First there was media. Now there is ecosystem Xiaomi is not just the largest smartphone vendor in the Chinese market it is also the manufacturer that clocks up the most usage. Xiaomi is now No. 1 in the Chinese market with 14% market share just behind Samsung, Lenovo and Yulong who have 12% each. Huawei...
The glacial creep towards a settlement continues. Samsung and Apple have agreed to drop all litigation against each other that is taking place outside the US. No licencing terms have been signed and both companies will now focus their efforts on pursuing their fight in the US. This is similar to the agreement between Apple...
Traffic reveals the critical weakness in Google’s ecosystem. The latest data from Chitika shows that Google is still struggling to improve the quality of its ecosystem. Size is a great measure of the importance of an ecosystem but its real value is determined by usage. High usage is the best indicator of user loyalty and...
Radio Free Mobile has taken up temporary residence in the Levant returning on the 5th August.
Amazon’s prioritisation of customers over investors shows no sign of abating. Amazon reported in-line Q2A results but guided very badly for Q3E as it continues to invest heavily in the growth at the expense of profitability. Q214A revenues / EPS were $19.3bn / LOSS $0.27 compared to forecasts of $19.4bn and LOSS $0.13 respectively. The...
Sony must fix PlayStation if it is to hold onto its lead. Since the launch, PlayStation has systematically beaten Xbox One at every turn. On price, accessories, used game policies, independent game developers, performance and geographic restrictions Sony has Microsoft on the run. Sony has also soundly beaten Microsoft when it comes to the PR...
Both Apple and Microsoft reported humdrum results ahead of big events. Apple Apple reported Q314A results that were broadly in line with expectations but guided weakly as the lag effect in front of such a major hardware upgrade is going to be greater than expected. Revenues / EPS were $37.4bn / $1.28 compared to consensus...
Fight over wearables looks like a storm in a teacup. Samsung and Google are at it again but this time the fight is over what software Samsung should use on its wearable devices. At a recent industry event in Sun Valley, Idaho it was clear that tensions between Samsung and Google are still running high....
Cuts look much bigger than they seem. Microsoft’s planned 18,000 job cuts seems to spell the end of in-house manufacturing and has wide implications for Microsoft overall. A total of 18,000 permanent positions are to go of which 12,500 are coming from the Nokia Devices and Services business. At the same time Microsoft has imposed...
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.
Zynga Q2A – Chalk and cheese
Bad results show the difference between consoles and handhelds. Zynga reported weak Q2A results and cut its 2014E guidance as new revisions of its flagship games will take longer than expected to reach the market. The key metric for Zynga is bookings which is the value of virtual goods sold during the quarter. Q2A bookings...