011
- In 2012, shipments of standalone USB mobile broadband cards grew steadily, driven by W-CDMA shipments in developing countries and LTE growth in developed markets
- Meanwhile, embedded cards declined as the more functional tablet segment overshadowed embedded PCs and mobile internet devices (MIDs)
- Infonetics expects the number of global mobile broadband subscribers (phone and PC) to grow from 1.2 billion in 2012 to close to 3 billion by 2017
Tags: Apple market share, Infonetics, Q4 2012, smartphones, tablet sales
Posted in Apple, Digital Devices, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Thursday, March 21st, 2013
Overall satisfaction among smartphone customers increases significantly as manufacturers continue to improve styling, feature sets, usability and software, according to two J.D. Power and Associates 2013 studies released today.
Study Key Findings
- Nearly two in 10 (17%) smartphone customers experience a software or device malfunction.
- Smartphone customers spend an average of 115 minutes per week using social networking applications on their device.
- Smartphone customers spending more than 100 minutes per week on social apps are 14% more likely to recommend their smartphone model than those that spend 100 minutes or less on social apps.
The studies measure satisfaction with traditional wireless handsets and smartphones among customers who have used their current mobile device for less than one year.
Satisfaction is measured in several key factors. In order of importance, the key factors of overall satisfaction with traditional mobile phones are performance (29%); ease of operation (26%); physical design (24%); and features (21%). For smartphones, the key factors are performance (33%); physical design (23%); features (22%); and ease of operation (22%).
Satisfaction increases in all factors
The Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction Study finds that satisfaction among smartphone customers is 796 (on a 1,000-point scale), an increase of 22 points from 2012.
This improvement is likely due to a growing array of new features and services being offered that are providing a seamless product experience between the operating system functions and third-party apps.
While satisfaction in all factors of the smartphone customer experience increases from 2012, satisfaction has increased the most in performance (26 points), as a few key attributes, such as operating system reliability, processing speed and video/camera picture quality, have improved significantly.
“As the capabilities of wireless phones and their applications continue to expand, and as customers grow more reliant on their device, handset manufacturers have an opportunity to further shape the customer experience and impact satisfaction with better integration of services and more communication options, such as video chat,” said Kirk Parsons, senior director of telecommunications services at J.D. Power and Associates.
Important to meet customer expectations
“It is important, however, that manufacturers meet the expectations of those customers who take advantage of such offers by ensuring the features are intuitive and, ultimately, rewarding to them. Providing an easy-to-use, yet powerful operating system with the ability to customize applications to suit individual needs is essential to providing a high-quality and rewarding wireless experience.”
Among traditional mobile phone customers, overall satisfaction has remained virtually unchanged during the past two years.
However, among the 42 percent of traditional handset customers who indicate they are likely to purchase a new mobile phone in the next 12 months, 76 percent say they “definitely will” or “probably will” upgrade to a smartphone.
Satisfaction mostly unchanged for traditional users
“Satisfaction remains relatively unchanged among traditional mobile phone customers, likely as a result of heightened awareness of advanced services available on smartphones and the lack on new device offerings with upgraded feature sets,” said Parsons.
For the ninth consecutive study, Apple ranks highest among manufacturers of smartphones in customer satisfaction. Apple achieves a score of 855 and performs particularly well in physical design and ease of operation.
For the third consecutive study, LG ranks highest among traditional mobile phones with a score of 719. LG performs particularly well in the physical design and features factors. Nokia (714) follows LG in traditional mobile phone rankings.
Tags: J.D. Power and Associates, satisfaction, smartphones, study
Posted in smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech life/Culture | No Comments »
Thursday, March 14th, 2013
 A number of studies have noted that many of us consider our mobile devices as almost an extension of ourselves, so that losing them is traumatic. St. Patrick’s Day, the 17th of March, is often commemorated with parades, pub parties, city festivities and large crowds. As with all major celebrations, the day’s reputation is to encourage people to relax, enjoy the company of friends and family and toast life with a glass of green beer or two.
However, as with all major celebrations, crowded gatherings have the tendency to attract pickpockets and thieves who can easily steal consumers’ personal devices in the blink of an eye.
“In this mobile age, our smart devices hold an immense amount of personal data, such as financial details, emails and intimate photos, which can easily be left behind or stolen during celebratory holidays,” said Tony Anscombe, senior security evangelist at AVG.
To help keep the luck of the Irish with the good guys, AVG has created a list of tips to help keep consumers and their mobile devices safe during their shamrock celebrations:
- Be aware of your surroundings and report suspicious behavior
- Don’t let go of personal property: keep phones in pockets or bags, and keep bags attached to you
- Leave things at home: do you really need to carry all the normal credit/debit cards?
- If you need to use your phone, step aside or off the street and into a shop so you are less visible
- Protect your device with a PIN
- Install software such as AVG AntiVirus Free for Android that allows you to lock, locate and wipe your device
- Keep details of how to block credit cards and phones somewhere simple to access
- If you are unfortunate enough to be a victim, ensure you lock your data and stop all of your credit cards immediately. Make the benefit to the bad guys smaller by acting faster.
Tags: Hold onto the luck of the Irish - and your mobile device on St. Patrick's Day
Posted in Digital Devices, Security, smartphones | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 12th, 2013
 Are smartphone makers losing billions of dollars a year due to poor revenue management?
According to Gartner, Inc., a leading IT research and advisory company, given that chargeback credits can exceed millions of dollars per month, wholesale distributors can severely undermine profitability through inaccurate and inefficient processes, with revenue leakage accounting for as much as 1-2 percent of gross revenue.
Manufacturers also face similar revenue leakage exposure and although the percentage might seem small, for technology giants such as Apple and Samsung, this could mean billions of dollars in lost revenue each quarter.
Why does this matter to anyone but a manufacturer? It’s pretty basic: if the manufacturer’s costs are higher, so is the price consumers will have to pay for devices.
Here’s an infographic detailing the problem from Revitas, which, not surprisingly, sells solutions for contracts, pricing, and compliance.
Tags: Apple, deals, incentives, leakage, lost revenue, manufacturers, rebates, Samsung, smartphones
Posted in Apple, infographic, Money, smartphones | No Comments »
Thursday, March 7th, 2013
 You may soon be paying your bills by snapping a photo of them with your mobile device.
U.S. Bank is the first major bank in the United States to deliver Mobile Photo BillPay to its customers. This feature allows customers to set up bill payments by snapping a picture of their bills with their camera-enabled smartphone or tablet.
By eliminating the need to manually enter payment information, it makes adding or transferring billers and paying bills literally a snap.
U.S. Bank announced in December 2012 that it was partnering with San Diego-based Mitek to bring Mobile Photo Bill Pay to its customers.
A third will use it in five years
Recent research forecasts Mobile Photo Bill Pay adoption to reach 33 percent among adult U.S. consumers by 2018, and result in 1.4 billion bills migrating to the mobile channel. Another study suggests that more than 1 in 5 customers would use this feature.
“We continue to leverage the capabilities of smartphones, and use innovative ways of making banking more convenient for our customers,” said Niti Badarinath, senior vice president and leader of U.S. Bank’s mobile banking channel.
“U.S. Bank customers were among the first in the nation to be able to use their mobile device to deposit checks. Now, we’ve made it really easy for our customers to enroll and use BillPay, add billers and pay bills whenever and wherever they choose.”
U.S. Bank is using Mitek’s patented Mobile Photo Bill Pay technology that automatically and securely extracts relevant information from the paper bill and populates the fields required to make a mobile payment.
The consumer can review the information and schedule the payment by clicking “Pay Now.” The new U.S. Bank Mobile Photo BillPay feature is available to customers free of charge within U.S. Bank’s iPhone, iPad and Android mobile banking apps.
Tags: mobile photo billpay
Posted in Mobile, smartphones, Tech life/Culture, Telecommunications | No Comments »
Monday, March 4th, 2013
The mobile revolution shows no signs of slowing down just yet. IDC says more smartphones than feature phones will ship for the first time in 2013 and they’re cheaper and more versatile than ever.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors will ship 918.6 million smartphones this year, or 50.1% of the total mobile phone shipments worldwide.
Prices falling
Smartphone prices have fallen globally, the smartphone strata are wider than ever, and the roll-out of data-centric fourth-generation (4G) wireless networks are three factors that have made these “do-it-all” devices an increasingly attractive option for users.
By the end of 2017, IDC forecasts 1.5 billion smartphones will be shipped worldwide, which equates to just over two-thirds of the total mobile phone forecast for the year due to these primary factors.
The potential global audience for marketers using mobile platforms is also increasing rapidly.
Smartphone shipments to China, Brazil, and India will comprise a growing percentage of the device type’s volume in each forecast year. Smartphone demand is burgeoning in these large, populous nations as their respective economies have grown; this has made for a larger middle class that is prepared to buy smartphones.
China, which supplanted the U.S. last year as the global leader in smartphone shipments, is at the forefront of this shift.
Posted in Digital Devices, Mobile, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports, Telecommunications | No Comments »
Monday, February 25th, 2013
How many digital devices are you using to access media? Do you use different ones for specific purposes during the day?
A significant majority of Americans now access media using multiple devices each day with TV, PC, tablet and smartphone devices each dominating media usage at different parts of the day, according to Collective, a leading data-driven, multi-screen platform company.
Collective’s findings are included in a new report, “The Multi-Screen Dayparting Playbook: How to Utilize Device Dayparts for Greater Reach & Impact,” which was released today.
Multi-screen users outnumber single screen users
The research, which Collective commissioned Nielsen to conduct, quantifies for the first time that multi-screen users now outnumber single screen users by 2.5 to 1.
“This fundamental change in media consumption is a major opportunity for brands to redefine their engagement with audiences,” said Joe Apprendi, CEO of Collective. “In today’s multi-screen market, advertisers must deliver coordinated creative campaigns that are personalized with the right content for each device.”
Personally, we use both a tablet and/or our laptop while watching TV or listening to the radio on a daily basis. So we fit right in.
Enabling better message targeting
“The more we can learn about how people are consuming media via their multiple devices, the better we can pinpoint our client’s messages and get the most out of our commercial content,” said Simon Bond, BBDO Worldwide, CMO.
“As consumers continue to spread their engagement across more devices, marketers must have compelling creative on each device to achieve the same reach they might have with just TV a few years ago,” said Justin Evans, executive vice president, Emerging Media, Collective, and co-author of the whitepaper.
“Brands now need a data-driven understanding of consumer behavior across device and daypart.”
Key Multi-Screen Findings
Among the key findings included in “The Multi-Screen Dayparting Playbook: How to Utilize Device Dayparts for Greater Reach & Impact,” are:
- the largest group of U.S. multi-screen users, 80.8 million or 25% of the U.S. population, accesses media using a combination of TV, PC, tablet and smartphone devices each day;
- in any given daypart, at least 100 million, or 32% of consumers are accessing media using multiple screens;
- “second screening” or combining tablet and TV use was reported by 35 million or 11% of consumers, a behavior that peaks in Prime Time; and
- Even in Prime Time, where media use peaks, there are 169 million multi-screen users outnumbering single-screen users by 1.5 to 1.
Key Device Findings by Daypart
Collective found that different devices achieve peak usage at different times of the day compared to other devices:
- Early Morning – Smartphones are preferred during the commute.
- Daytime - PC dominates work-related search and video.
- Prime Time – Tablets drive multi-tasking during evening TV viewing.
- Late Fringe – TV-only use increases as the day winds down.
“Consumers are using multiple screens to customize their media engagement,” said Frederick Stallings, director of Mobile, Collective, and co-author of the report. “Device daypart creative strategies will be critical for brands moving forward.”
Tags: Collective, Daypart, multi-screen devices, PCs, second screening, smartphones, tablets, targeting, TV
Posted in Digital Devices, Internet/New Media, Marketing, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Thursday, February 21st, 2013
Looking at a holistic view of smartphones, tablets, and PCs, one thing is clear – smartphones and tablets are driving mobility growth.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Smart Connected Device Tracker, vendors shipped 367.7 million desktop PCs, portable PCs, tablets, and smartphones – a collective view IDC refers to as “Smart Connected Devices” – the fourth quarter of 2012 (4Q12), up 28.3% from the prior year.
As desktop PCs and portable PCs declined (-4.1% and -3.4%, respectively), the overall smart connected device space continued to surge to just over 1.2 billion shipments cumulatively in 2012.
Tablet shipments see largest growth
Tablet shipments experienced the largest year-over-year growth in 2012, up 78.4% over 2011, while smartphones grew 46.1% but accounted for 60.1% of all smart connected devices shipped throughout the year.
After finishing 2011 second to Apple in the smart connected device market, Samsung arose to the number one position in 2012 with just over 20% share across the four device categories. Samsung shipped 250.0 million PCs, tablets, and smartphones in the past year, up 119.3% from the previous year, driven largely in part by its surge in the smartphone space.
Average tablet selling price declined
While Samsung managed to ship more smartphones and portable PCs than Apple in 2012, Apple led all in tablet shipments, was eighth in portable PC shipments, and fifth overall in desktop PC shipments.
“Smartphones and tablets are growing at a pace that PCs and tablets can’t realistically keep up with because of device prices and to some extent disposability,” explained Ryan Reith, program manager, Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers at IDC.
“The average selling price (ASP) for a tablet declined 15.0% in 2012 to $461, and we expect that trend to continue in 2013. However, smartphone APSs are still lower at $408. We expect smartphones to continue to carry a shorter life cycle than PCs for the years to come based on price, use case, and overall device size.”
Rounding out the top 5 smart connected device vendors in 2012 was Lenovo at number 3 with 6.5% share. Lenovo’s strong point is still in portable PCs where it shipped just over 30 million units in 2012.
Fourth quarter saw Apple resurgence
However, smartphones are a growing space for the Chinese vendor as shipments grew from 3.7 million in 2011 to 23.7 million in 2012. In the fourth position was HP with 4.8% share, however shipments of smart connected devices were down 8.5% year over year primarily for the lack of smartphone and tablet offerings.
And in the fifth position was Dell with 3.2% share, down 12.9% from 2011 as it also struggles with a lack of presence in the smartphone and tablet markets.
“The fourth quarter market share numbers showed a fairly dramatic resurgence for Apple,” said Bob O’Donnell, program vice president, Clients and Displays.
“After falling well behind Samsung early in 2012, Apple came roaring back in final quarter of the year thanks to its latest hits – the iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini – and reduced the market share gap to less than a single percentage point. The question moving forward will be whether or not Apple can maintain its hit parade against the juggernaut of Samsung.”
Top 5 Smart Connected Device Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, Q4 2012
(shipments in millions) |
| Vendor |
|
|
|
4Q12 Unit
Shipments |
|
|
|
4Q12 Market
Share |
|
|
|
4Q11 Unit
Shipments |
|
|
|
4Q11 Market
Share |
|
|
|
Year-over-
year Change |
| 1. Samsung |
|
|
|
77.9 |
|
|
|
|
21.2 |
% |
|
|
|
41.9 |
|
|
|
|
14.6 |
% |
|
|
|
86.0 |
% |
| 2. Apple |
|
|
|
74.8 |
|
|
|
|
20.3 |
% |
|
|
|
57.7 |
|
|
|
|
20.1 |
% |
|
|
|
29.7 |
% |
| 3. Lenovo |
|
|
|
24.3 |
|
|
|
|
6.6 |
% |
|
|
|
16.5 |
|
|
|
|
5.8 |
% |
|
|
|
47.2 |
% |
| 4. HP |
|
|
|
15.1 |
|
|
|
|
4.1 |
% |
|
|
|
15.1 |
|
|
|
|
5.3 |
% |
|
|
|
-0.2 |
% |
| 5. Sony |
|
|
|
11.1 |
|
|
|
|
3.0 |
% |
|
|
|
9.2 |
|
|
|
|
3.2 |
% |
|
|
|
19.6 |
% |
| Others |
|
|
|
164.5 |
|
|
|
|
44.7 |
% |
|
|
|
146.2 |
|
|
|
|
51.0 |
% |
|
|
|
12.5 |
% |
| Total |
|
|
|
367.7 |
|
|
|
|
100.0 |
% |
|
|
|
286.7 |
|
|
|
|
100.0 |
% |
|
|
|
28.3 |
% |
| Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Smart Connected Device Tracker, February 20, 2013. |
|
Top 5 Smart Connected Device Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, 2012
(shipments in millions) |
| Vendor |
|
|
|
2012 Unit
Shipments |
|
|
|
2012 Market
Share |
|
|
|
2011 Unit
Shipments |
|
|
|
2011 Market
Share |
|
|
Year-over-
year Change |
| 1. Samsung |
|
|
|
250.0 |
|
|
|
|
20.8% |
|
|
|
|
114.0 |
|
|
|
|
12.3% |
|
|
|
119.3% |
|
| 2. Apple |
|
|
|
218.7 |
|
|
|
|
18.2% |
|
|
|
|
151.5 |
|
|
|
|
16.3% |
|
|
|
44.3% |
|
| 3. Lenovo |
|
|
|
78.3 |
|
|
|
|
6.5% |
|
|
|
|
48.5 |
|
|
|
|
5.2% |
|
|
|
61.4% |
|
| 4. HP |
|
|
|
58.2 |
|
|
|
|
4.8% |
|
|
|
|
63.6 |
|
|
|
|
6.8% |
|
|
|
-8.5% |
|
| 5. Dell |
|
|
|
38.8 |
|
|
|
|
3.2% |
|
|
|
|
44.6 |
|
|
|
|
4.8% |
|
|
|
-12.9% |
|
| Others |
|
|
|
557.1 |
|
|
|
|
46.4% |
|
|
|
|
508.1 |
|
|
|
|
54.6% |
|
|
|
9.6% |
|
| Total |
|
|
|
1201.1 |
|
|
|
|
100.0% |
|
|
|
|
930.4 |
|
|
|
|
100.0% |
|
|
|
29.1% |
|
| Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Smart Connected Device Tracker, February 20, 2013. |
|
|
| Smart Connected Device Market by Product Category, Shipments, Market Share, 2012
(shipments in millions) |
Product
Category |
|
|
|
2012 Unit
Shipments |
|
|
|
2012 Market
Share |
|
|
|
2011 Unit
Shipments |
|
|
|
2011 Market
Share |
|
|
|
Year-over-
year Change |
| Smartphone |
|
|
|
722.4 |
|
|
|
|
60.1 |
% |
|
|
|
494.5 |
|
|
|
|
53.1 |
% |
|
|
|
46.1 |
% |
| Tablet |
|
|
|
128.3 |
|
|
|
|
10.7 |
% |
|
|
|
72.0 |
|
|
|
|
7.7 |
% |
|
|
|
78.4 |
% |
| Portable PC |
|
|
|
202.0 |
|
|
|
|
16.8 |
% |
|
|
|
209.1 |
|
|
|
|
22.5 |
% |
|
|
|
-3.4 |
% |
| Desktop PC |
|
|
|
148.4 |
|
|
|
|
12.4 |
% |
|
|
|
154.8 |
|
|
|
|
16.6 |
% |
|
|
|
-4.1 |
% |
| Total |
|
|
|
1201.1 |
|
|
|
|
100.0 |
% |
|
|
|
930.4 |
|
|
|
|
100.0 |
% |
|
|
|
29.1 |
% |
| Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Smart Connected Device Tracker, February 20, 2013. |
Tags: Apple, HP, IDC, Lenovo, markets, PC, Samsung, smartphones, Sony, tablets
Posted in Digital Devices, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
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