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News, Reviews, & Opinion
New iDevice Port Means an End for Inexpensive Audio
Docks
The Register's Tony Smith reports that makers of of low-cost audio
docks for Apple mobile devices think Apple's new dock connector,
expected to debut on the iPhone 5, will put an end to that product
category, because the new 9-pin port is expected to lack the dedicated
analog audio lines found in the familiar 30-pin connector that's been
used on iPods, iPhones, and iPads for a decade,
according to a Hardware.info article.
Mockup of new 9-pin iDevice connector and 30-to-9-pin adapter courtesy
Metablog.it.
Smith notes that many docks rely on these lines, fed by the
connected iPhone, iPod, or iPad's own digital-to-analog converter (DAC)
to save on the price of a DAC themselves. But with no analog lines in
the new connector, there'll be no simple port converter product
either.
Link: Apple iDevice Dock
Port to Drive Wireless Streaming
Don't Use the iPhone as Your Only Camera
TheNextWeb's Matthew Panzarino comments about a couple having their
wedding shot with iPhones and processed entirely in Instagram, noting
that while the iPhone 4 and 4S take very, very good pictures for a
cellphone and make powerful cameras of opportunity, there are a host of
reasons why they shouldn't be the only camera you choose to document an
important occasion like your wedding, where there normally is plenty of
time to prepare.
He goes on to explain why in detail.
Link: Please Don't Use
the iPhone as Your Only Camera
iOS Devices Now Generate 65% of Mobile Web
Traffic
PR: Chitika Insights has posted a great infographic, showing
that among many other things, Apple had a great month in August, with
its devices now generating 65% of all mobile Web traffic.
And with the imminent release of the iPhone 5, the advertising
oriented market research firm expects Apple's share of the mobile
market to increase "significantly."
Publisher's note: At Low End Mac, it's about 75% iOS, 20% Android,
with everything else dividing the remaining 5%. dk
Link: Mobile
Manufacturer Market Share, August 2012
Apple Now One-Third of US Smartphone Market
PR: comScore, Inc. has released data from the comScore
MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the US mobile phone industry
during the three month average period ending July 2012.
The study surveyed more than 30,000 US mobile subscribers and found
Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 25.6% market
share. Google Android continued to lead among smartphone platforms,
accounting for 52.2% of smartphone subscribers, while Apple secured
33.4%.
OEM Market Share
For the three-month average period ending in July, 234 million
Americans age 13 and older used mobile devices. Device manufacturer
Samsung ranked as the top OEM with 25.6% of US mobile subscribers,
followed by LG with 18.4% share. Apple continued to gain share in the
OEM market, ranking third with 16.3% of mobile subscribers (up 1.9
percentage points), followed by Motorola with 11.2 percent and HTC with
6.4% (up 0.4 percentage points).
More than 114 million people in the US owned smartphones during the
three months ending in July, up 7% versus April. Google Android ranked
as the top smartphone platform with 52.2% market share (up 1.4
percentage points), while Apple's share increased 2 percentage points
to 33.4%. RIM ranked third with 9.5% share, followed by Microsoft
(3.6%) and Symbian (0.8%).
Mobile Content Usage
In July, 75.6% of US mobile subscribers used text messaging on their
mobile device (up 1.5 percentage points). Downloaded applications were
used by 52.6% of subscribers (up 2.4 percentage points), while browsers
were used by 51.2% (up 2.2 percentage points). Accessing of social
networking sites or blogs increased 1.9 percentage points to 37.9% of
mobile subscribers. Game-playing was done by 33.8% of the mobile
audience (up 0.7 percentage points), while 28.3 percent listened to
music on their phones (up 2.5 percentage points).
MobiLens data is derived from an intelligent online survey of a
nationally representative sample of mobile subscribers age 13 and
older. Data on mobile phone usage refers to a respondents primary
mobile phone and does not include data related to a respondents
secondary device.
comScorecomScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in
measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital business
analytics.
Link:
comScore Reports July 2012 US Mobile Subscriber Market Share
30% of iPad Owners Would Prefer a Smaller
Tablet
PR: Strategy Analytics' latest tablet survey covered six
countries across three continents - USA, UK, Germany, France, China,
and Japan.
The research showed marked differences between countries,
particularly between US/UK, France, Germany, and Asian markets,
including desired screen size, the most popular applications,
distribution channels used, brand perceptions, and timeframes for
replacement tablet purchase.
The Strategy Analytics Tablet & Touchscreen Strategies Service
Reports found that 10" screens remained the most popular preference
across all countries.
The interest in 10" screens by iPad owners was greatest in the USA,
UK, and China, where 62% or more preferred this size; this contrasted
with 46% of owners in Germany, where 31% of owners would prefer a 7"
screen. In Japan, a quarter of Apple iPad owners stated that they would
choose a 7" screen if available.
Across all six countries, 20% of the sample of 923 tablet owners
(including iPad owners) would prefer a 7" screen device for their next
purchase.
Peter King, Service Director for the Tablet and Touchscreen
Strategies Service (TTS) says, "Clearly Apple has correctly targeted
the most preferred screen size with its initial 10" iPad offerings, but
our survey suggests that if the iPad Nano is launched in the next few
weeks, the company can be confident that market potential exists for a
smaller screen size." Martin Bradley, Associate Director and author of
the report, adds: "the survey also indicated that demand for 7" screens
among future tablet owners was slightly stronger than for current iPad
owners."
These findings reflect the myriad of potential use cases for
tablets, where innovative internet based services can be developed in a
variety of ways for different markets and segments.
Link: Tablet &
Touchscreen Strategies
Tablets with Docking Keyboards Are Not the Way to
Beat the iPad
The Guardian Technology Blog's Matthew Baxter-Reynolds calls
Microsoft's forthcoming Surface "a post-PC tablet done right to compete
effectively against the iPad."
So why, he asks, did "tablets" on show at IFA 2012 look so much like
adapted netbooks?
He notes that Samsung Ativ, a Windows 8 RT tablet, was the only one
of 11 tablets shown off at IFA 2012 without a keyboard as z standard
item, and now that Windows 8 is ready with its magical reimagined
touchable-ness, "instead of kit worthy of Windows 8, we get a bunch of
revamped netbooks, a technology the market rejected around the same
time its love affair with the iPad started . . . three
Windows RT devices, and eight Windows 8 devices, ten of them
. . . irrevocably meshed together with the idea of the
keyboard," and that, Baxter-Reynolds says, positions them as
netbooks.
What's not clear to him is why people think Windows 8 running on
something that looks like an iPad should suddenly become a clamshell
laptop, contending that you don't need to choose between a real
computer or an iPad - you likely need both - and what the OEMs
demonstrated at IFA 2012 is that they just aren't with the program.
Link: Giving a Tablet a
Keyboard Won't Beat the iPad. Why Don't OEMs See This?
Apps & Services
NextWorth Extends Dates for iPhone Trade-In Quotes
to at Least October 1
PR: NextWorth announced an extension of its price lock
guarantee for iPhone trade-ins. To make it easier for consumers to
upgrade to the anticipated new iPhone, online quotes for all iPhone
models received after August 20th are now guaranteed through at least
October 1st.
NextWorth has lengthened its usual 21-day price lock to ensure that
customers get the highest available value for their old iPhones, while
keeping their old devices for as long as possible before sending them
in. Avoiding a lag time between trading in and the availability of the
new model will enable consumers to trade in their device at a great
price without having to go without their phone.
With the rumored September 12 announcement date looming, iPhone
trade-in volume is up over 2,500% compared to the same period before
the iPhone 4S launch. However values are expected to decrease as the
announcement approaches so consumers taking advantage of the value
lock-in now can ensure they receive the best possible trade-in
value.
Unlike Apple, NextWorth offers a cash option for trade-ins as well
as gift cards. Currently, NextWorth offers more money for old iPhones
than both Gazelle and Apple:
NextWorth
- $300, iPhone 4S (16 GB)
- $351, iPhone 4S (64 GB)
Gazelle
- $287, iPhone 4S (16 GB)
- $313, iPhone 4S (64 GB)
Apple
- $285, iPhone 4S (16 GB)
- $345, iPhone 4S (64 GB)
"We are seeing an unprecedented amount of trade-ins, and we want to
make sure our customers are getting the best prices," says Jeff
Trachsel, CMO of NextWorth. The best time to trade-in is now, so
extending the lock-in period helps consumers get the best value for
their old iPhones and not be without a device before the new iPhone is
available."
To get started on an iPhone trade-in quote, simply go to
nextworth.com, select the appropriate iPhone model and answer a few
questions about its condition. Print and save the free and fully
insured UPS shipping label provided by NextWorth, and drop it off with
UPS before October 1. For trade-in payment, customers have the choice
of PayPal, cash or a gift card.
For customers who prefer an in-person experience, NextWorth is
partnered with more than 1,450 Target locations nationwide. A team
member will evaluate the item on the spot and provide a quote for its
value. Customers immediately receive credit toward a purchase, or a
gift card for the amount.
In addition to iPhones, NextWorth also accepts devices in the
following categories: iPads, iPods, cell phones, point and shoot
cameras, Digital SLR cameras, tablets, e-readers, game consoles, GPS
units, laptops, movies, video games, and calculators.
Link: NextWorth
