J.D. Power caused a bit of a stir today when it put out a new survey in which Samsung had displaced Apple as the leader in U.S. tablet satisfaction. While the headline of the McGraw-Hill Financial unit’s press release declared “Samsung Ranks Highest in Overall Tablet Customer Satisfaction with Tablet Devices,” the featured table (above) seemed to tell … Continue reading J.D. Power Explains Its Inscrutable Tablet Rankings
As I pointed out last week, we have to be very careful with statistics that generalize data. Like the one making headlines the past few days stating that Apple’s tablet market share has dipped below 30%. As I pointed out last week, when general statistics that are not contextualized get thrown around it can mislead … Continue reading Apple’s Tablet Market Share
We are winning with our products in all the ways that are most important to us, in customer satisfaction, in product usage and in customer loyalty. ~ Tim Cook, Apple earnings call Customer satisfaction. Product usage. Customer loyalty. Is Tim Cook right? Is Apple really winning in those areas? And is that really what’s most … Continue reading Apple’s Definition Of “Winning”
We always hurt the ones we love, and nobody loves Microsoft more than Microsoft. In a recent blog post, Frank Shaw, the company’s Corporate Vice President of Communications, took aim at Apple’s October 22nd keynote–specifically the part where Apple made its iWork suite of productivity applications free for new Mac and iPad/iPhone buyers. Now, since … Continue reading Apple Isn’t Hurting Microsoft, Microsoft is Hurting Microsoft
He is known simply as Charbax. You can find him on Twitter, on Youtube, and very often in the comments section of any post that trashes Android. He is in my opinion the biggest Android fanboy — fan, fanatic, believer, evangelist — in the world. His numerous first-hand, homebrew videos showcase the incredible innovation occurring across the … Continue reading Stop Believing Apple Invents Stuff! Where I Interview The Biggest Android Fanboy In The World.
If you follow Apple in the press and talk to analysts, you’re probably confused. There are three conflicting narratives being presented: Apple is doomed, Apple is disappointing, or Apple is dominating. So many journalists have written about Apple’s lack of innovation without Steve Jobs that, “Apple is doomed,” has almost become a meme. Most financial … Continue reading Understanding Apple Part 2
I genuinely love the industry analyst business. I love the role we analysts, our data, and our commentary play in helping companies make strategic decisions. However, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend. ((It’s a “Jump to Conclusions” mat! You see, you have this mat, with different CONCLUSIONS written on it that you could JUMP TO! — … Continue reading When Genuine Data Leads to Disingenuous Conclusions
On the eve of Apple’s event–where we expect new iPad’s to be unveiled–I thought I would provide a high level view of the current state of the tablet market. While it may not be terribly obvious to many, the holiday quarter for tablets will easily be the most competitive yet. Amazon’s Kindle Fire HDX tablets … Continue reading The State of Tablets
As I study the industry, the market trends, and the solutions trying to flow with the trends, I’m fascinated by what Microsoft is doing strategically. From a historical standpoint, we have to conclude that the Microsoft of old is drastically different from the Microsoft of new. The recipe that got Microsoft to where their once … Continue reading Microsoft’s Uncharted Territory
An update to Windows Phone 8, due to begin rolling out soon, has some good news for fans of really big phones. Devices with 1920×1080 pixel displays will get an assortment of new user interface features, including the ability to display three columns of tiles on the home screen. The stated goal is to provide … Continue reading Tablets, Phablets, and Phones: Microsoft’s Confusion Continues
Over the past several weeks, rumors of an “Amazon Phone” have become more persistent, if no more credible. The rumors stick, of course, because Amazon has years of experience designing, developing, selling (and I assume servicing) personal mobile computing devices — the Kindle line of eReaders and tablets. In addition, Amazon operates its own Android app … Continue reading If Jeff Bezos Is Serious About An Amazon Phone He Better Take Out His Wallet
During my conversation with Benedict Evans as we recorded the 4th episode of our podcast, we got to discussing some competitive players in the mobile market. During this conversation Benedict brought up how aggressive Samsung is with a portion of their marketing budget which goes to commissions to sales reps who sell their devices. Now … Continue reading Why Apple is Growing Its Bank Account
Enough already. The debate over Android, iPhone, and occasionally Windows Phone as winners and losers in the smartphone market, being pursued with vigor in the comments at Tech.pinions as well as nearly everywhere else in the tech world, has become a hopelessly sterile argument. Worse, the whole discussion is based on the incorrect premise that … Continue reading Let’s Stop Talking About Winners and Losers
Understanding what is happening in smartphones is all a matter of perspective. It is easy to get caught up in the OS market share statistics and lose sight of the big picture. comScore has recently updated their MobiLens and Mobile Metrix, data for US smartphone subscribers in August 2013. Many in the media picked up … Continue reading It’s Tough Competing With the iPhone
No. Neither Android nor Windows Phone, apart or in concert, have any hope of defeating iPhone. None. For the foreseeable future, iPhone will remain the world’s most popular, most profitable smartphone by a wide margin. The best apps, the first apps, the most popular accessories, the lion’s share of the industry’s profits all will belong … Continue reading Do Android Or Windows Phone Have Any Hope Of Defeating iPhone?
Speculating about the future is not easy. Traditional wisdom looks to technology industry history as our guide. The lessons from this history often shed great insight into the future. However, using this history has its challenges and requires context. But using history as our guide, I think it is very interesting to understand the role … Continue reading Our Services Destiny
Last week, I talked about Apple: The Splendid Failure. How Apple was viewed as a failure because they prioritized product and customer experience over profits. This week, I try to put things into perspective and demonstrate where Apple really stands in relation to their rivals. Next week, I’ll conclude by focusing on Apple’s true dilemma. … Continue reading Apple To World: “Doomed? I Know What You Are, But What Am I?”
Long before the rise of PCs in the home, TV hosted what were the first mainstream consumer app platform. The “apps” came on plastic cartridges inserted into the Atari 2600, Intellivision and other early consoles. Indeed, we’re now seeing a renaissance in living room TV gaming coming via OUYA, GameStick, NVIDIA’s Shield, Valve’s Steam OS, … Continue reading Tablets and TVs: The Battle for the Bridge
All the speculation around the iPhone 5C was that it was designed to be Apple’s product to infiltrate the lower tiers of the market and begin to take share from Android. You may or may not know that in several markets like the US, Japan, and parts of Europe, the iPhone dominates the premium section … Continue reading Apple’s 5C Invasion Strategy
Ben Thompson of Stratechery has deservedly been the talk of the tech world this week for his analysis of disruption theory, What Clayton Christensen Got Wrong. Thompson argues (and if you haven;t read his piece you should) that Christensen actually has two theories of disruption: new market disruption, in which incumbent fail to respond to … Continue reading Disruption: What Microsoft Got Wrong
If Steve Jobs was alive I would not need to write this column. He is not, tragically, and yet as I cover Apple, the smartphone industry, and the rapid spread of mobile personal computing throughout the world, I never hear the end of analysts, bloggers — and haters — telling me exactly what would be … Continue reading If Steve Jobs Was Alive What Would Steve Jobs Do?
Critics: Apple Has Nothing Under Construction Following Apple’s iPhone Event last Tuesday, September 10th, the Pundits – echoed by the stock market – have been relentlessly critical of Apple’s iPhone 5C pricing strategy. Investors have driven Apple’s shares down more than 10% since last week’s event. Snippets from some of the commentary: (Author’s note: You … Continue reading Apple And The “Noah” Rule
Samsung declared that it too will follow in Apple’s footsteps and embrace 64-bit processor designs in their products. I have no doubt that Qualcomm and Nvidia will catch up with equally impressive 64-bit designs. That being said, Qualcomm and Nvidia do not have what Apple does, an operating system. Although Qualcomm and Nvidia will make … Continue reading What the A7 being 64-bit Means for The Competition
If you read the gadget blogs, especially those run by people who focus primarily on a single company, the overwhelming feeling is that Microsoft should just give up the consumer phone market and let Apple and Android duke it out. After all, what good is trying when you only have 4 percent market share I … Continue reading What’s Wrong With the Windows Phone?
I am providing you with a copulation of answers to several questions raised… ~ Marion Barry The recent Apple iPhone event raised so very, many questions. Let’s touch on a few of them and see where we stand today. Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things. ~ George Carlin Apple TV … Continue reading Reviewing Apple’s iPhone Event
