SmartPhones Tablets

Android PlayStore Made Google Richer by $2Bn – OS for Internet of Things

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Google Android Internet of ThingsGoogle highlighted 1B Android active users (vs. 583M last year), a 236% increase in app installs increased y/y, and Google Play Games is now the fastest growing mobile game network with over 100mn users. Since the last IO, Google has paid out more than $5B to app developers ($2.15bn to Google itself). Android tablet now accounts for 62% of global market share (ex-Kindle), up from 46% last year, while the Android One initiative will provide at scale, high quality and affordable smartphones to the next billion to emerging countries.

Android the OS for Internet Of Things
Google announced the highly anticipated Google Fit Platform, where Fit allows an app to go to Google to get all of users’

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BlackBerry Messenger Continued Falloff in Services & Users

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BlackBerry - The FutureBlackBerry device units of 1.6M, up 25% q/q and down 76% y/y missed our arguably optimistic 2.52M est based on Z3 sell-in for Devices rev of $377M.

BlackBerry Messenger – BBM
Management expects another stair step once BBM comes loaded on Nokia Lumias and guided to $100M in BBM related revenue for FY16, from enterprise sales, ads, and some consumer upsell. We believe this is a lofty target as the company struggles to find a sustainable and profitable business model going forward, especially as it likely relies on enterprise users that now total just 10M. On the consumer side, we continue to believe Blackberry likely has a difficult time monetizing its ~85M BBM monthly active user (MAU) total sub base that barely

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Amazon’s Mobile – “Fire” SmartPhone – The GameChanger

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Amazon Fire Phone the Game ChangerWeb Computing Giant Amazon’s smartphone (the Fire Phone) represents to us the latest in the shift of Internet companies to compete in smart hardware to not only improve their market shares but also to drive mobile e-commerce.

The long-awaited smartphone (under development since 2011) with a price of US$649 (32GB) without contract. The new phone is equipped with 1) a 4.7-inch display, 2) Qualcomm 4-core CPU and 3) most importantly, 3D camera modules that carry sets of four sensor cams plus 13MP/f2.0 normal cameras.

Amazon’s Game Changing Technology
According to Amazon,

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Google Play Store – Billion Dollar Business

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Google Play Billion Dollar BusinessGoogle Play traction is finally becoming material for Google’s financials, driven by: 1) growth in the Android smartphone and tablet installed base, 2) improving Google Play app availability, discovery and monetization, 3) a growing media content library (and more content likely in the future), and 4) improving payments and technology infrastructure. While Android adoption has not contributed much to revenues so far, we expect Google Play gross sales to more than double in 2014 to $9bn, and Google Play to

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What is Korea’s Mobile Handset Distribution Act ?

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Kora Handset Distribution ActIN Korea, the Handset Distribution Act is scheduled to be implemented from Oct 1. Basically, the Act aims to prevent discrepancies in handset prices for end-users. Same handsets could have different pricing largely due to the subsidies provided by telcos and handset makers. With this Act, telcos and handset makers will have to provide the regulators with the handset subsidy amount, which will prevent telcos and handset makers providing illegal subsidies.

We view the Act will be a positive for the overall telco sector in that the telcos will not be able to engage in cut-throat subsidy competition. However, in relative terms, we expect SKT to have more to

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Chinese Regulators’ Smart Move in Clearing Nokia – Microsoft Deal

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Nokia Microsoft DealThe Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) approved Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia’s Devices and Services business, in a somewhat Smart move that will stand to benefit Chinese Consumers and Companies.

The Big Patent Concern
MOFCOM was concerned with certain Microsoft incentives changing post the deal, reflecting Microsoft’s licensing of some essential patents to vendors using Android software where Microsoft has claimed a small royalty fee. Microsoft is committed to licensing its patents on a FRAND basis and will not see injunctive relief against smartphone players in China on the basis of these patents for patents that are

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What is an OTT Service – WatsApp, Line, Viber etc ? How it Works ?

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OTT ServicesWe’ve received e-mails asking to explain OTT Apps in the context of Telecommunication Services. In a series of post we attempt to explain OTT Apps & Services.

Over the Top Service (OTT) is the general term for an application / service or content delivered over an independent Internet based medium. OTT operators are typically independent by nature from the telco and because of the various platforms offered by smartphone operating systems, they are able to replicate and replace traditional telco services such as voice and messaging and deliver the services over the traditional telco pipes (pay TV for example) without any affiliation to a specific telco operator.

OTT communications services allow users

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Redington SmartPhone Sales Doubles – Flipkart, SnapDeal its Customers

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REdington SmartPhone BusinessIn India, which accounts for 44% of Redington’s revenue, weightage of smartphones has risen from 18% to 36% between 3Q last year and this year. Smartphone shipments are rising at nearly 100% per annum.

Flipkart, SnapDeal Online Retailers BUY from Redington
Redington does not see any threat from online retailers such as Flipkart and SnapDeal, which are its customers. Distribution is a low margin business (4-6%) even for a specialised player such as Redington, and online retailers prefer using logistics and distribution services from a specialist. Even in the US, 70% of the IT product distribution for online retailers happens through specialised distributors.

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HTC Desire 816 + ZTE Grand Memo II SmartPhones at #MWC 2014

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Live Picture of HTC Desire 816 Launch at MWC 2014At the MWC, HTC launched its new mid-end device, Desire 816, which features 5.5″ Super LCD screen, 720p video recording, QCOM MSM8228 1.6GHz quad-core AP, dual front-facing speakers, Boom Sound, 2600 mAh battery life, and 5 MP/13 MP camera (both front/rear camera being upgraded). We view these hardware spec attractive, but pricing could be the key swing factor.

HTC M8 High End SmartPhone Features & Review
On 25 March 2014, HTC plans to announce its new flagship model, M8. We expect M8 to be slightly bigger than M7 (4.7″), and to upgrade its camera to something similar with Google’s Project Tango (two camera modules to capture the depth information). If M8 is going to support 4K video recording

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Samsung Galaxy S5 + Sony Xperia Z2 + LG G Pro 2 – Flagship SmartPhones MWC 2014

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Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014, the mobile industry’s largest annual event took place in Barcelona. Several flagship models were launched, including Samsung’s Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2, and LG’s G2 Pro, with this year’s releases focusing on incremental improvements in user experience and hardware specifications, but fewer gimmicks or breakthroughs to accelerate high-end replacements. Samsung’s innovations improved on design (dust/waterproof/colours/icons, camera upgrades, processing and connectivity and better fitness / health tools while Sony made a more modest upgrade from its

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