Meituan proves the efficacy of RFM’s rule of thumb. There is a mad rush going on to use Meituan Dianping’s profitability as an example that food delivery can make money, but the reality is that it has really only come good because it has achieved dominance in its market and didn’t spend like crazy. Meituan is a super-app where all...
ByteDance expands its presence overseas. TikTok is moving to ensure that it dominates Digital Life segments both inside and outside of China which will make it unique as its peers have all struggled to make any headway overseas. The world of Digital Life services is divided just the world of mobile standards was divided in the 2G and 3G generations....
Lyft is preparing for robotaxis, not car rentals. Lyft is launching a car rental service that I think has nothing to do with renting cars and everything to do with working out to successfully run a fleet of robotaxis. Lyft has launched a car rental service from within its app which has sent Hertz and Avis shares into a tail-spin,...
BMW takes another baby step. Not only is Car Play now free but BMW will now also add Android Auto to its vehicles from 2020 in a move that clearly shows that digital is becoming an important part of the purchase decision. Vehicles are predominantly purchased on their looks, performance, safety and economy but increasingly, offering access to the user’s...
Reality hits the dream seller. As I expected, it turns out that augmented reality (AR) for the consumer is light years away from where it needs to be meaning that the only real market, for now, is still the enterprise. Magic Leap has finally accepted this reality but seeing as others pivoted to the enterprise 2 to 3 years ago,...
No more chasing Alibaba Wag Labs Inc. is another write-down in waiting for Softbank which combined with the WeWork meltdown will see it normalise its investment process and stop spraying money around in order to find the next Alibaba. Softbank has sold its stake in Wag Inc. back to the company which is likely to mean another write down that...
Tesla does not need to acquire users. While Tesla might just get away with charging for data and services, I think that the rest of the industry will have to tread very carefully when going down this route as I think the example of BMW shows (see here). Tesla’s deadline for charging users for data and services came and went...
Apple decides the roll-out time table. While Qualcomm is busy setting the scene for 5G with its latest silicon releases, it is Apple (and to some degree Samsung) that is going to determine the real time-table for 5G getting into the hands of users. This is because Apple will sell millions of the next generation of iPhone meaning that if...
Dare I hope that BMW is beginning to see the light? BMW’s move to make access to CarPlay free in its vehicles gives me a little confidence that BMW is beginning to realise that its digital future depends on user engagement with the infotainment unit. Following the launch of CarPlay BMW reluctantly made it available in its vehicles but then...
Richard is founder, owner of research company, Radio Free Mobile. He has 16 years of experience working in sell side equity research. During his 11 year tenure at Nomura Securities, he focused on the equity coverage of the Global Technology sector.
Baidu & Samsung – Made in Korea 2020.
China has a lot of ground to make up. Semiconductors and AI are at the heart of China’s desire to become self sufficient in technology, but this is going to be a long hard task as evidenced by Baidu’s choice to manufacture its AI chips in Korea. Baidu and Samsung have jointly announced that Baidu’s new KUNLUN neural processor that...