NOMADIC LIFESTYLE
NOMADIC LIFESTYLE SMARTPHONES SMARTPHONES CASES FINDINGS OF GFK SURVEY FOR FACEBOOK A study earlier this year by GfK, commissioned by Facebook in the US and UK, took a close look at people’s behaviour as they move across multiple devices, including smartphones, tablets and laptops or PCs, throughout the day. In general, the smartphone is considered the go-to device; over three-quarters of adults who own one use it while they are out and about (77% in the UK and 76% in the US) – it is always present and is used most commonly for communication and social activity. The tablet is viewed as the entertainment hub and is often used at home, where close to half (50% of Britons and 43% of Americans) are shared with others. Super Mobility Every Week For the first time, IFA partners with America’s CTIA–The Wireless Association who run the big Super Mobility Week event in the USA. It’s a natural partnership given how wireless now affects appliances and consumer electronics. In fact, with mobile device penetration shooting through the roof, every week now – no matter where you are – is Super Mobility week At IFA 2014, world famous master chefs on the Siemens stand demonstrated how star quality dishes can be prepared – using appliances interconnected via smartphone. That’s just one illustration of how mobility now penetrates every aspect of our lives. The queen of mobile devices is the smartphone. For 2014 as a whole, research house GfK predicts a 28% increase in sales volume to approximately 1,274 million smartphones to be sold worldwide. Demand for smartphones has once more reached a record high in Western Europe, says GfK. Between January and June 2014, demand in Western Europe, where smartphones have long since become firmly established, the market still grew by 11%. The variety of smartphones on offer continues to increase, adding more options in every price segment. From cheaper entry-level smartphones to high-end phablets, customers currently have a broad spectrum of products to choose from. There are seven trends that IFA International has observed here at IFA 2014: 64-BIT SMARTPHONES When it launched the iPhone 5s with a 64-bit A7 (ARM-v8A) chip last year, Apple was ahead of the market. But it makes sense: the more you want to do with your smartphone, the more brainpower it needs. Except a few Google Nexus devices with a beta test, Android smartphones won’t take full advantage of the processors like the 64-bit Snapdragon until Google launches the 64-bit compatible Android L later this year. Lenovo’s Vibe Z2, introduced at IFA, uses the 64-bit Snapdragon 410 from Qualcomm. ARM’s second wave of 64-bit chips — called Maya and Artemis — are already being licensed to chip makers,. LTE “SUPER MID-MARKET” New LTE chipsets will open the door for 4G phones that cost less. The Alcatel One-Touch Hero 2 shown at IFA has the Mediatek 64-True- Octacore LTE smartphone SOC. The first commercial 300Mbps routers may be introduced by mid-next year, with smartphones arriving in the second half. LARGER SCREENS, HIGHER DISPLAY RESOLUTIONS Larger screens with higher resolutions are one of the biggest smartphone trends, as vendors come under pressure to set their flagship devices apart. MORE FOCUS ON LOW-END DEVICES The key driver for smartphones in the years ahead will be a price decrease, according to IDC. In Western Europe, GfK reports smartphones under €300 increased their share from 51% to 56% in this region. 5 DEDICATED CO-PROCESSORS Moto X and Motorola's in-house X8 chipset featured a dedicated lowpowered core chip so the phone has an always-on listening feature. Apple's M7 chip also has a use for coprocessors, although Apple is using it for different purposes. The point is that co-processors allow a maker to add in the extra features that might differentiate their flagships. A GAME CONSOLE The more powerful processors, like Snapdragon 805 which runs four cores at up to 2.5GHz, will encourage even more gaming on smartphones. NEW MAKERS WILL EMERGE, INCLUDING PC FOLKS Dealers and distributors can expect a crush of new phone makers as components become standard and accessible. The attack on the low end will drive players up-market, putting increasing pressure on the mid-market. THE SMARTPHONE MARKET WILL BECOME MUCH MORE COMPETITIVE Looking to the future, the smartphone will have the potential to replace our physical wallets and IDs, as well as to be the cornerstone for the Internet of Things (IoT), the smart home and mobile health applications. And GfK admonishes us not to forget the role smartphones will play in the development of wearable devices. Perhaps we should start calling them smart-er phones. www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Wednesday 10 th September 2014 15
