According to a new research report by Berg Insight the number of mobile subscribers downloading navigation routes using their mobile handsets is expected to grow from 16 million users in 2008 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.9 percent to reach 70 million users in 2014.
Revenues from subscriptions and advertisements are expected to reach € 597 million by 2014 from € 177 million in 2008, a CAGR of 22.4 percent.
The growing adoption will be driven mainly by the introduction of GPS-technology in smartphone handsets and bundling of navigation applications with mobile devices or service plans. Following the introduction of the first GPS enabled handset in Europe in 2007, there has been a massive increase in the number of models available from Nokia and other manufacturers. Increasing volumes have paved the way for widespread adoption of mobile navigation services in Europe. Meanwhile the US market has continued to grow to a level of 6 million active subscribers to mobile navigation services in Q2-2008. The anticipated launch of GPS enabled handsets by the GSM operators AT&T and T-Mobile USA are expected to drive further growth in 2009.
André Malm, telecom analyst, Berg Insight says, “The mobile industry is now starting to reap the benefits from the introduction of GPS enabled handsets. However, most mobile navigation users only use the service during a free trial period. The key challenge will be to convert these test-users into paying subscribers.”
Posted to the site on 10th October 2008
Showing posts with label GPS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GPS. Show all posts
Friday, October 10, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Almost 40% of Smart Phones Shipping in EMEA Have GPS Integrated
A new report Canalys finds that growth slowed in the smart phone market in EMEA in Q2, but total shipments of 12.6 million still made it the second biggest quarter ever in volume terms. Canalys estimates that smart phones represented 13% of all mobile phone shipments.
Nokia remained the market leader by some margin, but the other vendors in the top five posted much higher than average year-on-year growth, with second-placed RIM closing the market share gap by several points, and HTC, Motorola and Samsung more than doubling their shipments.
Both HTC and RIM have been making steady progress toward the one million shipments per quarter mark in EMEA and are now very close to each other in market share terms, but it is possible that they will be overtaken by Apple in Q3 following the launch of the iPhone 3G in many countries in the region.
The smart phone market continues to be boosted by user demand for high-end features. This is unlikely to be dramatically affected by the economic situation in the short term, though operators will likely become even more unwilling to heavily subsidise high-end devices without adequate proof of return, and contract lengths and the time between upgrades are expected to increase. Canalys estimates that 58% of the smart phones that shipped in EMEA in Q2 had integrated Wi-Fi, 13% had stylus or finger-driven touch screens and 38% had integrated GPS.
“Today, many owners are not making full use of their smart phone’s features,” said Canalys senior analyst Pete Cunningham. “Concern over usage costs is still a big barrier, though wider availability of flat rate data plans will help, and usability still needs to improve for certain applications on many devices. People are also wary of draining their battery and not being able to make calls. Battery life isn’t helped by having GPS and Wi-Fi turned on, nor by having a large, bright screen for navigation or web browsing. But there is clear demand for those features and applications, and advances in battery technology would enable quite substantial changes in usage patterns, with all the service revenue benefits that would bring.”
Recent consumer research conducted by Canalys in several European countries reinforces the importance of balancing features against power consumption. In a survey of over 4,000 mobile phone users in March, battery life came out as the aspect of their phone they were least satisfied with. Another survey of 3,000 consumers in June showed that having better battery life than current mobile phones and notebooks would make two-thirds of respondents “more”, or “much more”, likely to purchase a Mobile Internet Device (MID) – a device designed for web browsing on the move. This registered as a stronger influence than the inclusion of features such as GPS, mobile TV or the ability to make phone calls.
As the number of GPS-equipped phones rises, adoption of location-based services (LBS) becomes a more realistic prospect. Canalys’ European consumer surveys also reveal interest in a variety of such services. The most popular are those that relate to driving, such as getting information on local road traffic, speed cameras, open petrol stations and current fuel prices. The services that fewest respondents thought would be useful were those that delivered information on local cinemas and programme times, and local retail price comparison and stock searches.
“Something that stood out in the latest survey was that those who already owned a Portable Navigation Device (PND) showed only a slight preference toward paying to have these services on their PND rather than on their mobile phone,” commented Canalys analyst Tim Shepherd. “There is already quite high acceptance in principle that even key driving-related location services would be delivered to the phone.”
With 4.8 million PNDs shipping in EMEA in Q2, and 4.7 million integrated GPS smart phones, it is clear that PND vendors will have to adapt quickly to the rising threat posed by phone-based navigation solutions and location-based services, even if most of those GPS phones today are not being used for vehicle navigation.
Nokia remained the market leader by some margin, but the other vendors in the top five posted much higher than average year-on-year growth, with second-placed RIM closing the market share gap by several points, and HTC, Motorola and Samsung more than doubling their shipments.
Both HTC and RIM have been making steady progress toward the one million shipments per quarter mark in EMEA and are now very close to each other in market share terms, but it is possible that they will be overtaken by Apple in Q3 following the launch of the iPhone 3G in many countries in the region.
The smart phone market continues to be boosted by user demand for high-end features. This is unlikely to be dramatically affected by the economic situation in the short term, though operators will likely become even more unwilling to heavily subsidise high-end devices without adequate proof of return, and contract lengths and the time between upgrades are expected to increase. Canalys estimates that 58% of the smart phones that shipped in EMEA in Q2 had integrated Wi-Fi, 13% had stylus or finger-driven touch screens and 38% had integrated GPS.
“Today, many owners are not making full use of their smart phone’s features,” said Canalys senior analyst Pete Cunningham. “Concern over usage costs is still a big barrier, though wider availability of flat rate data plans will help, and usability still needs to improve for certain applications on many devices. People are also wary of draining their battery and not being able to make calls. Battery life isn’t helped by having GPS and Wi-Fi turned on, nor by having a large, bright screen for navigation or web browsing. But there is clear demand for those features and applications, and advances in battery technology would enable quite substantial changes in usage patterns, with all the service revenue benefits that would bring.”
Recent consumer research conducted by Canalys in several European countries reinforces the importance of balancing features against power consumption. In a survey of over 4,000 mobile phone users in March, battery life came out as the aspect of their phone they were least satisfied with. Another survey of 3,000 consumers in June showed that having better battery life than current mobile phones and notebooks would make two-thirds of respondents “more”, or “much more”, likely to purchase a Mobile Internet Device (MID) – a device designed for web browsing on the move. This registered as a stronger influence than the inclusion of features such as GPS, mobile TV or the ability to make phone calls.
As the number of GPS-equipped phones rises, adoption of location-based services (LBS) becomes a more realistic prospect. Canalys’ European consumer surveys also reveal interest in a variety of such services. The most popular are those that relate to driving, such as getting information on local road traffic, speed cameras, open petrol stations and current fuel prices. The services that fewest respondents thought would be useful were those that delivered information on local cinemas and programme times, and local retail price comparison and stock searches.
“Something that stood out in the latest survey was that those who already owned a Portable Navigation Device (PND) showed only a slight preference toward paying to have these services on their PND rather than on their mobile phone,” commented Canalys analyst Tim Shepherd. “There is already quite high acceptance in principle that even key driving-related location services would be delivered to the phone.”
With 4.8 million PNDs shipping in EMEA in Q2, and 4.7 million integrated GPS smart phones, it is clear that PND vendors will have to adapt quickly to the rising threat posed by phone-based navigation solutions and location-based services, even if most of those GPS phones today are not being used for vehicle navigation.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Compal Communications aims to ship 60 million handsets in 2008
1 February 2008
Compal Communications expects handset shipments to grow 20-25% sequentially to 60 million units in 2008, according to company chairman Ray Chen.
Handset shipments fell sharply to 47.8 million in 2007 due to the decline in performance of Motorola, the major customer of the Taiwan company, according to market sources.
After an organizational reshuffle at its major customer, Compal's operation will gradually rebound in the second half of the year with average selling prices (ASPs) to increase between the second and the third quarters, Chen commented.
As orders are not coming as early as expected, Compal has not begun operations at its new plant in Ningbo, China. Chen noted that the company completed establishment of the plant last year, and official operations will kick off in the second half of 2008.
In response to questions relating to the possibility of setting up a plant in Vietnam, the chairman noted that Compal will not consider any such projects for at least two or three years.
Compal has formed a second business group to focus on 3G and GPS smartphones. The company will begin offering smartphones from the fourth quarter with an annual shipments target of less than one million units, Chen revealed, although shipments will jump in 2009. Compal will still make GPS-based products in the future and WCDMA and EVDO-based 3G phones, but it will focus on the smartphone market, Chen added.
Commenting on the recent heavy snows hitting China, Chen stated that shipments in January will not be affected as the company's Nanjing plant is not far away from the airport. However, Compal has strengthened its material inventory preparations in case of any potential damages. The bad weather may affect demand during the Lunar New Year in China, but this would be only a short-term impact, he added.
The chairman also noted that although the industry is pessimistic over the global economy, the company holds a different outlook, noting that some customers are even increasing orders or preparing shipments in advance due to the situation.
Compal Communications expects handset shipments to grow 20-25% sequentially to 60 million units in 2008, according to company chairman Ray Chen.
Handset shipments fell sharply to 47.8 million in 2007 due to the decline in performance of Motorola, the major customer of the Taiwan company, according to market sources.
After an organizational reshuffle at its major customer, Compal's operation will gradually rebound in the second half of the year with average selling prices (ASPs) to increase between the second and the third quarters, Chen commented.
As orders are not coming as early as expected, Compal has not begun operations at its new plant in Ningbo, China. Chen noted that the company completed establishment of the plant last year, and official operations will kick off in the second half of 2008.
In response to questions relating to the possibility of setting up a plant in Vietnam, the chairman noted that Compal will not consider any such projects for at least two or three years.
Compal has formed a second business group to focus on 3G and GPS smartphones. The company will begin offering smartphones from the fourth quarter with an annual shipments target of less than one million units, Chen revealed, although shipments will jump in 2009. Compal will still make GPS-based products in the future and WCDMA and EVDO-based 3G phones, but it will focus on the smartphone market, Chen added.
Commenting on the recent heavy snows hitting China, Chen stated that shipments in January will not be affected as the company's Nanjing plant is not far away from the airport. However, Compal has strengthened its material inventory preparations in case of any potential damages. The bad weather may affect demand during the Lunar New Year in China, but this would be only a short-term impact, he added.
The chairman also noted that although the industry is pessimistic over the global economy, the company holds a different outlook, noting that some customers are even increasing orders or preparing shipments in advance due to the situation.
Monday, January 7, 2008
NXP-GloNav consolidation synergy to materialize as new solution to launch soon: Q&A with NXP EVP of mobile and personal business unit
7 January 2008
Following the acquisition of the US-based global positioning system (GPS) fabless company GloNav in late December of 2007, NXP Semiconductors is ready to offer customers in all fields, including the handset sector, with stronger functionality solutions. In light of the encouraging penetration trend in handsets of functions such as Bluetooth and FM radio reception, NXP is gearing for an upcoming launch of a GPS single chip solution in the near future.
From digitime, Q&A with Marc Cetto, executive vice president and general manager of NXP's mobile and personal business unit, about his views and outlook about the GPS market.
Q: Why did NXP select GloNav to strengthen the company's GPS offering?
A: Power consumption, cost, yield and technology maturity determines the competitiveness of a GPS chip. By taking all these criteria into account, and seeing that GloNav already successfully developed a single chip on the 90nm process node, we believe the corresponding intellectual property (IP) in this field will be easily integrated into our handset and GPS single chip offerings.
As GloNav has already planned to advance its GPS single chip to 45nm, the consolidation means a timely introduction of a mature, cost competitive and power efficient solution to customers. It also helps broaden our wireless communication chip product portfolio.
Q: What do you think about the GPS handset market? And what will be the growth drivers in 2008?
A: Of course we are optimistic about the market or else we would not have acquired GloNav. To put it simply, NXP believes that GPS has substantial potential in the handset market and will deliver huge added value much like Bluetooth and FM radio reception. These two markets now have a penetration rate of 40-50% in the global handset market and the rate is set to pick up further in the future. As we believe GPS will have a similar penetration trend, we think we chose the right time to tap into the GPS segment.
When NXP will deploy in the handset segment, we will particularly assess the markets that will deliver substantial growth. NXP believes that applications such as Bluetooth, FM radio, GPS and near-field communications (NFCs) are essential. As the penetration rate for GPS and NFC is still under 10%, these are potential areas to focus on.
Q: Can you detail NXP's GPS deployment amid the consolidation?
A: Since GloNav already houses its own customer base in personal navigation devices (PNDs) and other handset products, besides adding the Nexperia line to the 90nm-made solutions of GloNav's product lineup, we will also start offering solutions from GloNav to our existing customers in the handset, automotive and portable consumer electronics sectors. Of which, our handset customers are expected to see solutions available for them in February at the earliest.
NXP will also try to integrate a GPS single chip into other mobile communication solutions. But since we just announced the consolidation with GloNav, we have no concrete schedule for deployment in this field yet.
Q: As one of the major chip supplier for the TD-SCDMA standard, does the consolidation with GloNav imply a possible GPS-equipped TD-SCDMA standard chip?
A: The GPS single chip that we are going to unveil next month will be available to all handset makers, and this of course supports the TD-SCDMA standard. There is a possibility of seeing a TD-SCDMA handset with built-in GPS connectivity in 2008.
Q: Why did NXP select GloNav to strengthen the company's GPS offering?
A: Power consumption, cost, yield and technology maturity determines the competitiveness of a GPS chip. By taking all these criteria into account, and seeing that GloNav already successfully developed a single chip on the 90nm process node, we believe the corresponding intellectual property (IP) in this field will be easily integrated into our handset and GPS single chip offerings.
As GloNav has already planned to advance its GPS single chip to 45nm, the consolidation means a timely introduction of a mature, cost competitive and power efficient solution to customers. It also helps broaden our wireless communication chip product portfolio.
Q: What do you think about the GPS handset market? And what will be the growth drivers in 2008?
A: Of course we are optimistic about the market or else we would not have acquired GloNav. To put it simply, NXP believes that GPS has substantial potential in the handset market and will deliver huge added value much like Bluetooth and FM radio reception. These two markets now have a penetration rate of 40-50% in the global handset market and the rate is set to pick up further in the future. As we believe GPS will have a similar penetration trend, we think we chose the right time to tap into the GPS segment.
When NXP will deploy in the handset segment, we will particularly assess the markets that will deliver substantial growth. NXP believes that applications such as Bluetooth, FM radio, GPS and near-field communications (NFCs) are essential. As the penetration rate for GPS and NFC is still under 10%, these are potential areas to focus on.
Q: Can you detail NXP's GPS deployment amid the consolidation?
A: Since GloNav already houses its own customer base in personal navigation devices (PNDs) and other handset products, besides adding the Nexperia line to the 90nm-made solutions of GloNav's product lineup, we will also start offering solutions from GloNav to our existing customers in the handset, automotive and portable consumer electronics sectors. Of which, our handset customers are expected to see solutions available for them in February at the earliest.
NXP will also try to integrate a GPS single chip into other mobile communication solutions. But since we just announced the consolidation with GloNav, we have no concrete schedule for deployment in this field yet.
Q: As one of the major chip supplier for the TD-SCDMA standard, does the consolidation with GloNav imply a possible GPS-equipped TD-SCDMA standard chip?
A: The GPS single chip that we are going to unveil next month will be available to all handset makers, and this of course supports the TD-SCDMA standard. There is a possibility of seeing a TD-SCDMA handset with built-in GPS connectivity in 2008.
Marc Cetto, executive vice president and general manager of NXP's mobile and personal business unit
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Ericsson Technology Enables New Safety Device Launched by Ntt Docomo
27 Dec, 2007
Ericsson has announced that a brand-new security device with positioning capabilities, enabled by Ericsson technology, has been launched in Japan.
NTT DoCoMo, the Japanese telecoms giant, has launched a safety device that gets high-precision location information by using the GPS function. The device is designed to provide family members or authorities with positioning information or to enable location tracking when the user pulls the slide switch in a dangerous or emergency situation. The slide switch also triggers a crime prevention buzzer on the device.
The device is based on the U310 platform developed by Ericsson. The platform enables the modem and GPS functionality within the device, which is small enough to be carried inside a pocket or bag for easy activation in case of emergency.
Robert Puskaric, Head of Ericsson Mobile Platforms, says: "This shows that our platform technology is flexible and small enough to be implemented in devices other than the traditional mobile phone. We are also pleased to see that our platform has been included in a security device within the DoCoMo portfolio, as this proves its stability and quality."
The product, CTG-001G, has been developed by Giant Electronics on behalf of DoCoMo, and was launched on the Japanese market on December 7.
Ericsson has announced that a brand-new security device with positioning capabilities, enabled by Ericsson technology, has been launched in Japan.
NTT DoCoMo, the Japanese telecoms giant, has launched a safety device that gets high-precision location information by using the GPS function. The device is designed to provide family members or authorities with positioning information or to enable location tracking when the user pulls the slide switch in a dangerous or emergency situation. The slide switch also triggers a crime prevention buzzer on the device.
The device is based on the U310 platform developed by Ericsson. The platform enables the modem and GPS functionality within the device, which is small enough to be carried inside a pocket or bag for easy activation in case of emergency.
Robert Puskaric, Head of Ericsson Mobile Platforms, says: "This shows that our platform technology is flexible and small enough to be implemented in devices other than the traditional mobile phone. We are also pleased to see that our platform has been included in a security device within the DoCoMo portfolio, as this proves its stability and quality."
The product, CTG-001G, has been developed by Giant Electronics on behalf of DoCoMo, and was launched on the Japanese market on December 7.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
MediaTek to push into GPS module business in China
14 Nov, 2007
MediaTek is planning to expand its GPS business by cooperating with several Taiwan-based GPS makers including Transystem, Delta Electronics and Holux to provide handset platforms and GPS modules to China-based makers, according to sources at GPS makers.
Although many handset makers directly integrate GPS chips in their handsets, China makers do not have the technical experience, nor are they willing to throw development resources and testing equipment, towards GPS technology, therefore MediaTek decided to search for cooperation with Taiwan-based makers to provide the GPS modules to China makers, noted the sources.
MediaTek was originally planning to start pushing into the GPS market in China, but with the China maker's first wave of products not passing certification from China telecommunication vendors, it therefore delayed the shipment schedule. However, the company expects that the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will boost handset demand in China leading to handset shipments possibly reaching 150 million units, once the products gain certification, which in turn will boost the revenues of the GPS module suppliers.
However, the sources also pointed out that MediaTek will eventually integrate GPS into its handset platforms, therefore the GPS module business is just a temporary solution.
MediaTek is planning to expand its GPS business by cooperating with several Taiwan-based GPS makers including Transystem, Delta Electronics and Holux to provide handset platforms and GPS modules to China-based makers, according to sources at GPS makers.
Although many handset makers directly integrate GPS chips in their handsets, China makers do not have the technical experience, nor are they willing to throw development resources and testing equipment, towards GPS technology, therefore MediaTek decided to search for cooperation with Taiwan-based makers to provide the GPS modules to China makers, noted the sources.
MediaTek was originally planning to start pushing into the GPS market in China, but with the China maker's first wave of products not passing certification from China telecommunication vendors, it therefore delayed the shipment schedule. However, the company expects that the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will boost handset demand in China leading to handset shipments possibly reaching 150 million units, once the products gain certification, which in turn will boost the revenues of the GPS module suppliers.
However, the sources also pointed out that MediaTek will eventually integrate GPS into its handset platforms, therefore the GPS module business is just a temporary solution.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Shipments of GPS-enabled mobile handsets to more than quadruple by 2011, says iSuppli
2 Nov, 2007
Global shipments of mobile handsets equipped with GPS capability are expected to more than quadruple from 2006 to 2011 due to the US government's mandate for emergency 911 (E911) capability as well as initiatives by wireless operators to offer location-based services (LBSs), according to research firm iSuppli.
GPS-equipped mobile handset shipments will increase to 444 million units by 2011, rising from 109.6 million units in 2006. By 2011, 29.6% of all mobile phones shipped will have GPS capability, up from 11.1% in 2006.
"Besides cameras, multimedia capabilities and connectivity solutions, mobile-handset OEMs increasingly are investigating the integration of GPS functionality in mobile devices as a value-added product differentiator," said Tina Teng, analyst, wireless communications at iSuppli. "Wireless carriers are looking at introducing various new GPS-based, revenues-generating services to increase average revenues per user (ARPU)."
Such LBSs are the key services that could drive up ARPUs. LBSs include a broad range of value-added services that incorporate user location pinpointed by satellites or other tools with location databases. The most common services are user location, turn-by-turn navigation, location search, tracking, information services and social networking.
E911 mandates also are driving the expansion of the GPS-enabled handset market in the United States. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1996 issued a report that requires all operators to precisely locate the position of wireless callers making emergency 911 calls.
The regulation was implemented in three phases: Phases 0, I and II. Phase II of the E911 implementation requires all operators to deliver specific latitude and longitude information of the caller, also known as automatic location identification (ALI). This can be accomplished using a GPS-enabled mobile handset.
Qualcomm, the dominant supplier of code division multiple access (CDMA) solutions, began to integrate GPS processors into its digital baseband semiconductors in 2000. This company always ensures its CDMA network infrastructure products support the functionalities that its digital basebands deliver, including GPS.
Because of this, the CDMA-dominated nations of the United States and South Korea are expected to be the leading regions for GPS-enabled mobile handsets. Europe will be the next largest GPS-enabled handset market as GPS functionality penetrates into smartphones. In September, a Nokia smartphone with GPS capability was the top model purchased on the website of European carrier O2.
Semiconductor suppliers, wireless network operators and device manufacturers are already in the GPS game. LBS will encourage more suppliers to provide the most efficient solutions in terms of power consumption, time to first fix (TTFF) and affordable pricing for A-GPS adoption.
Semiconductor suppliers include baseband providers that offer complete solutions from cellular products to various connectivity options; companies that specialize in GPS and that provide GPS chipsets and software packages not only to handset manufacturers but also to automotive and personal navigation system manufacturers; and companies that specialize in radio frequency (RF) and that integrate GPS receivers into their current cellular RF receiver offerings.
GPS-equipped mobile handset shipments will increase to 444 million units by 2011, rising from 109.6 million units in 2006. By 2011, 29.6% of all mobile phones shipped will have GPS capability, up from 11.1% in 2006.
"Besides cameras, multimedia capabilities and connectivity solutions, mobile-handset OEMs increasingly are investigating the integration of GPS functionality in mobile devices as a value-added product differentiator," said Tina Teng, analyst, wireless communications at iSuppli. "Wireless carriers are looking at introducing various new GPS-based, revenues-generating services to increase average revenues per user (ARPU)."
Such LBSs are the key services that could drive up ARPUs. LBSs include a broad range of value-added services that incorporate user location pinpointed by satellites or other tools with location databases. The most common services are user location, turn-by-turn navigation, location search, tracking, information services and social networking.
E911 mandates also are driving the expansion of the GPS-enabled handset market in the United States. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1996 issued a report that requires all operators to precisely locate the position of wireless callers making emergency 911 calls.
The regulation was implemented in three phases: Phases 0, I and II. Phase II of the E911 implementation requires all operators to deliver specific latitude and longitude information of the caller, also known as automatic location identification (ALI). This can be accomplished using a GPS-enabled mobile handset.
Qualcomm, the dominant supplier of code division multiple access (CDMA) solutions, began to integrate GPS processors into its digital baseband semiconductors in 2000. This company always ensures its CDMA network infrastructure products support the functionalities that its digital basebands deliver, including GPS.
Because of this, the CDMA-dominated nations of the United States and South Korea are expected to be the leading regions for GPS-enabled mobile handsets. Europe will be the next largest GPS-enabled handset market as GPS functionality penetrates into smartphones. In September, a Nokia smartphone with GPS capability was the top model purchased on the website of European carrier O2.
Semiconductor suppliers, wireless network operators and device manufacturers are already in the GPS game. LBS will encourage more suppliers to provide the most efficient solutions in terms of power consumption, time to first fix (TTFF) and affordable pricing for A-GPS adoption.
Semiconductor suppliers include baseband providers that offer complete solutions from cellular products to various connectivity options; companies that specialize in GPS and that provide GPS chipsets and software packages not only to handset manufacturers but also to automotive and personal navigation system manufacturers; and companies that specialize in radio frequency (RF) and that integrate GPS receivers into their current cellular RF receiver offerings.
Explosive smartphone growth driven by new features and ease of use, says IMS Research
2 Nov, 2007
The smartphone segment of the handset market is forecast to experience strong growth, increasing from just over 10% of the market in 2007, to more than 25% of the market by 2012, according to IMS Research.
The growth in the smartphone market is being driven by a new breed of smartphones, which are decidedly more consumer friendly, noted the research firm. Historically, new technologies have been positioned as a unique selling point for the handset, as was the case with digital music players and cameras. These are attractive to customers, but have offered limited operator revenues returns to date.
The next generation of smartphones will see greater uptake from a wider range of consumers by utilizing the latest technologies to remove the key barriers to revenues generating services and applications, including enhanced appearance, usability, and functionality. Manufacturers and operators have learned from past missteps in this area, and are now targeting technologies not just for their unique selling points, but also for their ability to drive revenues. These technologies include GPS/ location-based services (LBS), capacitive touch screens, enhanced voice applications, and redesigned graphical user interfaces.
"Developers and manufacturers are designing glossy, manageable systems that allow end-users to easily access the desired applications – they are now beginning to look like they were designed by designers, not by engineers," stated mobile technologies director John Devlin in the October edition of IMS Research's Mobile Insights.
Capacitive touch screens, sensors, advanced speech technologies, and significantly improved graphical user interfaces are all seeing growth in smartphones, helping to drive consumer uptake and enabling increased operator average revenues per user (ARPU). These technological advancements in input technologies not only flatten the menu to encourage the user to try applications and search out new features, but also provide innovative new input methods. The input technologies section of Mobile Insights forecasts the speech I/O market to increase five fold over the next four years and touch screens (both resistive and capacitive) to account for 45% of the smartphone market by 2012.
In the GPS/LBS section, Mobile Insights also discusses the combination of speech technologies, GPS and mobile search to enhance the user experience and drive adoption. "These technologies will make mobile Internet search easily accessible and relevant. The experience will be different to a PC, information can be filtered by location and time" according to analyst Patrick Connolly in Mobile Insights. "Leading Internet search companies, like Google and Microsoft, are spending a lot of money on acquisitions and research, relating to this concept. By leveraging their experience in advertising, the revenues potential is huge."
"These developments lead us to believe that the smartphone market will continue to return higher than average growth than the market as a whole," stated Devlin. "In fact, IMS Research's Online Cellular Database shows that in 2012 more than one in four handsets will be a smartphone with more than 1.5 billion being sold. With the higher margins associated with such top-end products, it's no surprise that the gold rush is already underway."
The smartphone segment of the handset market is forecast to experience strong growth, increasing from just over 10% of the market in 2007, to more than 25% of the market by 2012, according to IMS Research.
The growth in the smartphone market is being driven by a new breed of smartphones, which are decidedly more consumer friendly, noted the research firm. Historically, new technologies have been positioned as a unique selling point for the handset, as was the case with digital music players and cameras. These are attractive to customers, but have offered limited operator revenues returns to date.
The next generation of smartphones will see greater uptake from a wider range of consumers by utilizing the latest technologies to remove the key barriers to revenues generating services and applications, including enhanced appearance, usability, and functionality. Manufacturers and operators have learned from past missteps in this area, and are now targeting technologies not just for their unique selling points, but also for their ability to drive revenues. These technologies include GPS/ location-based services (LBS), capacitive touch screens, enhanced voice applications, and redesigned graphical user interfaces.
"Developers and manufacturers are designing glossy, manageable systems that allow end-users to easily access the desired applications – they are now beginning to look like they were designed by designers, not by engineers," stated mobile technologies director John Devlin in the October edition of IMS Research's Mobile Insights.
Capacitive touch screens, sensors, advanced speech technologies, and significantly improved graphical user interfaces are all seeing growth in smartphones, helping to drive consumer uptake and enabling increased operator average revenues per user (ARPU). These technological advancements in input technologies not only flatten the menu to encourage the user to try applications and search out new features, but also provide innovative new input methods. The input technologies section of Mobile Insights forecasts the speech I/O market to increase five fold over the next four years and touch screens (both resistive and capacitive) to account for 45% of the smartphone market by 2012.
In the GPS/LBS section, Mobile Insights also discusses the combination of speech technologies, GPS and mobile search to enhance the user experience and drive adoption. "These technologies will make mobile Internet search easily accessible and relevant. The experience will be different to a PC, information can be filtered by location and time" according to analyst Patrick Connolly in Mobile Insights. "Leading Internet search companies, like Google and Microsoft, are spending a lot of money on acquisitions and research, relating to this concept. By leveraging their experience in advertising, the revenues potential is huge."
"These developments lead us to believe that the smartphone market will continue to return higher than average growth than the market as a whole," stated Devlin. "In fact, IMS Research's Online Cellular Database shows that in 2012 more than one in four handsets will be a smartphone with more than 1.5 billion being sold. With the higher margins associated with such top-end products, it's no surprise that the gold rush is already underway."
Monday, October 22, 2007
HTC to launch Touch Cruise PDA phone in November
22 Oct, 2007
High Tech Computer (HTC) plans to launch a new GPS-enabled touch-controlled PDA phone, the HTC Touch Cruise, in November, according to sources familiar with the company's roadmap.
The Touch Cruise, originally the HTC Polaris, is powered by a Qualcomm MSM 7200 400MHz processor and Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6 OS (operating system), the sources noted.
In addition, the new PDA phone, equipped with a 2.8-inch QVGA screen and a 3-megapixel camera, supports HTC's TouchFLO technology and the HSUPA (high speed upload packet access) standard, the sources added.
HTC also plans to add at least three new models to its HTC Touch lineup that will include two 3.5G smartphones and one EDGE-enabled model, the sources indicated.
High Tech Computer (HTC) plans to launch a new GPS-enabled touch-controlled PDA phone, the HTC Touch Cruise, in November, according to sources familiar with the company's roadmap.
The Touch Cruise, originally the HTC Polaris, is powered by a Qualcomm MSM 7200 400MHz processor and Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6 OS (operating system), the sources noted.
In addition, the new PDA phone, equipped with a 2.8-inch QVGA screen and a 3-megapixel camera, supports HTC's TouchFLO technology and the HSUPA (high speed upload packet access) standard, the sources added.
HTC also plans to add at least three new models to its HTC Touch lineup that will include two 3.5G smartphones and one EDGE-enabled model, the sources indicated.
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