A Deeper Dive on Android and iPhone in China

I’ve received a number of questions from readers about why I don’t talk as much about the US market for smartphones. It’s primarily because the US doesn’t offer any new interesting questions or problems. It’s about a 50/50 split between Android and iOS and Apple controls over 60% (and growing) of the premium smartphone space. … Continue reading A Deeper Dive on Android and iPhone in China

Tech.pinions in 2015

There aren’t many sites like ours on the web. When I started Tech.pinions a little over three years ago, I wanted to bring something different to the table. It is not every day someone in the field of Industry Analysis starts a public website to share in-depth commentary and analysis on a range of industry … Continue reading Tech.pinions in 2015

Apple’s options for search

I did a post for Insiders last week about Mozilla’s new search deal with Yahoo which replaces Google as the default search engine in Firefox in the US. But as part of that post, I also briefly touched on the fact Apple is also a major referrer of search traffic to Google and has the … Continue reading Apple’s options for search

Data: The iPhone 6 vs. the 6 Plus in China

Internal data I have access to from Baidu in China allows me to see a picture of what is happening at ground level in terms of daily active users by device on Baidu’s network/app distribution platform. Baidu is the largest search engine in China both by use and revenue and their app distribution platform represents … Continue reading Data: The iPhone 6 vs. the 6 Plus in China

Chart: Internet Access by Device

As our readers know, every now and then I like to post a chart and tease out the highlights. Today, I want to do that with some updated data. Across many global markets, consumers were asked which devices they have accessed the Internet on, either through an app or browser, over the past 30 days. … Continue reading Chart: Internet Access by Device

My Facebook For A Kingdom

I come not to bury Facebook, but to question it. I seek clarity, assurances. What is Facebook? Is it social media? An app? A global phenomenon? Instant messaging? The place where we connect, share our family photos, check in from our favorite restaurant? Probably it’s all these things. But is Facebook a viable business? Last … Continue reading My Facebook For A Kingdom

Samsung Schadenfreude And The Fall Of The Church Of Market Share

Schadenfreude |ˈSHädənˌfroidə | noun | pleasure derived by someone from another person’s misfortune. ORIGIN German Schadenfreude, from Schaden ‘harm’ + Freude ‘joy.’ Samsung has reported a 60% fall in quarterly profits. Just three years ago, Samsung rose from seemingly nowhere to dominate the global smartphone market. Today, Samsung is being pressured from above and below … Continue reading Samsung Schadenfreude And The Fall Of The Church Of Market Share

Apple Watch Claim Chowder

People really love to hate Apple. It should be considered a disorder at this point. ~ J. Gobert (@MrGobert) The Apple Watch may or may not fail, but the analysis of the Watch has already failed. People just cannot wait to pronounce judgment. They. Can. Not. Wait. There’s plenty of thoughtful analysis out there, but … Continue reading Apple Watch Claim Chowder

Apple Claim Chowder: Business Models

With an Apple Event fast approaching, I’m reviewing critiques of past Apple Events to see how accurate they were. Turns out, not very. Critique is needed and welcome. Repeated errors? Not so much. Business Models No one gets more bad advice than does Apple. Apple went from near-bankruptcy to nearly the largest company on earth, … Continue reading Apple Claim Chowder: Business Models

Apple Claim Chowder: Evolutionary Or Revolutionary

With an Apple Event fast approaching, I’m reviewing critiques of past Apple Events to see how accurate they were. Turns out, not very. Critique is needed and welcome. Repeated errors? Not so much. Evolutionary Or Revolutionary The iPhone and the iPad have received a lot of criticism for being evolutionary, not revolutionary. I take strong … Continue reading Apple Claim Chowder: Evolutionary Or Revolutionary

Apple Claim Chowder: Product

With an Apple Event fast approaching, I’m reviewing critiques of past Apple Events to see how accurate they were. Turns out, not very. Critique is needed and welcome. Repeated errors? Not so much. Product Apple’s products receive a lot of criticism and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. Some of the criticism seems unfair to … Continue reading Apple Claim Chowder: Product

Apple Claim Chowder: Cynicism

With an Apple Event fast approaching, I’m reviewing critiques of past Apple Events to see how accurate they were. Turns out, not very. Critique is needed and welcome. Repeated errors? Not so much. Cynicism All companies suffer from the slings and arrows of outrageous criticism. However, some companies seem to suffer more than their unfair … Continue reading Apple Claim Chowder: Cynicism

Apple Claim Chowder: Killers

With an Apple Event fast approaching, I’m reviewing critiques of past Apple Events to see how accurate they were. Turns out, not very. Critique is needed and welcome. Repeated errors? Not so much. Killers There is a long, sordid history of products being introduced as iPod, iPhone, and iPad Killers. You know the deal. Product … Continue reading Apple Claim Chowder: Killers

Apple Claim Chowder: Events

With an Apple Event fast approaching, I’m reviewing critiques of past Apple events to see how accurate they were. Turns out, not very. Critique is needed and welcome. Repeated errors? Not so much. Events A book is a mirror; if an ass peers into it, you cannot expect an apostle to peer out. ~ George … Continue reading Apple Claim Chowder: Events

Apple Claim Chowder: Introduction

Apple has scheduled an Event for Tuesday, September 9, 2014. Apple’s Events attract critics the way a trailer park attracts tornados. Good analysis and insightful critiques are expected and welcome, however many critics merely repeat the same discredited arguments over and over and over again. Some people simply never learn from their mistakes. Which reminds … Continue reading Apple Claim Chowder: Introduction

Thoughts On iPhone Inc

The iPhone is bigger than McDonald’s. That seems a useful demarcation for how we should view the iPhone in particular and Apple in general. The iPhone is that once-in-a-generation product that alters daily reality for at least a century. The Model T production line, overnight shipping, indoor plumbing and the credit card are other such … Continue reading Thoughts On iPhone Inc

Back To The Past With Oculus Rift

The pundits tell us Facebook’s purchase of Oculus VR is proof virtual reality has arrived, at long last. The future is now. Except all I can think about is the past. That’s what I mostly want from Oculus, or from Sony’s Morpheus or any similar device: the past. Not virtual reality or virtual presence, but … Continue reading Back To The Past With Oculus Rift

A Google Like Device for Physical Objects

In late April, I had a fascinating video call with a gentleman named Dror Sharon, the CEO of Physical Objects. He showed me a product that just went up on Kickstarter about a month ago. The device is a hand scanner that can scan physical objects and tell you about the chemical make up of that … Continue reading A Google Like Device for Physical Objects

The One Where Brian Is Wrong About Everything

Please allow me to introduce myself… You likely don’t care and would not believe the volume of blog posts, research reports, technical writings and analyst studies I sift through on a daily basis. This is necessary both to stay informed and to re-evaluate my opinions as new facts emerge. I refuse to let my initial reactions … Continue reading The One Where Brian Is Wrong About Everything

The Subscription Economy Is Sending Me To The Poorhouse

[UPDATE: See below] Technology is supposed to make our lives better. Shouldn’t we demand the same from business models? Sadly, it seems as if today’s bleeding edge innovations in business and retail are in — pricing. Yes, pricing. The chief goal, apparently, is to turn everything we buy or might ever buy into a subscription. … Continue reading The Subscription Economy Is Sending Me To The Poorhouse

Please Silicon Valley. Do Not Turn The Car Into Another Boring Box.

We stand at the intersection of the Internet of Things and the Connected Car. Soon, Cortana shall summon to us a driverless, fully autonomous vehicle, shared by the community, owned by no one, that will safely transport us to our chosen locale, as we tweet, stream, and tap away from the comfort of the back … Continue reading Please Silicon Valley. Do Not Turn The Car Into Another Boring Box.

Some Potential Downsides for an Apple TV

Another year, another quarterly earnings announcement, a mere month before WWDC, and not a hint of an Apple Television. Don’t hold your breath. While many of us may crave the idea of an Apple Television and certainly millions of us are not pleased with our present television “experience,” there is little for Apple to gain … Continue reading Some Potential Downsides for an Apple TV

Shazam! Why iPhone Integration With Shazam Really Is A Big Deal.

I believe most analysts, including those that monitor Apple’s every move, are seriously underestimating the ramifications of Apple baking Shazam’s music identification service into iOS 8.  This is not merely about increasing song downloads. Rather, this move marks Apple’s determined leap to re-position the iPhone in our lives. The digital hub metaphor is now much … Continue reading Shazam! Why iPhone Integration With Shazam Really Is A Big Deal.

Why Bitcoin Still Does Not Matter

You can buy Bitcoin today, swap your next mortgage payment for this aggressively hyped “cryptocurrency,” lose it all to crime, fraud or incompetence, no questions asked. Yet you are still legally barred from even participating in crowdfunded investments of fully vetted Bitcoin start-ups. Clearly, something is wrong. Marc Andreessen and his A16Z venture capital group have regularly … Continue reading Why Bitcoin Still Does Not Matter

Rebuttal: 10 Reasons To Not Buy A Windows Tablet

ZDNet posted an article entitled: 10 Reasons To Buy A Windows Tablet Instead Of The iPad Or Android. [pullquote]If you haven’t got anything good to say about anyone, come sit by me. ~ Alice Roosevelt Longworth[/pullquote] The ZDNet article proves to me you’re never too old to learn something stupid. The justifications used to support … Continue reading Rebuttal: 10 Reasons To Not Buy A Windows Tablet