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ABI Research Blog (118)

Apple Adds AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sam's Club retail stores to US iPad distribution

Oct 14, 2010 12:00:00 AM / by Admin

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Today, Apple announced that its iPad media tablet products would be available at AT&T and Verizon Wireless retail stores later this month. As noted in an ABI Researchblog posting earlier this week , Apple has been planning additional retail exposure for its first-generation media tablet in preparation for the US holiday buying season. Which models will be available from what venues?
ABI Research has assembled the following table detailing the models, pricing and availability from a range of US retail and e-commerce sites.
Vendor
16GB
Wi-Fi
16GB
Wi-Fi/3G
32GB
Wi-Fi
32GB
Wi-Fi/3G
64GB
Wi-Fi
64GB
Wi-Fi/3G
Amazon.com
$520.50 +
$669.99 +
$656.00 +
$774.99 +
$718.00 +
$892.00 +
Apple Store, Apple.com
$499.00
$629.00
$599.00
$729.00
$699.00
$829.00
AT&T Retail
$629.00 starting Oct 28
$729.00 starting Oct 28
$829.00 starting Oct 28
Best Buy Retail, BestBuy.com
$499.99
In-Store Only
$629.99
In-Store Only
$599.99
In-Store Only
$729.99
In-Store Only
$699.99
In-Store Only
$829.99
In-Store Only
Target Retail, Target.com
$499.99
In-Store Only
$629.99
In-Store Only
$599.99
In-Store Only
$729.99
In-Store Only
$699.99
In-Store Only
$829.99
In-Store Only
Verizon Wireless Retail
$629.99
Bundled with MiFi 2200 starting Oct 28
$729.99
Bundled with MiFi 2200 starting Oct 28
$829.99
Bundled with MiFi 2200 starting Oct 28
Wal-Mart Retail, Walmart.com
$499.00 online + retail by mid-Nov
$629.00 online + retail by mid-Nov
$599.00 online + retail by mid-Nov
$729.00 online + retail by mid-Nov
$699.00 online + retail by mid-Nov
$829.00 online + retail by mid-Nov
Source: ABI Research
Sam’s Club, a warehouse store chain and division of Wal-Mart Stores, announced plans to offer the iPad during an investor meeting this week. Sam’s Club operates at more than 500 US locations. No estimate of availability or product mix was provided.
What other national retailers remain sans iPad? Warehouse club competitor Costco (417 US stores) and electronics chain RadioShack (6,000 company and dealer-owned stores) are two of the largest national retailers not announcing deals with Apple so far.
Not much variation in pricing (less than $1 in most cases) can be found across most of the offers and no retail partners are undercutting the Apple-direct price.
The greatest variance is for bundles of the three Wi-Fi models paired with Novatel’s MiFi router from Verizon Wireless. This is Verizon’s first foray into a selling relationship with Apple (but well rumored not to be its only). VZW prices for the duo match those of AT&T’s 3G iPad price. Each company has a range of 3G service plans tiered by monthly data consumption caps.
ABI Research predicts the Verizon Wireless hardware bundle will be more attractive than the AT&T iPad-only deal, especially to multi-device owners that can also connect laptops, netbooks, gaming handhelds, and other Wi-Fi enabled devices to the MiFi router while on-the-go. The marketing of the combo is also expected to attract current iPad Wi-Fi owners looking to take the iPad to more places where Wi-Fi access may not be available.
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Broadcom Slingshots Into 4G Chipsets Through Beceem Acquisition

Oct 14, 2010 12:00:00 AM / by Admin

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​Broadcom Corporation announced its plans to acquire Beceem Communications for $316 million, which is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2011. Broadcom has been quiet around 4G, but of course has been long planning and even engineering 4G solutions. This has been rumored to include WiMAX in case the market were to grow large enough for Broadcom's tastes.

This acquisition has been primarly around LTE, of course, but the WiMAX side of Beceem's business is viewed by Broadcom as a nice extra. Beceem's coming WiMAX/LTE chipsets were even more interesting to Broadcom, as they will allow Broadcom to add a "snap-on" solution to its existing WWAN and wireless connectivity chipsets. The fact that Beceem was starting to make decent revenues did not hurt its attractiveness, but one of the primary deciding factors in the acquisition was the architecture in Beceem's 4G chipset design. More detail around this architecture and the potential business this opens up for Broadcom will be provided in an upcoming ABI Insight.


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Apple Preps US Channels for iPad Holiday Buying and Start of Competition

Oct 12, 2010 12:00:00 AM / by Admin

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With Walmart.com adding Apple iPad to its e-commerce offering immediately and Wal-Mart retailers stocking devices in the coming weeks, Apple is working furiously to make its media tablet product available in advance of holiday 2010 purchasing for US consumers. US consumer electronics retailer Best Buy along with mass retail chain Target are already stocking the iPad. Recently, Amazon.com also began listing the iPad on its e-commerce website.

In the first ninety days of shipments, the average selling price of iPad exceeded $650, a clear luxury item for most consumers worldwide. With Wal-Mart not gaining any special pricing to attract consumers, the bet has to be on mere presence in more places. This strategy could draw shoppers looking for gift-giving ideas or create frustration --and potentially a switch to a competitive offering --if limited quantities are available at each store. Samsung recently announced distribution agreements with the four largest US mobile network operators to sell the company’s Galaxy Tab media tablet before the end of this year; a feat no handset, PC OEM, or CE device vendor has pulled off before with the carrier channel.

Next week, Apple is expected to reveal revenue and shipment volumes for its latest financial quarter. While it was quick to announce shipments of the first and third million iPad units, the company has remained quiet since July aboutmedia tabletprogress. Does this silence mean sales have slowed as early adopters considering iPadwere fulfilled andshowing off the device to friends, or is Apple saving some thunder to impress the financial community during October?

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FLO TV: RIP

Oct 7, 2010 12:00:00 AM / by Admin

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So it’s been made official, Qualcomm is shuttering the direct to consumer FLO TV service. Good. That means the company can move on to bigger and better things.
Qualcomm is a savvy company, but the whole idea of mobile TV in the U.S. has been shaky since the start and it doesn’t seem like a good fit for most companies, let alone Qualcomm. In a way it reminds me of the Iridium disaster, but with less hype. In both instances, I think the core issue was misguided use case.
What is the compelling use case for mobile TV in the United States? Would it work for common smartphones, netbooks or media tablets? Mobile handsets will never have enough real estate to make those devices anything other than an option of last resort. Media tablets, netbooks and connected laptops make more sense, but will there be enough addressable market to support a positive business case? And when would consumers choose to watch TV on these devices over larger, cheaper, higher resolution TVs? At the airport? At your kid’s soccer game? Are consumers that desperate? Then there’s the issue of content. Suppliers have struggled with providing the same content at the same time as cable and broadcast, instead offering new lineups or DVR-like services.
It is estimated that Qualcomm has invested around $800 million in FLO, $683 million of that in the spectrum. They aren’t going to lose all of that money. Qualcomm is rethinking what they can do with that spectrum, and have said they are exploring the potential to offer a more general data delivery platform for connected devices, most likely through the established mobile operators. The frequencies are separate from those which the mobile networks use, so the platform could provide bandwidth congestion relief. While it’s too early to say definitively whether this will work, it sounds like a better idea.

So rest in peace, FLO. On to bigger and better things.
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Verizon LTE Announcement at CTIA – All Competitive Positioning

Oct 6, 2010 12:00:00 AM / by Admin

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Verizon made an announcement today of their LTE plans. Note it is their plans and not any definitive LTE launch dates. In fact there was very little information announced on the devices, applications and pricing. Here is what they did say:
- Launch in 38 markets covering 110 million people by end of year
- Launch in more than 60 commercial airports by end of year
- Initial devices offered at launch would be USB dongles/modems
- More details on partnerships, devices and applications announced at CES 2011
- Working with rural operators to extend LTE coverage beyond Verizon LTE network
- Devices on LTE network will be MIMO capable at launch date
- Plan to cover 200 million pops through 2012 and 285 million pops covered by end of 2013
- Verizon expects 4G LTE average data rates in real-world loaded network environments to be 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink.
While the press may not be happy with this “prelaunch announcement” there is value for Verizon. With an update announcement, they provide customers who are considering Verizon for 4G services information to keep them with Verizon or to switch to Verizon from a competitor. With this announcement, they also hear from the market what customers and suppliers might be saying to help hone their marketing message.
I did ask about their in-building wireless plans and the response was that 700 MHz will provide great in-building coverage. Given they are providing airport terminal coverage, in-building wireless is important. They also noted that cell-edge coverage on LTE is very good so LTE helps them maximize coverage inside buildings using the macronetwork. Understanding that 4G in-building coverage will occur through upgrades of DAS networks and connected base stations, it is assumed that Verizon will ensure their messaging of 4G includes an understanding that the 3G fallback could be quite common depending on location. They need to thank Sprint for greasing the skids with this message.

Overall the announcement was non-eventful but certainly the right competitive move for Verizon.
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Cisco Consumer Telepresence

Oct 6, 2010 12:00:00 AM / by Admin

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Today Cisco formally announced its consumer targeted telepresence product, named umi. The package, priced at US$ 599, includes a camera, set-top box and a remote. In addition, customers will need to pay a US$ 24.99 monthly service fee. As part of the monthly service fee consumers are assigned a phone number, access to unlimited video calling, video voicemail, video uploads to social networking sites, and profile/call management.


Cisco’s solution is compatible with Google Chat on the PC so early adopters will have a wider range of people to communicate with. Even with Google Chat compatibility Cisco’s consumer TP product will face some hurdles, all of which Cisco is prepared to face head-on, citing its commitment to the long haul.


With a relatively high price point and perhaps more troublesome the monthly fee, the initial reception by consumers could very well be mixed. Cisco has taken the high-end/quality approach to video conferencing/chat and considering the price and economic climate it might seem divergent with current consumer behavior and preferences. In addition to get the full experience both parties must have Cisco’s umi product installed at their respective locations which ostensibly doubles the price of admission. There are also the technology requirements – the consumer must have a broadband connection which supports a minimum upstream speed of 1.5 Mbps for 720p or 3.5 Mbps for 1080p. So why is Cisco releasing a product aimed at the high end, when a number of far less expensive alternatives exist (e.g. webcams/Skype/Google Chat and the upcoming Microsoft Kinect)?


For the answer to have its full depth one must first experience Cisco’s enterprise telepresence solution – without this experiential cue it is far too easy to simply say “it would be nice but not for the money.” Experiencing Cisco’s enterprise telepresence firsthand, for the first time, is truly unique and for lack of better words quite spectacular. You wouldn’t think so, but seeing the telepresence participants “sitting across” from the virtual conference table has the uncanny ability to bend one’s perceptions of “reality” and forces you to remind yourself that some of the meeting participants are virtual. The experience really does have the same impact and effect as meeting someone in person.


Granted, this implementation is not an enterprise installment where Cisco controls every facet of the viewing experience (from the lighting to the placement of equipment and even color of the room) but if umi can capture part of that experience there is strong reason to believe this product, despite the price and monthly fee, will resonate with consumers. In order for this to happen though retailers and service providers alike will have to demonstrate or convince consumers of the intrinsic value with quality of experience (right now Verizon and Best Buy/Magnolia are distribution partners along with ad campaign featuring Ellen Page, mall demonstrations, and “The Oprah Winfrey Show”).


At the end of the day umi promises to make the distances that separate us from friends and family that much “shorter.” Yes we have social networking, phones, text messages, etc. but through it all there is a lack of intimacy inherent with all of these technologies and while video chat will continue to grow as a communications channel (e.g. growth amongst mobile/portable devices supporting this feature) it too often fails to create the same experience of “being there.” If Cisco can emulate this personal element and live up to its branding as the “human network” then perhaps the price won’t seem as high – after all putting a price on seeing your loved ones whenever you want is hard to do, and to some this ability would be “priceless.” We also have to remain cognizant that this is the first generation of products and as subsequent generations or units come out at lower price points the number of users will grow, adding value to the TP network. We will see when pre-orders take place reportedly on October 6 th from umi.cisco.com and October 18 th from Best Buy – availability to consumers is expected on November 14 th in Best Buy/Magnolia Home Theater stores and Cisco’s umi website.


Link to Cisco’s Press Release: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2010/prod_100610.html

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Sony Google TV remote won’t allow you to eat popcorn!

Oct 6, 2010 12:00:00 AM / by Admin

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Yesterday, ABC News showed a prototype of a Sony Google TV remote control. The prototype is as clunky as a label-printer. It has a full Qwerty keyboard and a game controller at the top. It looks like it will be difficult to use with one hand, making it hard to use while holding a beer during the ballgame, or eating popcorn during a movie. On the plus side, it looks like it will be very efficient for typing with two thumbs – something that will be nice as users search for specific internet content, or type a long URL to see a friend’s latest vacation pictures based on a website (rather than an installed App).

Google TV platforms should also all support using any smartphone as a remote control – including multiple remote controls working on a single console – therefore, this two handed remote could be one of two people use to control the system. Some the other newly released Smart TV remotes take more cues from Smartphones. The TiVo Slide Remote looks like a traditional remote on the top, with a slide out Qwerty keyboard, a second navigation wheel and a full numeric keypad underneath. Phillips Home Control has shown a dual sided, flat remote that looks elegant but may not have enough tactile, color or shape cues to be used in the dark. The Motorola NYXboard appears slimmer than the Sony remote and has less gaming capability, but will suffer some of the same problems.

Based on the controller design – it is also clear that Sony sees gaming on the TV as an important driver. Similar to other gaming controllers, the two directional pads are used for gaming -- the one on the left is often for navigating (e.g. walking) while the other one is often directional (e.g. looking around or adjusting the camera angle). It wouldn't surprise us if there are triggers behind the controller as well. This push to gaming on the TV echoes some news at Intel Developer’s Forum earlier this month – notably, TransGaming announced a GameTreeTV platform that will port many existing titles to the Intel Smart TV platform. Note that the initial announcement appears more designed for MeeGo or another Linux variant, and may take some additional work for the Google TV platform.

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Google TV innovations and content agreements

Oct 4, 2010 12:00:00 AM / by Admin

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Today, Google TV revealed more details of its Google TV Platform.

Google TV has two significant innovations. First, it is the first internet adaptor that is designed to coexist with pay TV, based on the agreement with Dish network. Second, it is the first consumer-electronics (CE) oriented internet adaptor platform that supports the full internet. PC-company “nettops” have largely failed to grab customers. Other internet adaptors, such as Roku, Apple TV, and the soon to be relaunched Boxee box don’t support the full internet.
Google’s announcement of agreements with Turner Network Television and HBO shows that some content providers are interested in extending their PC-based strategies onto the TV. The failure of Google to announce agreements with Hulu Plus, ABC, NBC (except for a limited news application) or Fox shows that content providers are still reluctant to allow television content to bypass traditional networks – this will likely continue until internet advertising platforms can show similar revenues as traditional TV.
YouTube’s new Leanback experience, which will generate a Pandora-like video stream based on a subject recommendation, until you “change the channel” should enable the stitching of many short videos together into a custom channel.
The total market for internet connected digital media adaptors, digital TVs, set-top boxes and Blu-ray players in the United States is 36 million in 2010, growing to over 90 million units in 2015. If the Google TV platform is highly successful, it will capture about 1-2 million units in 2011, representing 2.5-5% of internet connected video devices.

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RIM Takes First Stab at Mobile Advertising

Sep 28, 2010 12:00:00 AM / by Admin

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​Research In Motion (RIM) has taken the wraps off its mobile advertising solution called BlackBerry Advertising Service, with the goal of helping BlackBerry app developers better monetize their products. Is it enough?

In doing so, RIM becomes the second mobile technology player in less than a week to jump into the fray. Five days earlier, Ericsson unveiled its mobile ad solution dubbed AdMarket.

For developers, RIM’s new offering is an important one. At launch they get access to some of the leading mobile ad networks – namely Jumptap, Millennial Media, Mojiva, Amobee and Lat49, with more to follow. They will also start getting an industry standard 60% cut of the revenue from ads served in their apps.

Besides advertising, RIM is also offering developers a free mobile analytics service powered by Webtrends. A clever move. So not only is the company helping developers with monetization, it is also supplying the crucial measurement piece that is so necessary to attract advertising dollars. Advertisers and ad agencies want hard data about who they can reach via mobile apps, and this new service helps provide that.
Clearly, most app developers will welcome these new service offerings from the BlackBerry maker. And they should. They need to start seeing more revenue for their efforts. And it all sounds good.
But in the larger scheme of mobile advertising, one wonders how another platform solution in an already complex stew of mobile ad offerings will fare? Yes, there is room for a number of players, and RIM has a sizable audience, but from an advertiser’s perspective this in no way reduces the complexity and friction already in the system.
Strategically for RIM the new ad service keeps them in the game against rivals Apple (Quattro) and Google (AdMob), without having to shell out big money for an existing ad network – though that option might still be on a table somewhere. Recall that, according to published reports, RIM played footsie with Millennial Media earlier this year, but that deal hasn’t gone anywhere – so far. My concern is that RIM in seeking this more measured service approach runs the risk of not going all the way, and is missing an opportunity.

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TomTom Expands Fleet Offer with ecoPLUS and Pro Series Navigation Devices

Sep 23, 2010 12:00:00 AM / by Admin

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TomTom’s Business Solutions division expands its TomTom Work portfolio with new solutions to monitor and reduce fuel consumption and carbon footprint and enable enhanced routing and navigation for businesses. It demonstrates TomTom’s commitment to the enterprise and fleet management segment as a key company business unit.

The ecoPLUS device links withthe OBD-II / EOBD vehicle connector which is present on all new vehicles in the US since 1996 and all new passenger cars and trucks in Europe since 2004. The importance of the OBD connector was highlighted in the recent ABI Research Brief “Automotive Software Applications”.ecoPLUS allows fleets to monitor fuel consumption, idling time, RPM, and CO2 emissions. Vehicle data is sent via Bluetooth to the TomTom LINK 300/310 and wirelessly relayed to TomTom’s WEBFLEET dashboard allowing fleet managers easy access to measurement data and reporting. ecoPLUS will be available in Q4 2010 at a price of 149 Euro.
The PRO series navigation devices are designed to improve the efficiency of mobile workforces offering optimized route calculation and lane guidance, accurate ETA calculations based on historic road speed data, and access to TomTom’s LIVE services including HD Traffic, speed cameras, local search, and weather info. The devices are part of TomTom’s WORKsmart fleet management suite offering vehicle tracking, job dispatch, time management, eco driving and management reporting. While the PRO 9100 has a built-in SIM-card and wireless modem, the PRO 7100 requires the TomTom LINK 300/310 to connect to WEBFLEET. Pricing for the 7100 and 9100 is set at respectively 329 and 399 Euro.

TomTom announced earlier it passed the cap of 100000 active fleet subscriptions, joining a select club of telematics vendors including Qualcomm, Digicore, and Mix Telematics. While initially heavily leveraging its connected navigation assets in the low end fleet market, TomTom is now gradually extending its offer addressing new needs in the quickly evolving commercial telematics market. With convergence knocking on the door of the hitherto predominantly closed, proprietary and fragmented fleet management market, it is well placed to consolidate and grow its position in this promising segment.​

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