Smartbooks

Analysis, Trends, and Forecasts for a New Class of Ultra-Mobile Devices

The Ultra Mobile Device (UMD) market consists of computing devices centered on delivering Internet connectivity (and the Web) to users in a more portable manner than PCs do. In terms of size and power, UMDs, including netbooks, Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and mobile consumer electronics reside between the smartphone and laptop. In 2009, semiconductor vendors using ARM processor cores and/or instruction sets began externally marketing a device concept - the smartbook - that adopts the mobility and computing capabilities of a netbook, while retaining the instant usability and battery life of a smartphone.

This study examines the smartbook concept to determine if it is a new device segment, form-factor, and/or market opportunity. It examines the opportunities -- beyond the legal and marketing hurdles ahead -- that could catapult the mobile devices segment forward with the next generation of low-power, multimedia applications processors.

What Questions Does This Report Answer?

  • What is the definition of a smartbook?
  • How does a smartbook resemble or differ from a MID, netbook or tablet computer?
  • What companies have designed application processor technology for smartbook devices?
  • What vendors are offering products that meet the smartbook definition?
  • What is the forecast for smartbook shipments and revenue from 2008 through 2015?
  • What operating systems will be deployed on smartbook devices?
  • How many smartbook devices will incorporate Wireless WAN technologies?
  • How many smartbook devices will embed connectivity (Bluetooth, UWB, GPS) technologies?
  • What regions of the world will adopt smartbook devices and at what rate?
  • What are the primary distribution channels for smartbook devices?
  • How do past and future shipments of smartbook devices compare to MIDs and netbooks?

Who Needs This Report?

  • Applications processor manufacturers
  • System ODMs
  • OEM system vendors
  • Operating system suppliers
  • Modem and connectivity developers
  • Mobile network operators

Table of Contents

Executive Brief: Top-Line Forecast
Executive Brief: Drivers and Inhibitors
Executive Brief: Key Findings
Executive Brief: Summary and Strategic Recommendations

Section 1.
Executive Summary
1.1. Overview
1.2. Market Drivers and Inhibitors
1.3. Key Findings
1.4. Strategic Recommendations
1.5. Top-Line Forecast

Section 2.
Market and Business Issues
2.1. Ultra-Mobile Device and Smartphone Definitions
2.1.1. Netbook
2.1.2. MID
2.1.3. Smartphone
2.2. Defining the Smartbook
2.2.1. Qualcomm
2.2.2. Freescale
2.2.3. Smartbook: Defined
2.3. Is Smartbook a New Brand?
2.3.1. Audience Consideration Sets
2.3.2. Prior and Current Smartbook Brand Usage
2.4. Market Opportunities
2.4.1. Just Ship It
2.4.2. If It Looks Like a Duck, It Must Be a Duck
2.4.3. The Really Big Market Is Still to Come

Section 3.
Technology Issues
3.1. Processor
3.1.1. Freescale i.MX51
3.1.2. Marvell ARMADA
3.1.3. NVIDIA Tegra
3.1.4. Qualcomm Snapdragon
3.1.5. Samsung Electronics S5PC100 and Hummingbird Core
3.1.6. Texas Instruments OMAP
3.2. Operating Systems
3.2.1. Does Google Chrome OS Guide Smartbooks into Web Appliance Leadership?
3.2.2. Is Microsoft Windows for Smartbooks Coming Soon?
3.3. Display Technologies
3.3.1. Painless User Interaction with Mobile Devices
3.3.2. Touch Technology Choices
3.4. What Network Connectivity Is Good Enough?
3.4.1. Modem Hardware Cost
3.4.2. Mobile Data Subscriptions and Service Costs

Section 4.
Ecosystem Vendors and Competitive Landscape
4.1. Component and Ecosystem Vendors
4.1.1. Broadcom Corporation
4.1.2. Foxconn Electronics
4.1.3. Freescale Semiconductor
4.1.4. Hardkernel Co, Ltd
4.1.5. Inventec
4.1.6. Marvell
4.1.7. NVIDIA
4.1.8. Qualcomm
4.1.9. Texas Instruments
4.2. System Vendors
4.2.1. Always Innovating
4.2.2. ASUS
4.2.3. C-motech
4.2.4. Elonex
4.2.5. Haleron Technologies
4.2.6. Lan Yu International
4.2.7. Mobinnova
4.2.8. Nokia
4.2.9. OpenPandora Ltd
4.2.10. Pegatron
4.2.11. QIGI Future Technology
4.2.12. Sharp Electronics
4.2.13. Wistron
4.2.14. WonderMedia Technologies

Section 5.
Market Forecasts
5.1. Methodology
5.1.1. General Methodology
5.2. Regional Definitions
5.2.1. Asia-Pacific
5.2.2. North America
5.2.3. Latin America
5.2.4. Western Europe
5.2.5. Eastern Europe
5.2.6. Middle East and Africa
5.3. Assumptions
5.4. Smartbook Shipments and Forecasts, 2008 to 2015
5.4.1. Smartbook Shipments by Form Factor
5.4.2. Smartbook ASPs by Form Factor
5.4.3. Smartbook Revenue by Form Factor
5.4.4. Smartbook Shipments by Region
5.4.5. Smartbook Shipments by Country
5.4.6. Smartbook Shipments by Customer Type, by Region
5.4.7. Smartbook Shipments by Operating System
5.4.8. Smartbook Wireless WAN Attach Rate
5.4.9. Smartbook Shipments by WWAN Air Interface
5.4.10. Smartbook Shipments with Wi-Fi
5.4.11. Wi-Fi-Enabled Smartbook Shipments by Customer Type
5.4.12. Smartbook Shipments by WPAN and GPS Connectivity
5.4.13. Smartbook Shipments by Distribution Channel
5.4.14. Smartbook Average Selling Prices
5.4.15. Smartbook Revenue by Region
5.4.16. Smartbook Revenue by Operating System
5.4.17. Smartbook Revenue by WWAN Air Interface
5.4.18. Smartbooks with Wi-Fi Revenue
5.4.19. Smartbook Revenue by WPAN and GPS Connectivity
5.4.20. Smartbook Revenue by Distribution Channel
5.4.21. UMD Shipment Comparison by Segment

Section 6.
Company Directory

Section 7.
Acronyms
Scope of Study
Sources and Methodology
Notes





Tables
  • Smartbook Shipments by Form Factor, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Processor Vendor Comparison
  • Marvell ARMADA Processor Family
  • Comparison of Top Three Operating Systems for Mobile Device Shipments, 2009
  • Comparison of Touchscreen Technologies
  • Smartbook Shipments by Form Factor, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook ASPs by Form Factor, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Revenue by Form Factor, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by Region, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by Country, North America, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by Customer Type, by Region, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by OS, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook WWAN Attach Rate, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by WWAN Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments with Wi-Fi, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Wi-Fi-Enabled Smartbook Shipments by Customer Type, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by WPAN and GPS Connectivity, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by Distribution Channel, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook ASPs, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Revenue by Region, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Revenue by OS, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Revenue by WWAN Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Revenue with Wi-Fi, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Revenue by WPAN and GPS Connectivity, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Revenue by Distribution Channel, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • UMD Shipment Comparison by Segment, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015

Charts
  • Smartbook Shipments by Form Factor World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by Form Factor, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Survey Question: Are MIDs a replacement for, or in addition to, another computing device?
  • MID ASPs, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by Form Factor, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook ASPs by Form Factor, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Revenue by Form Factor, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by Region, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by Country, North America, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by Customer Type, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by OS, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook WWAN Attach Rate, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by WWAN Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments with Wi-Fi, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Wi-Fi-Enabled Smartbook Shipments by Customer Type, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by WPAN and GPS Connectivity, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Shipments by Distribution Channel, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook ASPs, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Revenue by Region, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Revenue by OS, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Revenue by WWAN Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Revenue with Wi-Fi, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Revenue by WPAN and GPS Connectivity, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • Smartbook Revenue by Distribution Channel, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015
  • UMD Shipment Comparison by Segment, World Market, Forecast: 2008 to 2015

Figures
  • Block Diagram of Freescale Smartbook Device Platform
  • Comparison of Smartbook Definitions
  • ZENiD GC Smartbook from Smartbook AG
  • V.Smile Smartbook from VTech Electronics North America
  • Freescale Smartbook Concept Design
  • Freescale i.MX515 Applications Processor Block Diagram
  • Marvell ARMADA 500 Series SoC Block Diagram
  • NVIDIA Tegra SoC Block Diagram
  • Qualcomm Scorpion Processor Core Diagram
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon Block Diagram
  • Samsung S5PC100 Mobile Applications Processor Block Diagram
  • Texas Instruments OMAP 3x30 Mobile Applications Processor Block Diagram
  • Texas Instruments OMAP 44x Chip Block Diagram
  • HSPA+ Embedded Modem Module
  • Freescale Smartbook Concept Design
  • Freescale Smartbook Concept Design
  • Freescale Smartbook Tablet Concept Design
  • Freescale Smartbook Concept Design
  • ODROID Gaming Development Platform and Debug Board
  • ODROID Smartbook Gaming Development Platform Board Image
  • Inventec Rainbow Smartbook Motherboard
  • Marvell ARMADA 500 Platform Block Diagram
  • Marvell ARMADA-Powered Smartbook Prototype
  • NVIDIA Tegra-Powered "Rainbow" Smartbook Reference Design by Inventec
  • Texas Instruments OMAP 3x30 Mobile Applications Processor Block Diagram
  • Always Innovating Touch Book
  • ASUS Smartbook Prototype at COMPUTEX 2009
  • C-motech Mangrove Smartbook
  • Elonex Smartbook
  • Haleron Mio Smartbook Computer
  • Lan Yu International LY-EB01 eBook Computer
  • Mobinnova élan Smartbook
  • Nokia N900 Internet Tablet
  • OpenPandora Open Source Pandora Device
  • Pegatron Smartbook alongside a Palm Pre Smartphone
  • NVIDIA Tegra-Powered Pegatron Smartbook Prototype
  • QIGI U1000 Smartbook MID
  • Sharp PC-Z1 NetWalker Mobile Internet Tool
  • Wistron N900z Smartbook Prototype
  • WonderMedia PRIZM Smartbook System Architecture
  • WonderMedia Display at COMPUTEX 2009 Taiwan
  • Regional Map of the World