Showing posts with label Google. Show all posts
The biggest problems Android has to face
Few would have predicted the meteoric rise of the Android platform. If you cast your mind back to 2008 Google looked to be suffering from the economic crash just as badly as the next company. The first Android smartphone, the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1), was fairly well received, but widely written off as “no iPhone killer”. Many people were denigrating Chrome because it took four months to secure 1% of the browser market. Google’s share price took a hit and didn’t start picking up again until the beginning of 2009.
Fast forward five years and according to the latest research from IDC Android claimed an 84.7% global market share in the second quarter of 2014. Chrome has around a 45% share, in case you’re wondering. Google looks stronger and richer than ever, but the future for Android isn’t entirely bright.
How profitable is the Android scene?
No OEM has benefited more from the rise of Android thanSamsung, but there are signs that its dominance is under threat. Looking at the Q2 2014 earnings report we can see that the mobile division’s profit is declining. It’s hardly panic stations, Samsung still made more than $6 billion profit and the bulk of it came from the sale of smartphones, but the mobile division profit is falling faster and it’s a big drop of almost 30% compared to the same quarter last year.
HTC was the early star of the Android pack, but it has had a rough couple of years. The HTC One line has returned the company to profitability, it made $75 million profit last quarter, but sales are still falling.
Sony has been fighting to get back into the mobile space with the premium Xperia Z line and an accelerated six month update schedule, but its mobile division made a loss of $27 million last quarter.
LG looks like one of the few familiar OEMs going the other way, with a profit of $83.4 million in the mobile division for the second quarter, the first profit in a while, but more importantly based on a 16% bump in sales.
It’s still early days for Nokia’s old phone hardware division, now part of Microsoft, but the company did report sales of 5.8 million phones in the partial quarter since it took over, which looks like it might be a modest increase over the same quarter last year. That’s very much based on the budget and mid-range end of the market, though.
It’s a new dawn
All of the major smartphone players are facing the same threats. We’ve looked at how commoditization is driving prices down and OEMs are left with a choice between low prices and brand power if they want to stand out and compete. The vast majority of the growth in smartphones is in developing markets. China and India are by far the biggest.
The Chinese question
Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we’re seeing so many Chinese manufacturers coming into play. Lenovo has acquired Motorola after a dive into the budget end of the market under Google saw it start to turn things around.Xiaomi claimed the top spot in Chinese smartphone shipments last quarter with a 14% share. ZTE, Huawei,Alcatel, and even newcomers like Oppo and OnePlus are significantly undercutting the competition.
The big question is how profitable are these Chinese companies? It can be a little difficult to tell because they don’t always break down by division or report on profits. We know that worldwide shipments of smartphones for Huawei and Lenovo are rising fast, placing them third and fourth on the chart for Q2 2014. Alcatel shipped a record number of handsets in Q2 2014 claiming almost 40% growth and a 4% share of the global market. ZTE made more than $100 million profit last quarter, but we don’t know how much of that can be attributed to smartphone sales.
Xiaomi is selling a huge number of handsets and it claimed $5.31 billion revenue in the first half of 2014, but it is keeping quiet on the subject of profits. Some people are speculating that margins are very tight and maybe Xiaomi isn’t turning much of a profit at all. It’s not clear if Oppo or OnePlus are making any real cash either.
One company we know isn’t making cash in China is Google. It refused to continue censoring search engine results after a Chinese hacking attack and that led to a lengthy dispute that has seen some Google services banned in mainland China. Android may be the dominant platform, but Google doesn’t provide search on those phones or sell content on them like it does in much of the rest of the world.
Never again
Google doesn’t want to be cut out of another market the way it was in China and that’s what the Android One program is really all about. Indian OEMs like Micromax, Karbonn, and Lava claim a huge share of the market in India. Now Google is starting to drive sales of Android One handsets through partnerships with these OEMs because it wants to make sure that they carry Google services. The Android One program also allows it to reduce fragmentation.
Are interests diverging?
There’s always been a weird dichotomy at the heart of Android. Google and the OEMs don’t really want the same thing. OEMs want to sell handsets and make as much profit as possible from the hardware. Google just wants its services on as many devices as possible because it is geared up to make money from advertising. Google can only retain its position at the top of the search tree by continuing to suck in big data from us to gain insights that everyone else desperately wants.
As Internet usage is rapidly becoming all about mobile devices, Android was a very clever way for Google to maintain its dominance. Instead of having to pay a company like Apple a huge sum of money in order to be the default search provider, it gave OEMs a platform to use. It actually presented them with the same proposition that it presents us – you can have this great, free software, but you have to use our services and let us collect information from you.
Google has walked a tightrope in terms of pushing hardware prices down, with the Nexus line and Motorola, without alienating the OEMs. We’ve wondered about Samsung jumping ship before, but it can’t match Google in terms of services, and even with the decline in profits it is still making money.
There may come a time when the OEMs realize their interests are diverging and Android can’t deliver what they need anymore, just as there may come a time when people prize privacy over the quality of Google’s services.
Maybe it’s simply too late for OEMs like HTC, LG, and Sony to break away from Android. Dabbling with Windows Phone has highlighted the lack of a back door. Their mobile fates are tied to the Android platform, so how strong is their bargaining position with Google now? But the OEMs in China and India could throw a giant spanner in the works. They can undercut on hardware and they don’t necessarily need Google’s involvement in the software space.
Android won’t be toppled by another OS anytime soon, but the fight for control of the platform is set to rage on. Google has to continue to be smart and inventive, it has to continue to add real value for end users, and it had better keep looking over its shoulder.
Google will announce monstrous 5.9-inch Nexus phone this month, report says
Google says it will add yet another “phablet” to the marketplace this month. And this one is the biggest of them all, with a 5.9-inch screen.
Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5-inch screen, while Samsung’s GalaxyNote has a 5.7-inch screen.
Reports have been circulating for weeks about the new phone, codenamed “Shamu” (you know, the whale), and now the Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, says the phone will show up this month.
The new phone will be manufactured by Motorola’s phone division (which Google plans to sell to Lenovo) and will be sold under the Nexus brand (as expected), the WSJ reports.
“Phablets” are defined as phones with screens of five inches or larger. Strategy Analytics says the big phones accounted for only about 1 percent of sales in 2011 but grew to nearly a quarter of phones sold in 2014.
Google's self-driving cars are now allowed on all roads in California
Google's self-driving cars have made impressive progress in the past few years, logging over 700,000 accident-free miles without human intervention, according to the company (there has been at least one accident reportedly caused by a human driver). But those test-drives have been limited to a few closed courses and select areas. Starting this month, Google and a few other ambitious automakers will be able to unleash self-driving vehicles on any public road in the state of California. Last week, the state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) handed out its first 29 permits for testing autonomous cars on all of the state's public roads. Google won 25 of the 29 total permits, which will allow the company to test 25 modified, self-driving Lexus SUVs, according The Guardian. Meanwhile, Audi and Daimler AG-Mercedes Benz also received two permits each to test their own modified, self-driving cars.
The permits are the result of a law California passed back in 2012officially authorizing autonomous vehicle tests, which came after similar laws were passed in Florida and Nevada. In California, any qualified organization can apply for self-driving car permits: they cost $150 for the first car and $50 for every additional car, and require companies testing them to cover insurance costs up to $5 million. The permits are designed to help legitimize and regulate the burgeoning technology, while making sure that California remains at the forefront of its research and development. Small wonder the California DMV trumpeted the news. "Autonomous vehicles are the future of transportation. The potential safety and mobility benefits are enormous," said Jean Shiomoto, director of the California DMV in a statement. "Testing on public roads is one step to developing this technology, and the DMV is excited in facilitating the advancement of autonomous vehicles in California."
Google and Barnes & Noble Unite to Take on Amazon
Google and Barnes & Noble are joining forces to tackle their mutual rival Amazon, zeroing in on a service that Amazon has long dominated: the fast, cheap delivery of books.
Starting on Thursday, book buyers in Manhattan, West Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area will be able to get same-day deliveries from local Barnes & Noble stores through Google Shopping Express, Google’s fledgling online shopping and delivery service.
Google Shopping, which began operations about a year ago, allows online shoppers to order products from stores like Costco, Walgreens, Staples and Target, and have them delivered to their doors within hours.
The partnership could help Barnes & Noble make inroads into online sales when its brick-and-mortar business remains stagnant. The company has closed 63 stores in the last five years, including some in bustling areas of Manhattan and Washington, leaving it with a base of about 660 retail stores and 700 college campus stores. Its Nook business fell 22 percent in the fourth quarter compared with the period a year earlier, according its most recent earnings report.
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Book buyers in some areas can get same-day delivery from Barnes & Noble via the Google Shopping Express mobile app. Credit Google, via Associated Press
Michael P. Huseby, Barnes & Noble’s chief executive, called the arrangement with Google “a test” and said that he viewed it as a way to increase the bookseller’s online reach and improve sales from its physical stores.
“It’s our attempt to link the digital and physical,” Mr. Huseby said.
Amazon poses a persistent and growing threat to Google and Barnes & Noble. Its rise has contributed to lagging sales and diminished foot traffic in Barnes & Noble’s physical stores, and it dominates the online market for print books.
Amazon’s popularity as an online shopping destination has the potential to undercut Google’s lucrative search engine advertising business. By adding Barnes & Noble to its list of 19 retail partners, Google is making a more explicit grab for Amazon’s turf. The partnership also comes at a moment when many authors and book buyers are frustrated with Amazon because of what they say are its punitive negotiating tactics in its standoff with the publisher Hachette over e-book pricing.
“Many of our shoppers have told us that when they read a review of a book or get a recommendation from a friend, they want a really easy way to buy that book and start reading it tonight,” Tom Fallows, director of product for Google Shopping Express, said by email. “We think it’s a natural fit to create a great experience connecting shoppers with their town’s Barnes & Noble.”
The competition to provide faster shipping has been increasing in recent years as retailers have scrambled to claim a piece of the growing e-commerce market.
Amazon has already taken the lead in same-day delivery, and on Wednesday the company announced that it had expanded its same-day delivery service to 10 cities from four. Amazon’s same-day service costs $5.99 for members of its Prime program, and $9.98 for others. Walmart and eBay have also introduced same-day deliveries.
Continue reading the main story
Google’s approach differs from that of Amazon and other big retailers. Instead of relying on warehouses full of merchandise, Google is using a fleet of couriers who collect products from local stores, sort and bundle them and deliver them within a three- to four-hour window selected by the customer. Delivery is free for subscribers to Google Shopping Express, and costs $4.99 per delivery, per store for others. Membership is free for the first six months. Google has not announced what the subscription fee will be.
Google has said it plans to expand its delivery service to Brooklyn and Queens.
Barnes & Noble stores participating in the partnership with Google, which include the Union Square store in Manhattan, the Marina del Rey store near Los Angeles and a store on Stevens Creek Boulevard in San Jose, will have someone on site to take online orders for books, toys, games, magazines and other items. Google will collect the orders and hand them to a courier. Barnes & Noble stores have 22,000 to 163,000 titles, depending on the store size.
Barnes & Noble is not processing Google Shopping orders on its own website, which also offers free express shipping to its members, and free shipping for orders that are $25 and up to everyone. (In New York City, Barnes & Noble.com customers can get same-day shipping). Instead, it expects to pick up incremental sales from Google Shopping’s customers, said Jaime Carey, chief merchandising officer at Barnes & Noble.
“Google has their own vast customer base,” Mr. Carey said. “They’re going to be reaching a new customer for us.”
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Google now shows what you can do near your hotel
When you land in a strange new city, your first instinct may be to see what there is to do near your hotel. However, searching Google for nearby attractions can be a hassle if you don't remember your hotel's name or address by heart. That memorization is no longer necessary after today, though -- Google has updated its search engine to use the booking confirmation in your Gmail as a locator. If you want to look for a late-night diner, all you have to do is ask Google to "show restaurants around my hotel." You can also get directions to or from your accommodations, so you should reach a welcoming bed (or your flight) just a little bit faster. The addition makes the most sense if you're using voice search in one of Google's mobile apps, but any traveler can give it a spin.
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20 Awesome Things Google Can Do For You. I Just Rediscovered #14 And Now I’m Stuck…
Last year, 2,161,530,000,000 searches were made through Google, yet a majority of those people probably never knew Google can do SO much more…
We put together a list of helpful things Google can do for you, along with a few fun secrets that not many people know about.
#1. Google can help you decide what to eat for dinner.
#2. You can use Google as a timer.
#3. It can give you the exact times for sunrise and sunset.
#4. You can play the hidden game “zerg rush.”
#5. You can get the weather forecast of any city just by typing the city followed by “forecast.”
#6. By using the “site:” keyword, Google will only give results for that website. For example, simply enter the phrase “site:lifebuzz.com penguins” and you will get only articles on the LifeBuzz website which are about penguins.
#7. You can calculate exact tip amount for your meals. You can also adjust the percentage and number of people dining.
#8. You can check your flight status.
#9. Make Google do tricks for you. Type the words “do a barrel roll” and watch what happens…
Type the word “tilt” and watch what happens.
#10. Google can tell you when your favorite show is on…
#11. Google can tell you when the release date for a movie is…
…plus movie times and locations.
#12. It can give you information on any company.
#13. You can have Google find songs by bands you like.
#14. Type “Atari Breakout” into Google images for a nostalgic blast from the past.
#15. Google can convert for you.
#16. It can translate for you.
#17. Do a search for “recursion” and get stuck in a loop…
#18. It can give you all the books written by your favorite author.
#19. Let’s say you see a photograph on Facebook and you want to know where it originated. Or you see a photo of a meal you want to recreate, but you don’t have the exact name to search for the recipe. You can use Google’s Reverse Image Search by dragging the image into the search tool. It will help you locate the original source of the image.
#20. If you get tired of typing, Google can do a search for you by voice. Just click on the microphone icon and speak.
Credit: Google
Google Looking To Replace Payphones With Wi-Fi Hotspots In NYC
A project that started in 2012 under Michael Bloomberg to replace public payphones in NYC with Wi-Fi hot spots may be expanded, and Google is one of the companies thinking about taking part. There are several companies in the mix, but Google seems like a good fit to jump in and make this happen. The payphones would be replaced with “advertising, Wi-Fi and phone services” throughout New York City’s five boroughs. There are currently more than 7,300 public payphones in the city. The payphones will have to provide free WiFi access but will be allowed to charge for phone service, with the exception of 911 and 311 calls.
Google was one company out of more than 50 that showed up to an informal meeting that took place back in May. The city of New York has requested proposals from the companies that want to be involved with the project. Some of the other companies involved in the bidding are Samsung Electronics, Cisco Systems, and International Business Machines Corp. According to the NYC.gov website, bids are due today if the companies are serious about moving forward with the plan. The cities goal is to provide more of its residents with quality internet access. “The widespread adoption of mobile devices reduces the overall need for public telephones, yet not everyone owns a mobile phone, and not everyone who owns one has connectivity at all times,” they said on the city website.
It’s already been made clear that one of Google’s major focuses is bringing internet access to more people across the globe. The more users accessing the internet through Google services, the more eyeballs will be looking at ads that Google serves up. Google provides internet access at its Chelsea neighborhood offices already. Spreading its reach throughout the city can only benefit the company, both in good PR and in the sheer number of users that would be taking advantage of the free internet every day. Google knows how to roll out internet to users, as we’ve seen with Google Fiber. Now they might be bringing that to NYC residents.
This entry was posted in Android News.
SOURCE: NYC.gov
VIA: Bloomberg
