30% of something is better than 100% of nothing. The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance has signed a deal (see here) with Google that I think will see it give up 70% of its potential digital revenue and all of its digital differentiation in return for a higher probability that it will at least get something. From 2021, the alliance expects to debut...
All looks downhill from here. The 70th Emmy Awards are showing that the premium streaming services are making most of the quality entertainment these days which is only likely to accelerate cord cutting by USA consumers. Over-the-air (OTA) transmission will be further boosted by this trend (see here). Netflix topped the list for the first time with 23 awards, of...
Google still has the edge. The latest data shows that Amazon remains ahead in terms of users, but Google is closing the gap when it comes to shipments and is still far superior when it comes to performance and overall usage. Data from Voicebot.ai (see here) suggests that despite losing share in shipments, Amazon remains well ahead in terms of...
BMW plays right into Google’s hands. BMW is the latest company to jump on the digital assistant bandwagon but it has put a lot more thought into its product which may see traction as long BMW resist the temptation to charge for the service. The assistant will debut from March 2019 in models that use BMW OS 7.0 and above...
The real action is inside the new products. The new, universally leaked, devices are pretty dull on the outside but it is what Apple has done on the inside, particularly around the camera, that makes them worthy of note. The devices were so widely leaked (probably deliberately) that there was nothing that caused any real surprise with three new iPhones,...
Tencent needs all its regulatory expertise. Tencent’s regulatory woes look set to continue for some time to come, meaning that the outlook for the next few quarters remains difficult. Tencent has now been forced to shut down its popular “Everyday Texas Hold’Em” game on September 25th as the game is seen as too much like gambling for the regulator. Gambling...
A chink appears in Google’s iron control of Android. For the first time, there is a real threat to the dominance of the Google Play store on Android devices which may eventually undermine Google’s ability to control Android. Fortnite is currently by far the biggest thing in gaming with well over 100m regular players and over $300m in monthly turnover....
More than a hiccup. There is little doubt that the market for virtual reality has entered the trough of disillusionment and it will take real progress on the limitations of the technology before it comes out again. IDC’s latest figures (see here) make rough reading and I think it likely that even the one segment that is showing growth will...
A perfect balance of open and closed is required. Volkswagen has articulated exactly the right strategy to give it a shot at becoming a digital company, but if it takes its proprietary stance too far and does not execute well, this could easily become another €3.5bn down the drain. RFM research has identified the possibility that both electrification and autonomous...
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.
Commercial vehicles – Stoking rebellion
The increasingly vexing software problem. John Deere has been locked in a battle with its customers (farmers) for several years over farmer’s rights to repair and modify their vehicles which highlights, more than ever, that the value in vehicles will soon virtually all be in software. Furthermore, it is a concern that those involved in representing the interests of users...