Shipments

Computers
March 29, 2012
by

Nearly 1 billion smart connected devices shipped in 2011

By on March 29, 2012 at 11:15 PM.

Nearly 1 billion smart connected devices shipped in 2011

The International Data Corporation on Wednesday announced that shipments of smart connected devices —including PCs, tablets and smartphones — reached 916 million units and surpassed $489 billion in revenue in 2011. “Whether it’s consumers looking for a phone that can tap into several robust ‘app’ ecosystems, businesses looking at deploying tablet devices into their environments, or educational institutions working to update their school’s computer labs, smart, connected, compute-capable devices are playing an increasingly important role in nearly every individual’s life,” said Bob O’Donnell, vice president of Clients and Displays at IDC. The firm estimates that worldwide shipments of smart connected devices will top 1.1 billion in 2012 and double to 1.84 billion by 2016. IDC’s numbers represent a compound annual growth rate of 15.4% over the next five years. The firm also predicts that the number of Android-powered devices running on ARM CPUs will grow from 29.4% in 2011 to a market-leading 31.1% share in 2016. Apple’s iOS-based devices, on the other hand, are estimated to grow from 14.6% share in 2011 to 17.3% in 2016. IDC’s press release can be found after the break. More →

No Comments
Computers
March 29, 2012
by

Production of new 15-inch MacBook Pro could start in April, 13-inch model in June

By on March 29, 2012 at 9:05 PM.

Production of new 15-inch MacBook Pro could start in April, 13-inch model in June

Apple has reportedly scheduled mass production of its new 15-inch MacBook Pro to begin in April, and production of a new 13.3-inch model will ramp up in June, according to a report from Digitimes. The site’s unnamed sources from Apple’s supply chain said that the Cupertino-based company has ordered a far greater number of 13.3-inch models than 15-inch laptops, and it is anticipating higher demand for the smaller device. The source also indicated that the 15-inch model’s monthly production capacity is expected to start with between 100,000 and 150,000 units and rise gradually. The Taiwanese publication has previously reported that Apple will launch an ultra-thin 15-inch MacBook laptop with Air-like features as early as the second quarter of 2012. More →

No Comments
Breaking
March 29, 2012
by

RIM reports Q4 miss; Balsillie resigns as director, CTO and COO both out

By on March 29, 2012 at 4:45 PM.

RIM reports Q4 miss; Balsillie resigns as director, CTO and COO both out

With expectations at an all-time low and analysts lowering estimates left and right, Research In Motion on Thursday reported its results for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2012. RIM posted a surprising beat in the third fiscal quarter when it managed earnings of $1.27 per share on $5.2 billion in sales. At the same time, however, the Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry maker issued worse than expected fourth-quarter EPS guidance of between $0.80 and $0.95, and it said revenue would likely fall between $4.6 billion and $4.98 billion. RIM has now confirmed adjusted net income of $0.80 per share, on revenue of $4.2 billion, down sequentially from $5.2 billion despite the launch of multiple new BlackBerry 7 smartphone models. Read on for more. More →

No Comments
Business
March 28, 2012
by

RIM slashes BlackBerry prices in India one day ahead of Q4 earnings

By on March 28, 2012 at 1:35 PM.

RIM slashes BlackBerry prices in India one day ahead of Q4 earnings

Research In Motion has made drastic cuts to BlackBerry smartphone prices in India just one day before the Waterloo, Ontario-based vendor is scheduled to report its results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. Several analysts expect RIM to miss Wall Street’s consensus when it announces its earnings results on Thursday, despite having issued lower than expected fourth-quarter guidance. The struggling smartphone vendor dropped prices on multiple models in India by up to 26%, BGR sister site BGR.in reported on Wednesday. Devices that have received price cuts include the BlackBerry Curve 9360, the Curve 9380, the Torch 9860 and the Curve 8520, RIM’s best-selling smartphone in India. RIM beat expectations in the third fiscal quarter when it reported revenue of $5.2 billion and earnings of $1.27 per share, but analysts are bracing themselves for a disappointing fourth quarter. More →

No Comments
Business
March 28, 2012
by

The ‘phablet’ is a hit: Samsung Galaxy Note sales top 5 million

By on March 28, 2012 at 8:40 AM.

The ‘phablet’ is a hit: Samsung Galaxy Note sales top 5 million

BGR reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Note in February and while there were a number of features we liked about this phone/tablet hybrid, we found it to be entirely too large overall to be used as a cell phone. Toward the end of February, Samsung confirmed that it had sold more than 2 million Galaxy Note phablets worldwide and now, about one month later, Samsung says sales of the supersized Android phone have reached 5 million units. The Galaxy Note features a dual-core 1.4GHz Exynos processor, 32GB of internal storage, an 8-megapixel camera, Android 2.3 Gingerbread and a massive 5.2-inch WXGA Super AMOLED display. While the handset is clearly too big for many users, it appears that there is indeed a large market for the phone, and Samsung is well on its way to reaching its goal of 10 million Galaxy Notes sold by the end of 2012. More →

No Comments
Business
March 26, 2012
by

RIM: ‘Grim and getting grimmer’

By on March 26, 2012 at 1:45 PM.

RIM: ‘Grim and getting grimmer’

Research In Motion is set to report its results for the fourth fiscal quarter and full fiscal year on Thursday, and Wall Street is bracing itself for another disappointing quarter. RIM’s fourth-quarter guidance came in worse than expected when the company posted its third-quarter results, and now several analysts are lowering their expectations even further. Pulling no punches, Barclays Capital’s Jeff Kvaal wrote in a note to investors titled “Grim and getting grimmer” that BlackBerry 7 sales have been poor thus far, and he has lowered his projections as a result. Read on for more. More →

No Comments
Tablets
March 23, 2012
by

Low cost tablets to control 60% of the market by 2016

By on March 23, 2012 at 10:00 PM.

Low cost tablets to control 60% of the market by 2016

​

Since Apple introduced its iPad tablet more than two years ago, the market the market it revived has been approached by nearly every other PC and smartphone vendor. By market research firm ABI Research’s count, there are currently more than 220 tablet models available worldwide. While Apple’s iPad remains the market leader, ABI predicts that by 2016, 60% of the market will be occupied by sub-$400 tablets like the Kindle Fire and Google’s rumored Nexus Tab. “The majority of new entrant media tablet models have been in the sub-$400 segment that focuses on growth markets like India and China,” said Jeff Orr, group director of consumer research. “The strong wave of growth in this segment over the next few years is expected to be driven by the adoption in emerging markets.” ABI also predicts that eReaders will continue to see accelerated growth, with total shipments projected to grow more than 20% in 2012. ABI Research’s press release follows below. More →

No Comments
mobile
March 23, 2012
by

4G LTE phone shipments to grow tenfold this year

By on March 23, 2012 at 7:05 PM.

4G LTE phone shipments to grow tenfold this year

Global 4G LTE smartphone shipments reached 6.8 million units in the technology’s first year. According to a study from market research firm Strategy Analytics, global LTE smartphone shipments could surge tenfold to 67 million units in 2012. It is expected to be a breakout year for LTE technology, with Apple, Samsung, HTC and others planning to launch 4G LTE phones in the United States, Japan and South Korea. “The mobile industry is entering a breakout year for 4G LTE technology. Multiple operators and multiple phone vendors will be launching dozens of LTE models across numerous countries worldwide,” said Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics. “LTE has quickly become a high-growth, high-value market that no operator, service developer, device vendor or component maker can afford to ignore.” Read on for Strategy Analytics’s press release. More →

No Comments
Retail
March 20, 2012
by

Online iPad availability improves, new orders ship in 1-2 weeks

By on March 20, 2012 at 8:15 PM.

Online iPad availability improves, new orders ship in 1-2 weeks

When Apple’s new iPad failed to sell out at retail stores in and around New York City, we wondered if launch day turn-out was lower than expected or if Apple had finally managed to build enough iPads to meet consumer demand. We got our answer on Monday afternoon when Apple announced that it had sold more than 3 million new iPads in less than four days. While retail locations still seem to have a fair amount of inventory on hand, Apple’s online store still shows that all iPad models are out of stock. Shipping quotes for new iPad orders improved on Tuesday, however, dropping from an estimated delivery time of 2-3 weeks to 1-2 weeks. Apple’s new iPad features a 2,048 x 1,536-pixel Retina Display, a new dual-core A5X processor with quad-core graphics, a 5-megapixel camera and optional 4G LTE connectivity. BGR reviewed the new tablet on Monday and said it improves upon the iPad 2 in almost every way, keeping Apple not one but two steps ahead of the competition. More →

No Comments
Business
March 19, 2012
by

AT&T confirms record iPad sales

By on March 19, 2012 at 11:35 AM.

AT&T confirms record iPad sales

AT&T on Monday confirmed that it sold and activated more iPad tablets this past Friday than it has on any other single day. “On Friday, March 16, AT&T set a new single-day record for its iPad sales and activations, demonstrating robust demand for the new iPad on the nation’s largest 4G network, covering nearly 250 million people,” AT&T said in a statement. The carrier did not share any sales figures, however, and neither did Apple CEO Tim Cook earlier on Monday when he said that Apple’s new iPad saw record sales during its debut weekend. BGR noted on Friday evening that while iPads were much easier to find this year compared to Apple’s previous two iPad launches, AT&T’s iPad Wi-Fi + 4G was sold out more than any other model at more Apple Stores we spoke with.

No Comments
Business
March 14, 2012
by

Android tablets can’t compete with the iPad 2, let alone the new iPad, analyst says

By on March 14, 2012 at 2:55 PM.

Android tablets can’t compete with the iPad 2, let alone the new iPad, analyst says

Since Apple’s iPad event last week, the tablet has seen a record number of pre-orders with shipping times for new orders now reaching two to three-week delays. Canaccord Securities analyst Mike Walkley anticipates Apple will continue to dominate both market and value share in the growing tablet market through 2013. The analyst wrote in a research note on Wednesday that due to the company’s leading hardware specs, competitive pricing and iOS developer and application ecosystems, Apple’s lead will not be challenge in the near future. In fact, according to Walkley, Android vendors have indicated to him that they can’t compete. Read on for more. More →

No Comments
Tablets
March 9, 2012
by

Apple sells out of launch-day iPads

By on March 9, 2012 at 2:50 PM.

Apple sells out of launch-day iPads

Apple began running out of pre-order iPad inventory less than 24 hours after pre-sales first began. Now, it looks like all of Apple’s initial iPad stock has been depleted. The company’s online store currently shows an estimated ship date of March 19th for every available iPad model, including the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB Wi-Fi models and each of the three iPad Wi-Fi + 4G versions for AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Apple unveiled the new iPad this past Wednesday at a press conference in San Francisco. The latest version of the wildly popular tablet features a Retina Display, a dual-core Apple A5X processor, an improved 5-megapixel camera and a slightly redesigned case. Early pre-orders will become available on Friday, March 16th. More →

No Comments
Business
March 8, 2012
by

Kindle Fire extinguishes eReader demand in Q1

By on March 8, 2012 at 6:25 PM.

Kindle Fire extinguishes eReader demand in Q1

Amazon’s popular Kindle Fire is seen as having a huge impact on eReader shipments in the first quarter of 2012. The 7-inch Android tablet burst onto the scene in November and with less than seven weeks of availability in the fourth quarter, it managed to secure Amazon 14% of the global tablet market according to IHS iSupply. Demand for the Kindle Fire has remained strong in the first quarter — the slate is still Amazon’s best-selling electronics device for the 16th week running — and according to DigiTimes Research, eReader shipments will take a huge hit this quarter as a result. A seasonal decline from the holiday quarter to the first quarter is always anticipated, but DigiTimes’s research arm sees global eBook reader shipments dropping from 9 million units in the December quarter to just 2 million this quarter, a 78% decline. DigiTimes Research still projects solid eReader shipment growth in the coming years, however, as sales into channels jump from an estimated 22.82 million units in 2011 to more than 60 million units by 2015. More →

No Comments