Blog

Dish Bids for Sprint: Shotgun wedding made in heaven?

by Eddie Hold on April 15, 2013 at 2:34 pm

Dish shook up the wireless market today with an offer to buy Sprint, arguing that the deal it has put on the table is worth 13% more than the current Softbank offer. But beyond the size of the deal, Dish has a compelling argument in terms of the synergies of both companies. Dish has spectrum waiting to be used – something that Sprint could clearly benefit from – as well as a large customer base in the U.S. market. By contrast, as we noted when Softbank made its initial bid for Sprint, there are fewer obvious benefits of a Sprint/Softbank deal. But more importantly, this is the first case of a Pay TV operator buying into mobile telecom, rather than a telecom company moving into Pay TV, a case of “man bites dog” compared to the more usual outcome.

Facebook Wants to Be Your Smartphone “Home” (Screen)

by Linda Barrabee on April 5, 2013 at 9:21 am

Debunking widespread speculation that Facebook was planning to launch an actual branded phone, a “Facebook Phone,” the company instead announced the launch of “Facebook Home.” Maybe it’s just semantics – (not to quote the movie “ET”) “phone” or “home” – but Facebook Home essentially achieves the same end-goal, but via different means and wider distribution potential.

Mobile Observations from a SXSW First-Timer

by Linda Barrabee on March 21, 2013 at 10:50 am

Until this year, SXSW always seemed like the cool kids’ show. The show that I looked at longingly from afar, but could never justify attending as a mobile analyst, despite its buzz-worthy tech appeal. This time I finally made it for a private collocated pre-show event, which afforded me a fleeting glimpse into some of the mobile goings-on, and most notably Urban Airship’s “Mobile Saturday” event.

Samsung Eclipses Android Universe

by John Buffone on March 18, 2013 at 9:34 am

Technically a Universe can consist of billions of Galaxies, but some are much larger than others. In the U.S., the Android Universe is starting to get usurped by Samsung. The latest Samsung phone, Galaxy S 4, is not just a hardware launch, but rather shows off Samsung's ability to leverage the Android bones to make a stronger overall device that is bigger than its parts.

425 Million Connected Devices – So, What Are Consumers Doing With Them?

by John Buffone on February 14, 2013 at 1:50 pm

We can now watch HBOGO on three TVs in our home. Last night we saw they started promoting its availability on Airplay. As an early adopter, my first thought was, I want an Apple TV too. But there is no need as all three TVs we own provide HBOGO, and each through a different type of device. Apple TV does, however, offer screen mirroring which none of the other connected devices in our homeprovide, and that is bound to be useful – right?

While Super Bowl XLVII Sunday Night Lights Go Out (For A Bit), Select Second-Screen (Smartphone) Activities Light-Up

by Linda Barrabee on February 7, 2013 at 10:41 am

While I never thought I’d ask “why did the power go out?” during the Super Bowl, I did have a number of questions going into the Big Game, including: 1) Which Brother Harbaugh will prevail? 2) Will Beyoncé redeem herself from “lip-sync-gate”? 3) How will consumers’ use their smartphones (companion, second screen) on Game Day? Well: These were the big questions that I was pondering, and for which I now have answers for: 1) John Harbaugh, 2) Yes, and 3) smartphone users kept their eyes affixed to the Big Screen, and periodically leveraged the immediacy and utility of their second-screens.

Another Home Screen For Your Home

by John Buffone on January 14, 2013 at 2:32 pm

The TV is evolving into a more complex device and the basic concept on turning it on and immediately watching TV could become a thing of the past. As consumers we’ve become conditioned to expect home screens on computers, tablets, and smartphones; TVs now look set to follow suit. New TVs from Samsung and Panasonic launch to a home screen rather than the last TV channel you were watching. This home, or launch page, is a customized experience based on recognition from a built-in camera.

The iPhone versus Android Smartphone User: Top Apps Used Highlight “The Core Five (or Six)”

by Linda Barrabee on January 8, 2013 at 10:59 am

Google and Apple have taken clearly different approaches to the smartphone market overall. On the one hand, Apple approaches the market from a hardware-centric perspective (after all, Apple fundamentally sells hardware), while Google outsources the hardware component, focusing instead on the content delivered by the hardware and related search and advertising opportunities. At the center of these two approaches are the smartphone-toting Connected Consumers who leverage the ecosystems, but there are clear differences between iOS and Android Connected Consumers when it comes to a wider brand loyalty beyond the device itself.

Pages