Android One’s sole purpose is to push Google’s ecosystem into the lower tiers. Google has announced a new reference design for low cost Android called Android One at an event in India. The launch of this design goes hand in hand with availability of three devices from Micromax, Spice and Karbonn which will sell for...
iOS still makes more money for Google than Android does. Android may dominate the statistics when it comes to unit shipments and number of users, but iOS remains critical to Google’s revenues from mobile. This is why it will continue to ensure that the user experience of its apps on iOS is as good as...
The home market is ripe for taking if Micromax is quick. Micromax is the latest of the new generation of handset makers from Asia that are starting to make an impact on the global stage. Top of this list is Xiaomi which is now the No.1 smartphone vendor in China and whose phones are used...
Great eye candy hides the missing spark of genius needed. Apple launched its first product in the wearables space along with new iPhones that were exactly in line with expectations. Apple also launched a payments solution incorporating both BLE and NFC but while this remains an Apple-only solution, it is likely to remain limited in...
The damage to the Fire phone has already been done. Amazon has cut a massive $200 off the price of its Fire phone with the 32GB version at AT&T (2 year contract) going from $199 to 99c and the 64GB version going from $299 to $99. The device still comes with 1 year Amazon Prime...
RFM has taken a few days off but will be back just in time for Apple’s launch.
Amazon has done Sony and Microsoft a big favour by acquiring Twitch. Amazon has reached an agreement to purchase Twitch for $972m in cash. Twitch is a YouTube-like website that allows users to upload their video game experiences and share them with other like-minded users. The site has 55m users with 7m logging on every...
Unconformity to the design ensures losses. Mozilla has announced that Intex, the Indian handset maker, has launched a Firefox powered device called Cloud FX Phone that will go on sale for $33. Later this week, a second device manufactured by Spice Mobility will be launched for the price of $38. Both of these devices look...
A great quest likely to be sunk by the 2 E’s. A modular mobile phone has been a dream of the mobile phone industry for many years and now Google is giving it a go. Project Ara (see here) is a phone design which is a touch screen with a superstructure on the back where...
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.
Apple – Favourable Omens
Signs point to scale making up for any gross margin weakness. Apple has entered a new product category and is attempting to kick-start wireless payments but in the short term, financial performance will be governed by the iPhone. All the signs are pointing to a very strong calendar Q4 for iPhone shipments as pre-orders look...