Smartphone Sales Stats

According to Gartner, smartphone sales grew by nearly 16% in Q2 2008.  And although in their article they state that the growth rate in this marketplace has slowed somewhat, it is still growing at a quick pace.  This is promising to mobile content providers.  Nokia continues to lead the way with BlackBerry making a big jump into second place.  Look for the iPhone to gain some ground in the coming quarters.

Worldwide smartphone sales totalled 32.2 million units in the second quarter of 2008, a 15.7 per cent increase from the second quarter of 2007, according to Gartner, Inc. In addition, of all mobile device sales, smartphones’ share remained stable at 11 per cent.

On a regional level, the North American market remained among the fastest-growing markets in the second quarter of 2008 with an increase of 78.7 per cent year over year. The region also accounted for almost 25 per cent of the global smartphone sales to end users. Europe, the Middle East and Africa exhibited 21 per cent growth year over year; Western Europe drove much of the growth in the region with a 29.3 per cent increase. Finally, the markets of Asia/Pacific and Japan declined 4.8 per cent and 24 per cent, respectively.

Smartphone sales to users by Vendor:

Company	2Q08 Sales	2Q08 Market Share (%)	2Q07 Sales	2Q07 Market Share (%)	2Q08- 2Q07 Growth (%)
Nokia	15,297,900	47.5	14,151,689	50.8	8.1
Research In Motion	5,594,159	17.4	2,471,200	8.9	126.4
HTC	1,330,825	4.1	605,900	2.2	119.6
Sharp	1,328,090	4.1	2,275,401	8.2	-41.6
Fujitsu	1,071,490	3.3	877,955	3.2	22.0
Others	7,598,711	23.6	7,472,441	26.8	1.7
Total	32,221,175	100.0	27,854,586	100.0	15.7

Mobile Operating Systems market share by Vendor:

Company	2Q08 Sales	2Q08 Market Share (%)	2Q07 Sales	2Q07 Market Share (%)	2Q08- 2Q07 Growth (%)
Symbian	18,405,057	57.1	18,273,255	65.6	0.7
Research In Motion	5,594,159	17.4	2,471,200	8.9	126.4
Microsoft Windows Mobile	3,873,622	12.0	3,212,222	11.5	20.6
Linux	2,359,245	7.3	2,816,490	10.1	-16.2
Mac OS X	892,503	2.8	270,000	1.0	230.6
Palm OS	743,910	2.3	461,918	1.7	61.0
Others	352,679	1.1	349,501	1.3	0.9
Total	32,221,175	100.0	27,854,586	100.0	15.7

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Sources:
http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=754112

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Google's Chrome and Post-GiPS Analysis

There are some lessons to be learned from brainstorming tech ideas.  We have come up with several ideas now (Fashion Social Network and GiPS) that we later discover have already been done.  As you stated, the tech industry is one that is moving ahead at light speed, and according to Moore’s Law, will continue to do so.  What this means is that in order to consider any tech idea we come up with in the future, it will require more and more forward thinking.  The tech space is saturated with ideas, and it will require us to spot an unrecognized forthcoming trend in the marketplace.  We need to be thinking several years ahead of the curve.  Judging from our past tech ideas (which were good by the way, just late), we are a few years behind the curve.  This is okay, it has been a good exercise for us to think these things through, we now need to recalibrate our thinking and being looking for and spotting trends before other people do.  We can hopefully accomplish this through continuing our reading of blogs and magazines, and continuing to network with people in related fields.

One such example of a potential industry changing even is Google’s new “Web Browser” Chrome.  This browser has the potential to change the tech space over the next few years.  From early reports, some analysts see potential for the browser to take the role of an Operating System with the use of Gears for offline content.  This is a very calculated move to enter the “browser” market, as there is not really any money in it.  But what it does provide is a conduit for Google to push current and new products to consumers much more quickly.  In the unlikely event that Chrome flops…well they can always fall back on their investment in Mozialla FireFox.  They are slowly working to check-mate Microsoft.  Don’t believe for a second that Microsoft won’t up the ante though.  My opinion is that we will see greatly increased functinality in browser software over the next few years.  I will be downloading Chrome to see what it is capable of.

 

Here is what TechCrunch had to say about Chrome.

Chrome, the Webkit-based Google browser that launches tomorrow at Google.com/chrome, will give them a real foothold on the desktop and way more control over how web applications perform. While it seems that Chrome is aimed at IE and Firefox, the target is really Windows.

They’ve built their own Javascript engine despite the fact that Webkit already has one. This should make Ajax applications like Gmail and Google Docs absolutely roar. When combined with Gears, which allows for offline access (see what MySpace did with Gears to understand how powerful it is), Chrome is nothing less than a full on desktop operating system that will compete head on with Windows.

Expect to see millions of web devices, even desktop web devices, in the coming years that completely strip out the Windows layer and use the browser as the only operating system the user needs. That was going to happen anyway, but Chrome + Gears just made the decision a whole lot easier for hardware manufacturers to make.

 

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References:
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/01/meet-chrome-googles-windows-killer/

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test from posterous, I knew it was too good to be true.

That is the difficulty in working in the tech space.  There is so much competition and it moves at light speed.  It would be pretty diffucult to compete with 2 years ahead and a greater amount of resources.  Well, back to drinks!  Lets schedule a call with Mike this week. 

 

On a positive note, the food and beverage industry moves at a slow crawl at best.  and if need be we could always start regionally to prove our concept, then expand with VC.  I’ll call you later on today.

Posted by email from The Millionaire Quest (posterous)

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GPShopper and Slifter

Slifter on the iPhone

Well, disappointing news.  I found this yesterday, but did not have time to post it until today.  A company named GPShopper created Slifter, which is essentially the exact same things as Project GiPS.  They have an online website, a mobile friendly website, and a mobile app for Sprint phones.  The way they have chosen to monetize is by charging for advertising for special promotions/sales and also charging Sprint customers $1.99/month to use their mobile app.  Inventory listing is free to the retailers that participate.  They have been in business over a year, as I found this press release:  

Sprint Customers Get New Location-Aware Shopping Application from GPShopper

Slifter from GPShopper gives Sprint customers the power to search for products and promotions from local retailers using their Sprint phones

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. ; NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sprint customers can now search and find products at local retailers, see price and availability information, and get directions to the store – all on select Sprint phones. Sprint (NYSE: S) and GPShopper today announced the launch of Slifter, the first mobile local product search application that employs GPS technology to find products at neighboring retail locations.

Slifter makes real-world shopping more interactive: customers simply enter a keyword, product name, model number or UPC code to find a product. They can then view product availability, price and promotional information. Sprint GPS capabilities ensure the closest possible retailers are identified in the search. From video games to vacuum cleaners, using Slifter, Sprint customers can now search for more than 85 million products available at more than 30,000 retail stores across the country. 

The question is, can this be done better?  Well, they have done a pretty good job with it, the challenge for them will be monetizing it with their strategy.  The amount of time and resources it would take us to bring something to market and challenge the incumbent seems like it wouldn’t be worth it, especially for a first venture.  And they have a 2 year head start (1 for development, and 1 doing business).  Damn, I am really disappointed, I was looking forward to working on GiPS…

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References:

 

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Potential Grows in the Wireless Apps Marketplace

Going back to the theme of cell phones becoming an ever more versatile tool, there is more good news in the wireless applications marketplace.  What the industry lacks is a unversal marketplace for Wireless Applications.  Sure, T-Mobile is rolling out their own version, Apple created the AppStore, and BlackBerry has a store of their own, etc.  But, there is no univeral, easy way to download, purchase, rate and review applications across the many different wireless phone Operating Systems and Wireless Carriers.  This has caused a very slow emergence of companies such as Tapulous that focus directly on this market. 

 

The player that may solve this problem is….you guessed it, Google.  The advent of their new wireless OS, Android, will pave a nice path for Android Market into the wireless space.  Android Market will be open to any and all developers.  The downside that I can see as of now is that the open platform (meaning their is no approval committee like Apple’s AppStore) may result in all kinds of garbage being released, leaving good quailty applications buried in the mess.  But, none the less, this will be a great step forward towards creating a more univeral meduim for Wireless Applications to be released.

THE POTENTIAL:

This is another positive for Project GiPS.  The more paths that GiPS has to the marketplace the better.  In my initial estimation, GiPS could be designed for all platforms, desktop, wireless, or any other handheld with internet access — obviously with cell phones being the target market here. 

Here is a quick excerpt from an article on Engadget:

 

 

Android‘s gaining a head of steam as it heads towards release — Google just posted up some details on the upstart OS’s app distribution system, Android Market. Just like Apple’s iPhone App Store, Android Market will run on Android phones like the HTC Dream and allow users to browse and install apps, as well as comment on and rate apps they’ve already purchased. (Somewhat terrifyingly, Google describes the rating and comment-system as “similar to YouTube,” but we’re hoping the reference is to user-generated ratings in general and not the grammar and language catastrophe that is YouTube comments.) Unlike Apple’s store, however, Android Market will be open to all — Google wants devs to “have an open and unobstructed environment” for their apps, and it’ll only take three steps (register, upload, describe) to put content on the service. The first Android handsets will come with a beta version of Market that supports free downloads only, but a version that has app sales, versioning, and other features will arrive soon after launch — given the number of mediocre apps that have somehow passed Apple’s vetting process, it’ll be interesting to see what shows up in Google’s store with no filters at all. More screenshots after the break.

 

-Chris

 

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References:

http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/28/google-talks-android-market-app-store/

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JumpTap x 2 = A new idea?

As we already know, the fastest growing segment of electronics and communication lies in the wireless market.  The cell phone will lead the way with innovation and consolidation of technologies.  It is my guess that we could see a cellular phone eventually replace credit cards, navigation systems, portable music devices, phone books, conventional flash drives, ID cards, mainstream cameras, and who knows what else.  More and more functionality will be demanded from a users cell phone, especially with younger generations that grow up with a cell phone in grade school.

 

 

I just read an article on TechCrunch about a new mobile search engine called JumpTap (www.jumptap.com).  I like this idea because it is a needed service.  It bascially takes searching to the next level.  The article uses the example of a mother with a daughter that needs Tylenol right away and they are far from home.  A simple Google search on her mobile device will only yield Tylenol’s homepage, a wikipedia entry for the product, and maybe some pharmeceutical sites.  A search with JumpTap would associate the word “Tylenol” with “pharmacy” and then show that there is a Walgreen’s located nearby.  Brilliant.

 

 

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

 

This got me thinking, what if this idea can be taken another step.  The idea of a geotaggable search could produce many possibilities.  With the newest generation of phones supporting GPS, this idea will become even more viable.  Well, what if we created a search engine that included a database of retailers’ inventories as searchable content. 

 

Example:

 

Let’s say, I just saw an ad for the movie “21” that just came out and I really want to buy it.  By going to this specialized search engine, I could then search the inventories of all retail stores in my vicinity.  The search might produce something like:

 

Wal-Mart (2 miles away): 3 DVD’s in stock, 1 Blu-Ray in stock

Best Buy (3.2 miles away): Sold out, stock expected 9/1/2008

Blockbuster Video (4 miles away): 12 DVD’s available for rent, 2 available for sale, Blu-Ray sold out, stock expected tomorrow

 

You could then click on a retailer to get a detailed profile and bring up GPS enabled directions to the establishment.  This could apply to clothing, groceries, automobiles, etc.!!! 

 

MONETIZATION: 

Each retailer would pay a fee to be part of the search engine and would have the option to pay a premium to appear at the top of specified searches, similar to Google’s Sponsored Advertising program.  The service would be completely free to the user.

 

If nothing else, we could patent the idea and let someone else buy it and develop it…  What say ye?

 

 

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Sources:  http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/26/jumptap-raises-26-million-series-d-to-take-on-google-in-mobile-search-strengthens-ties-to-att/

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