Samsung and Apple have more than doubled their combined market share in the global mobile phone market, with the manufacturers shipping almost half of the world's smartphones in the second quarter of 2012, according to market-research firm IDC.
Taking advantage of Apple's schedule that currently brings new devices only in the fall, Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S III, of which the company is said to have already sold 10 million units. While Apple offers a small number of high-profile products, Samsung employs a shotgun strategy, where many models are produced to cover a wide range of market segments. Despite differences in market approach, the companies proved successful in creating even more distance between them and the competition.
Top Five
Samsung topped the ranks of smartphone shipments in 2Q12, with shipments of 50.2 million units and a market share of 32.6%. In addition to the popular third generation Galaxy, Samsung also experienced continued success with its smartphone/tablet hybrid, the Galaxy Note.
In second was Apple, shipping 26 million units and holding 16.9% of the market. While the Cupertino-based company posted an expected sequential decline last quarter, this activity is usual for Apple leading up to a new product release, say like the iPhone 5.
Far behind in third is Nokia, shipping 10.2 million units in 2Q12 and accounting for only 6.6% of the market. The company once again faced a transitional quarter, as demand for Symbian and MeeGo units declined.
HTC reclaimed the number four spot in the smartphone rankings, shipping 8.8 million units and holding 5.7% of the market, thanks to its relatively strong performance in the Asia/Pacific region.
Rounding out the list is ZTE, which climbed into the smartphone Top 5 for the first time thanks to shipments of its lower-cost entry-level smartphones in China. The manufacturer shipped 8.0 million units and accounted for 5.2% of the market in the second quarter.
Vendors are already looking ahead to 2013, focusing on how key markets, specifically Europe and emerging markets, will play out, according to IDC analyst Ramon Llamas. The effectiveness of recent maneuvers to shore up several countries within the Eurozone have yet to be seen, which could damper growth prospects for the mobile phone market. Yet, emerging markets will continue to be strong contributors, thanks to their size and growth trajectory, though it remains to be seen if they can offset potential declines in other countries.
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Behold, Early iPhone and iPad Prototypes
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Saturday, July 28, 2012
Ahead Of Olympics, Samsung Supports Team Great Britain With Union Jack Galaxy S III
Just in time for the 2012 London Olympics, Samsung, one of the games’ official partners, has released a Union Jack-bearing Olympics-edition Galaxy S III, a little something special for Londoners enjoying one of the most revered sporting traditions on the planet.
Unfortunately for everyone who isn’t on the Queen’s team, the phone doesn’t actually support the Olympic games as much as it does the hosting country, Great Britain. It comes with a limited edition Union Jack back casing on the same blue background we’ve come to admire on the GSIII. The idea is that Brits can wave their phone during the game to show support.
The phone will officially be made available at Carphone Warehouse on August 1, with prices starting at £28 per month.
But the phone is more than a clever case to be waved. Samsung recently announced that the Galaxy S III and its awesome NFC capabilities will allow users to open their hotel room doors with the phone (instead of a keycard), courtesy of a deal with the Holiday Inn in Statford city.
The phone can also control lighting and change the channel on the TV for competing athletes, according to the Inquirer.
Samsung’s VP of Telecommunication and Networks, Simon Stanford, had the following to say:
As a Worldwide Olympic Partner, we at Samsung want everyone to get behind Team GB and offer them support during the Olympic Games.
We are delighted to be able to offer Carphone Warehouse customers the chance to own this exclusive London 2012 Samsung Galaxy SIII handset, combining the chance to support Team GB with owning a piece of cutting-edge Samsung technology.
Unfortunately for everyone who isn’t on the Queen’s team, the phone doesn’t actually support the Olympic games as much as it does the hosting country, Great Britain. It comes with a limited edition Union Jack back casing on the same blue background we’ve come to admire on the GSIII. The idea is that Brits can wave their phone during the game to show support.
The phone will officially be made available at Carphone Warehouse on August 1, with prices starting at £28 per month.
But the phone is more than a clever case to be waved. Samsung recently announced that the Galaxy S III and its awesome NFC capabilities will allow users to open their hotel room doors with the phone (instead of a keycard), courtesy of a deal with the Holiday Inn in Statford city.
The phone can also control lighting and change the channel on the TV for competing athletes, according to the Inquirer.
Samsung’s VP of Telecommunication and Networks, Simon Stanford, had the following to say:
As a Worldwide Olympic Partner, we at Samsung want everyone to get behind Team GB and offer them support during the Olympic Games.
We are delighted to be able to offer Carphone Warehouse customers the chance to own this exclusive London 2012 Samsung Galaxy SIII handset, combining the chance to support Team GB with owning a piece of cutting-edge Samsung technology.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Behold, Early iPhone and iPad Prototypes
The iPhone’s design is iconic but the final version looked rather different from early designs. With sleek but simple lines, the iPhone set the bar for smartphone design. This bar was set so high that most agree that the iPhone undeniably influenced other phones — a thought that Samsung is currently fighting against. However, as revealed by recent court documents, the iPhone we all know finally hit the market after several generations of wild concepts.
Apple and Samsung are currently locked into several brutal court battles. Apple is winning some individual conflicts while Samsung wins others but neither side is absolutely dominating the other. However, for us bystanders, the court proceedings are turning out to be a rather entertaining sideshow that randomly turns out nuggets of fun Apple and Samsung trivia with the latest being these fun iPhone and iPad prototypes
The latest court documents tell a rather wild story. The iPhone was influenced by Sony products. Apparently, Tony Fadell, known as the godfather of the iPod, circulated an interview with a Sony designer and then instructed a 2006 industrial designer Shin Nishibori to develop an iPhone prototype with some serious nods to Sony’s design language. The rendered device looks an awful lot like an iPhone 4, while other prototypes (like one code-named N90, which BuzzFeed points out means it was likely an iPhone 4 prototype) go in different and sometimes whimsical directions.
The Verge points to court documents that also revealed early iPad models. Some pics show prototypes with kickstands (a common feature on HTC devices) while others show widescreen models. There are even some that show large handles flanking the screen.
It’s hard to look at these images and not see Steve Jobs’ influence. The late founder of Apple was notorious for his obsession over minute details. His biography explains that his adopted father explained to a then young Steve Jobs that the backside of a product is as important as the front even if no one sees it. It’s clear Jobs passed on that lesson to Apple designers; even early Apple products looked just as good from the back as they did from the front.
These images are a rare treat for Apple fanboys and critics alike. It’s rare for any company, especially one as secretive as Apple, to reveal early prototype designs. Although these models failed to make it to market, they might still hold design cues and decisions for future products — and they might not be protected with patents. But don’t worry. Apple and Samsung are going at it hard in several courts around the world. We might get see even more prototypes and early designs before the two sides call it quits.
View the original article here
Motorola & Sprint Preparing To Launch The LTE-Friendly
iPhone 5 Might Launch Sept. 21
The iPhone 4S debuted in mid-October 2011, but a few unconfirmed reports indicate that the next version is going to come out a bit earlier in the year than that.
In the past few days, a number of reports based on different sources have said that September is the launch window, and a couple have even gone so far as to name an exact date.
A large accessory-maker based in China allegedly let App4phone.fr know that Apple has pegged Friday, September 21 as the launch date for the next-generation iPhone.
[click to view image]An unnamed employee at a major electronics retail chain -- also unnamed -- supposedly informed phoneArena that the Sept. 21 date is accurate.
In addition, an analyst with KGI Securities, Ming-Chi Kuo, sent a note to investors this week predicting that the next iPhone will be out at some point in September.
Earlier reports had indicated that Apple is planning an October launch for this device, which often referred to as the iPhone 5. Other rumors have possibly revealed some of the hardware details, such as a larger screen and the inclusion of 4G LTE.
Apple may be pushing the launch of its next-generation smartphone up a bit to help the company compete better with the hot new Samsung Galaxy S III.
View the original article here
Apple Shipped 1.3M Apple TVs
In the past few days, a number of reports based on different sources have said that September is the launch window, and a couple have even gone so far as to name an exact date.
A large accessory-maker based in China allegedly let App4phone.fr know that Apple has pegged Friday, September 21 as the launch date for the next-generation iPhone.
[click to view image]An unnamed employee at a major electronics retail chain -- also unnamed -- supposedly informed phoneArena that the Sept. 21 date is accurate.
In addition, an analyst with KGI Securities, Ming-Chi Kuo, sent a note to investors this week predicting that the next iPhone will be out at some point in September.
Earlier reports had indicated that Apple is planning an October launch for this device, which often referred to as the iPhone 5. Other rumors have possibly revealed some of the hardware details, such as a larger screen and the inclusion of 4G LTE.
Apple may be pushing the launch of its next-generation smartphone up a bit to help the company compete better with the hot new Samsung Galaxy S III.
View the original article here
Apple Shipped 1.3M Apple TVs
Motorola & Sprint Preparing To Launch The LTE-Friendly, QWERTY-Packing Photon Q
The folks at Sprint seem to be having a busy day so far — this morning saw (among other things) the release of the carrier’s latest quarterly financials, an announcement about new LTE markets, and the revelation that birds are keeping the company from lighting up “hundreds” of LTE sites.
If that wasn’t enough Sprint for you, now the carrier has announced the Motorola Photon Q, a new LTE-capable handset with a physical keyboard for all those customers who could stand to do a little future-proofing.
Putting the sizable five-row QWERTY keyboard — which looks as though it’s been transplanted directly from a DROID 4 — the rest of the spec sheet looks rather familiar Like the recently-released Atrix HD for AT&T (which, if you’ll pardon the aside, was quite a treat), the Photon Q sports a lightly-tweaked version of Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, 8GB of internal storage, and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera. Sadly it sports a slightly smaller 4.3-inch qHD ColorBoost LCD than its 720p cousin on AT&T, but its support for NFC may help to take the sting out of the switch.
As usual, Motorola is playing its cards close to the metaphorical vest when it comes to the Photon Q’s chipset. The last time Motorola did that, it was to conceal the Atrix HD’s Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 SoC, so here’s hoping for another pleasant surprise. Also up in the air at this point is when exactly the device is going to be released; all Motorola and Sprint will say for now is that the hefty-looking device is “coming soon.” With any luck, you’ll have some sweet LTE access in your neck of the woods when the little guy launches, but I’d advise against holding your breath.
View the original article here
Samsung Officially Brings Motion-Controlled Angry Birds To Select Smart TVs
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Samsung Galaxy S III Sales Break 10 Million
Maybe Samsung is right and the next big thing really is here: sales of the company's Galaxy S III smartphone have officially broken 10 million units.
Though he was unable to provide specific numbers, the head of Samsung's information technology and mobile communication division, Shin Jong-Kyun, told the Yonhap News Agency that the company has moved more than 10 million Galaxy S III units since its initial launch in the EU and Middle East at the very end of May.
This outstrips the pace of its predecessor, the Galaxy S II, which took five months to reach 10 million units in sales. And the company's executives are likely satisfied with the news, as Samsung previously stated that, despite fighting component shortages, its goal was to hit the 10 million mark by early July.
Sales in the United States have surely contributed to this figure, as Samsung's new flagship phone is available from all of the top carriers in this country.
To learn more about the Samsung Galaxy S III, have a look here at our review of the US version, or here for our review of the international version.
Though he was unable to provide specific numbers, the head of Samsung's information technology and mobile communication division, Shin Jong-Kyun, told the Yonhap News Agency that the company has moved more than 10 million Galaxy S III units since its initial launch in the EU and Middle East at the very end of May.
This outstrips the pace of its predecessor, the Galaxy S II, which took five months to reach 10 million units in sales. And the company's executives are likely satisfied with the news, as Samsung previously stated that, despite fighting component shortages, its goal was to hit the 10 million mark by early July.
Sales in the United States have surely contributed to this figure, as Samsung's new flagship phone is available from all of the top carriers in this country.
To learn more about the Samsung Galaxy S III, have a look here at our review of the US version, or here for our review of the international version.
View the original article here
Apple Shipped 1.3M Apple TVs In Q3 2012
Samsung Officially Brings Motion-Controlled Angry Birds To Select Smart TVs
You see, Angry Birds has been revamped to work with Samsung’s Smart Interaction feature, meaning that the user will sling birds without a remote control or touch interface, as the game is entirely gesture-controlled.
The Angry Birds game will work on Samsung’s 2012 LED 7500 Smart TV and up, along with the Plasma 8000 models.
The company first debuted the game on the 75-inch ES9000 LED Smart 3D TV. As you can expect, this model comes with all of Samsung’s new “smart” additions, such as Smart Interaction, Smart Content and Smart Evolution, which lets you control the TV with your voice or gestures, share content across devices, and upgrade the TV.
If you already own one of the LED 7500 (or ups) or the Plasma 8000, the Angry Birds app is available as a free download from Samsung’s Smart Hub. If, for some reason, you’re interested in the 75-inch ES9000 LED Smart 3D TV that Samsung’s just recently debuted, which packs Angry Birds right on the device, it’s expected to hit shelves in August starting $9,999.
View the original article here
Apple Now Has Over $117 Billion In Cash Reserves
Apple Shipped 1.3M Apple TVs In Q3 2012, Still Calls It A Hobby
“We are not going to keep products around we don’t believe in,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook in regards to the Apple TV on today’s earnings call. He also stated that Apple still considers the product a hobby although Apple keeps at the project because they stated “it will lead us [Apple] somewhere.”
Apple is very happy with Apple TV’s growth. The company shipped around 4 million so far during this fiscal year with 1.3 million units over the third quarter — not so bad for a hobby.
In many ways Apple TV is the missing link between Apple’s portables and the living room. It brings iTunes to the big screen but also, through the magic of Airplay, allows iPhone and iPad owners to quickly and easily stream content to the Apple TV. But for many, this little box is not enough.
A true Apple TV, an Apple HDTV if you will, has been rumored for sometime but Apple has been very quiet on its development. Like many companies, Apple tends to develop early and wait for the right time to release it in the wild. Apple could be waiting on the right content or hardware deals. But Cook’s statement seems to indicate something is in the pipeline. The Apple TV is likely leading Apple into the living room.
View the original article here
Apple Reports Disappointing Mac Sales Despite Retina MacBook Release
gadgets Comment 9 inShare10 Apple Q3 Earnings: Apple Now Has Over $117 Billion In Cash Reserves
Apple closed its record June quarter with $117 billion in cash reserves, up from $110 billion last quarter. Crediting strong sales of almost all products as well as an improved economy. Asia-Pacific growth increased 25% this quarter (down from 100% last quarter), 2/3s of which came from China.
Apple announced they would also continue their stock buyback program over the year.
AAPL closed with a market cap of 561.90B while competitors like Dell and HP closed at 20.23B and 35.46B respectively.
View the original article here
Apple Q3 2012: 26M iPhones
Apple Reports Disappointing Mac Sales Despite Retina MacBook Release: 4 Million Units Sold In Q3 2012
Analysts have been sharply divided in providing estimates for Apple’s third quarter earnings report. And it would appear that this time, predictions of a mild third quarter were correct. Apple saw a bit of a plateau in Mac sales, with 4 million Macs, 26 million iPhones, and 17 million iPads sold in Q3 2012. That’s compared to last quarter’s sales of 4 million Macs, 35.1 million iPhones, and 11.8 million iPads.
The main question was whether or not Apple’s MacBook Pro Retina would pick up declining Mac sales. As you can see from the numbers, it appears that 5.1 million pixels does not a spike in sales make, as this represents only a 2 percent increase in sales over the year-ago quarter. At the same time, the Retina MBP was only available for a short portion of the quarter being reported, so it’s possible we’ll see a spike in Q4.
On the earnings call, Tim Cook explained that the slowed growth in Mac sales has a lot to do with the timing of their portable announcement this year. It only left a few weeks for buyers to enjoy the new models, as opposed to the February announcement last year.
We pulled together professional estimates of 68 Apple analysts, as compiled by Fortune, who said that Apple would sell around 4.4 million Macs, 29 million iPhones and 15.7 million iPads.
As you can see, iPhone sales are down slightly from Q2 (and 3 million short of analyst expectations), while Mac sales stayed almost exactly the same as last quarter. If you remember, Q2′s 4 million Macs sold was down about 1 million units from the first quarter.
But after spending a full quarter on the market, the iPad is selling quite well, with 17 million units sold this quarter. That’s a whopping 84 percent increase from the same quarter last year, and a 5.2 million unit gain over last quarter.
Analysts also expected iPod sales figures to go down from last quarter’s 7.7 million, which is to be expected outside of gift-buying season. On this point, as well, they were right. Apple sold 6.8 million iPods in Q3 2012, a 10 percent unit decrease from last year.
View the original article here
Apple’s Q3 2012: $35B In Revenue
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