One Billion HTML5 Phones to Be Sold Worldwide in 2013

By: Ian Mansfield | 7th Dec 2011

­According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, worldwide HTML5 phone sales will surge from 336 million units in 2011 to 1 billion units in 2013. HTML5 has quickly become a high-growth technology that will help smartphones, feature phones, tablets, notebooks, desktop PCs, televisions and vehicles to converge through cloud services.

Neil Shah, Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, " We forecast worldwide HTML5 phone sales to surge from 336 million units in 2011 to 1.0 billion in 2013. Growth for HTML5 phones is being driven by robust demand from multiple hardware vendors and software developers in North America, Europe and Asia who want to develop rich media services across multiple platforms, including companies like Adobe, Apple, Google and Microsoft. We define an HTML5 phone as a mobile handset with partial or full support for HTML5 technology in the browser, such as the Apple iPhone 4S."

Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, " HTML5 has quickly become a high-growth technology that will help smartphones, feature phones, tablets, notebooks, desktop PCs, televisions and vehicles to converge in the future. HTML5 will be a pivotal technology in the growth of a multi-screen, 4G LTE cloud that is emerging for mobile operators, device makers, car manufacturers, component vendors and Web app developers. With its potential to transcend some of the barriers faced by native apps, such as cross-platform usability, HTML5 is a market that no mobile stakeholder can afford to ignore"

Thomas Kang, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, " Despite surging growth of HTML5 phone sales, we caution that HTML5 is still a relatively immature technology. HTML5 currently has limited APIs and feature-sets to include compared with native apps on platforms such as Android or Apple iOS. It will require several years of further development and standards-setting before HTML5 can fully mature to reach its potential as a unified, multi-platform content-enabler."

IDC Estimates 92% Smartphone Shipment Increase in Q4

Smartphone shipment to Indonesia in the fourth quarter of 2011 is expected to rise 92 percent to 2.1 million units, year-on-year (YOY). The increase is boosted by the many vendors marketing new products in Indonesia. (IFT/DINUL MUBAROK)

 

JAKARTA (IFT) - Smartphone shipment to Indonesia in the fourth quarter of 2011 is expected to rise 92 percent to 2.1 million units, year-on-year (YOY). The increase is boosted by the many vendors marketing new products in Indonesia, according International Data Corporation (IDC) Indonesia.

Fajar Hidayat, Market Analyst at IDC Indonesia, named several vendors actively marketing new smartphones in the last quarter of this year as Samsung, Research In Motion (RIM), Nokia, HTC, Nexian, and CSL Group. The number of smartphone shipment is estimated to reach 6.68 million units by the end of the year.

" This year, the number of smartphones increased 84 percent from last year," Fajar told IFT, Monday.

In the third quarter of 2011, IDC estimates the total smartphone shipments at 4.58 million units. The number of shipments from July to September 2011 is estimated at 1.97 million units.

According to Fajar, the rise in smartphone shipment has not reduced the feature phone market. As of today, feature phones’ growth is slower than a smartphone, albeit still being a double-digit growth. Feature phone market is still large in Indonesia given the more affordable price compared to smartphone.

" The potential is also seen by local vendors who are focusing on feature phones by bundling with operators to increase sales," he said.

IDC Indonesia estimates that this year’s smartphone market share will rise to about 17 percent of the total Indonesian cellular phone market amounting to 38 million units. In 2010, the market share was just 4 million units, 12 percent of the total mobile phone market. In 2014, the market is estimated to reach 16.3 million units, 30 percent of the total mobile phone market.

IDC saw smartphone penetration in Indonesia as lower than other Southeast Asian countries due to expensive price—not affordable by medium lower market consumers, Indonesia’s majority segment of cell phone users.

The growth of Android-based smartphones is predicted to suppress the prices, increasing the market share for smartphones.

New Smartphones

Several vendors are marketing their newest smartphone products in Indonesia in the fourth quarter. RIM is marketing the BlackBerry Bold 9790 (Bellagio) in mid-November. Indonesia is the first country where RIM is marketing the said product, as the company’s strategy to maintain market share in Indonesia with 6 million users as of today.

On November 24, PT High Tech Computer Indonesia, representative of Taiwan’s smartphone vendor HTC Corp., is marketing their latest smartphone the HTC Sensation SE. Company is bundling the sales with PT XL Axiata Tbk (EXCL).

Nokia Oyj, Finnish handset vendor, launched two types of Symbian Belle based smartphones the Nokia 600 and Nokia 700, in October. Irwan Dermawan, Product Market Manager of Nokia Indonesia, said the company is targeting the two products to become a tough competitor in Indonesia’s smartphone market. (*)

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Top-10 Best Selling Phones in November

By: Vincent Chang | 2nd Dec 2011

­The Swedish manufacturer of carrying cases for portable electronics, Krusell, releases its " Top 10" -list for November 2011.

The list is based on the number of pieces of custom made mobile-, smartphone cases ordered from Krusell during November 2011. Krusell's list is unique due to the fact that it reflects the sales of phones on six continents and in more than 70 countries around the globe.

" Thru the launch of iPhone 4S, Apple is back on the throne on Krusell's best seller list of November. The list for November reflects that Sony Ericsson has made good results out in the market with the updated Arc S and its siblings Ray and Neo," says Ulf Sandberg MD at Krusell.

" Still it's obvious that the market right now is very much about Galaxy SII and iPhone 4S, which is described as the battle of the giants in many markets."

1. (2) Apple iPhone 4/4S
2. (1) Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II
3. (7) Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc/Arc S
4. (-) Samsung I9000 Galaxy S
5. (4) Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray
6. (6) Nokia 3720 Classic
7. (10) Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo
8. (8) HTC Sensation
9. (-) Samsung B2100
10. (-) HTC Titan

() = Last month's position.

China-based handset vendors have been shifting from entry-level smartphones to models with high-level specifications but priced at a middle level for competition in the domestic market and have scored some points, according to Taiwan-based handset and component makers.

High-level specifications at mid-level prices is a strategy to compete with international vendors including Apple, HTC and Samsung Electronics. For example, Meizu has launched the M9, Xiaomi has launched the M1 featuring 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 4-inch touch screen for sale at only CNY1,999 (US$315), Coolpad just launched the 9900 equipped with 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 5-inch touch screen.

In addition, Huawei Device and ZTE, after gaining some global and China market shares for their entry-level smartphones priced at US$150-200, have launched models for sale at US$300-400 in the China and overseas markets.

Loyalty to Smartphone Brand Increases with Number of Apps Used.

By: Ian Mansfield | 27th Nov 2011

­Nearly one in five (19%) of consumers that own both an iPad and an iPhone believe that changing types of smartphone is more difficult than changing bank accounts or gas or electricity providers.

As consumers build digital ecosystems and their own world of content on handsets, the study shows that their loyalty to their smartphone brand increases with the number of apps and services they use. The research reveals that the tipping point for loyalty is when a consumer uses seven or more services on their device.

Consumers in the US are the most likely to use seven or more services (61%), followed closely by China (56%) and Brazil (53%). In comparison to this, European countries use fewer services on their smartphone France and Italy (46%), Germany (45%), Spain (43%) and the UK (42%).

3 key pillars to user experience

The research also examines the impact of three core areas when it comes to consumers' user experience simplicity of use, integration of features and access to content. Simplicity is key and 72% of smartphone users say they find it easy to access their device's applications and navigate the menu system. Therefore, moving from a smartphone that they are familiar with is the biggest challenge to switching devices. In fact, the research reveals that the main barriers to switching all relate to user experience:

• 33% of respondents cited disrupting their current smartphone set-up (i.e. the apps and features I use)
• 29% - having to learn how to use another type of smartphone
• 28% - having to move their content (music, video, books, apps) from one type of smartphone to another

As smartphones become more advanced, creating a smooth and high quality user experience is a complex task, but despite this, 71% of smartphone customers believe the services and features on their devices work seamlessly with each other. The more services a consumer uses on a device, the more tightly integrated they feel the features and functions are, indicating that well executed service and hardware integration are having a positive effect on consumer loyalty.

Consumers that build a library of media and content are demanding access to all of their digital content, irrespective of the device they are using. Almost three-quarters (72%) of smartphone owners think it is important to access the content such as music, books and apps on any internet enabled device, such as smartphones, tablets and TVs. This figure increases to 80% and becomes even more important to consumers that own all three devices a tablet, smartphone and PC.

Western Europe demand simplicity Chinese prefer access

In relation to user experience, the countries that were surveyed rated different levels of importance on the three core areas of simplicity, integration and access. Consumers in Western Europe place greater emphasis on simplicity than either integration or access to services. For example, in Germany 84% of consumers believe that ease of use is the most important factor and place less importance on accessing content on numerous devices (64%). By contrast, Chinese consumers place greatest importance on access, with 92% stressing the need to access content across all devices.

Ryan Garner at GfK Business & Technology said: " The barriers to switching smartphones show the importance of the age-old mindset, 'if it ain't broke don't fix it.' This mindset has only hardened with the growth of connected devices and rapidly improving user experiences, while cross device accessibility of content is also delivering great benefits to consumers. Those who are satisfied with their current set-up will be difficult to tempt to a new platform and the more services they use, the greater a consumer's loyalty to a brand."

He continued: " The smartphone providers that create harmonious user experiences will be able to increase consumer loyalty, as consumers find it more trouble than it's worth to switch their digital life on their smartphone - as well as increasingly on tablets too. In a competitive market, brands that invest in user experience will yield great results. Those in dominant market positions, who create amazing user experiences, are potentially in the strongest position, and will be the most difficult to challenge in terms of capturing market share."

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