Whether you consider Android a deliverer of differentiation or a fiend of fragmentation, you could find much evidence in the diverse ways that two leading bookstore rivals have not only expanded the operating system’s ecosystem, but used it as a vehicle for digital retailing.
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A look at the most successful large-screen handsets throughout 2010 reveals that three variants of Samsung’s Galaxy S – the Fascinate (Verizon), Captivate (AT&T), and Vibrant (T-Mobile) took three of the top five spots. The Fascinate was outsold by the Droid X, and the Epic 4G by the EVO 4G, but in both cases the 4.3” device had a head start on the 4” one. (AT&T did not have a 4.3” device in 2010 and T-Mobile’s 4.3” handset ran an aging version of Windows Mobile.)
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Among the non-surprises at the launch of the new iPad was Apple keeping the “unbelievable” price points where they were for its original slate, including the opening price point of under $500. While I’d be very surprised to not see other companies – particularly HP – at least match Apple in that regard, the iPad has been able to compete on price versus even subsidized products like the Motorola Xoom that smartphone vendors have offered to their go-to channel.
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The arrival of the Kindle at AT&T stores represents more progress in the creeping distribution of Amazon’s popular e-reader. Originally, the Kindle was a 3G-only device powered by Sprint. However, the arrival of Wi-Fi-only competition from Barnes & Noble caused Amazon to respond with its own Wi-Fi-bound Kindle. Since then, far fewer consumers have opted to pay the 3G premium for either device, and Barnes & Noble decided to completely forego a cellular version of its Nook Color “reader’s tablet.” In contrast, category pioneer Sony has fallen behind as its entry-level e-reader, the Pocket Edition, lacks Wi-Fi and relies on PC sideloading.
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One would be hard-pressed to find a stronger advocate of audio quality in the PC world than HP. The company’s engineers have worked with Interscope Records to license the Beats brand and tune the upper end of its PC line to meet the requirements of that brand. It’s also had a public association with Black Eyed Peas artists Will.i.am and Fergie and used this weekend’s GRAMMY awards for high-profile exposure to its new Everybody On campaign.
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Late last week on the DisplaySearch blog, my colleague Richard Shim observed the imperfect fit that both carrier and electronics store channels offer for tablets. Indeed, Sunday’s Super Bowl included a commercial for the Motorola Xoom that offers some clues of what to expect in the channels as iPad competition heats up in 2011.
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January began with much talk of 3D televisions at CES, but as it wore on, Sony and Nintendo revealed their approaches for moving forward with it in the handheld videogame markets.
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Apple has lived up to the bold claim it made in 2007 that it would reinvent the phone with the iPhone. New smartphone operating systems launched since its introduction have struggled to match or exceed its high bar, and older smartphone operating systems have all been forced to re-architect in its wake. No other handset has shown the power to pull customers to a carrier the way the iPhone has –following the introduction of the iPhone 4 in June; it became the most popular handset in the U.S., according to NPD’s Mobile Phone Track.
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Qualcomm’s sale of its 700 MHz spectrum supporting the FLO (Forward Link Only) data standard for mobile TV to AT&T is a transition from a more specific to a more general application of cellular technology. It is also one that echoes what we saw happen to the technology on the handset side.
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It’s been a busy few weeks for Best Buy, which recently took time out of the usual holiday season frenzy to announce the formalization of its Media Network (BBMN), accessible at BestBuyOn.com. The multichannel, multiplatform initiative seeks to leverage the screen real estate at Best Buy’s stores, (which Best Buy compares favorably to Times Square in terms of the number of visits received on a daily basis), its Web site, and its mobile initiatives that span both mobile Web sites and apps.
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Consumer Technology, Wireless | Ross Rubin, Executive Director, NPD Connected Intelligence | 
April 28, 2011 12:01 pm | 
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