Apple's iPhone Share To Peak In 2013

Apple's iPhone will reach its highest percentage of the worldwide smartphone market this year, said ABI Research Thursday. Once it hits 22%, or just over one-in-five smartphones, it will level off and remain relatively flat for the next five years.

Apple will play second fiddle to Samsung, which has already surpassed it (and everyone else) in global sales. ABI believes Samsung will remain the worldwide leader for some time. Samsung's share of the smartphone market surged from 8% in 2010 to more than 30% in 2012.

"Barring an unlikely collapse in Samsung's business, even Apple will be chasing Samsung's technology, software and device leadership in 2013 through the foreseeable future," said senior analyst Michael Morgan.


Though Google's Android operating system is largely responsible for Samsung's market success, ABI believes Samsung's future depends on other, lesser operating systems. Bada, Tizen and Windows Phone will all play a particularly important role as alternatives to Android and iOS in emerging markets where smartphones have yet to catch on.
Though smartphones already account for more than half of all smartphone purchases in the U.S., they haven't quite reached that level worldwide. ABI believes smartphones won't surpass the 50% mark until 2014. By 2018, ABI forecasts that smartphones will make up 69% of the 2.4 billion annual device sales.
ABI also looked at LTE 4G and where it fits within the cell phone and smartphone space. It believes LTE will play an important role in pushing smartphone adoption. It suggests that LTE will be in 35% of all handsets by 2018, but 50% of all smartphones by 2018. In the U.S., few new smartphones are shipped without LTE support. Nearly all the devices available from AT&T and Verizon Wireless, for example, include LTE. The proliferation of LTE worldwide hasn't been as quick as in the U.S. thanks to varied and incompatible spectrum frequencies.
"With the successful launch of the iPhone 5 and competing LTE handsets from other leading OEMs, LTE handsets will be found in the hands of many consumers who do not even have access to LTE networks," said senior practice director Jeff Orr. "Apple is demonstrating to the market that LTE is not the only reason to buy a premium handset."

Iphone 5S Rumor Apple Eying Sharp IGZO Screens

It’s three months on from the launch of the iPhone 5, and if rumors are to be believed, we’re almost halfway to the launch of the next version of the iPhone. That means it’s time to start combing shipping reports for iPhone 5S rumors.

This week’s rumor comes courtesy of DigiTimes, a Taiwanese publication that focuses on manufacturers in Taiwan. Their report states that Apple is currently looking to use Sharp’s IGZO panels in their next generation of iPhones, iPads, and iPad Minis. According to unnamed “industry sources,” Apple is discussing production capacity estimates with Sharp and asking about similar AU Optronics technology.

This isn’t a particularly new rumor. Sharp’s IGZO screens would allow smartphones to be thinner and have more accurate touch screens. In addition, the technology could allow for higher resolution displays and lower power consumption. As these are obviously goals future Apple devices will work towards, it’s a safe bet that the technology will show up in i-devices in the near future.

Exactly when that future is depends on panel manufacturers and their ability to provide quality products in the huge volumes Apple requires. As far back as one year ago DigiTimes reported rumors that the New iPad (iPad 3) would feature an IGZO display. That obviously didn’t pan out, but Sharp has had an entire year to bring their manufacturing capabilities up to snuff. If IGZO really is the future, we’ll see it in devices starting this year.

Dust 514 Open Beta Starts January 22

CCP Games, the developer behind Eve Online, today announced that the open beta test for Dust 514 will begin on January 22.

The news comes just as Dust 514 has been merged onto the server that also hosts the Eve Online universe. CCP states that this accomplishment marks the first time two games from different genres have been linked together into a single MMO.

“The launch of the Dust 514 Open Beta is another step towards our long-term vision for CCP and Eve,” said Hilmar Pétursson, CEO of CCP. “But this is just the beginning. As we have done with Eve Online, in the coming weeks, and for years to come, we will continually improve upon and add to the Dust 514 experience, as well as add deeper integration between the two games and their communities.”

Dust 514 is a free-to-play first-person shooter MMO for the PlayStation 3. It is directly connected to Eve Online, and actions in each game will affect the economy, politics, and outcome of battles in the other. Players in Dust 514 can, in some ways, be seen as the shock troops for player corporations that command the fleets in Eve Online.

PlayStation 3 owners who don’t want to wait until the 22nd can buy closed beta access for $20 via the PlayStation Network Store. The purchase comes with several in-game items, 40,000 Aurum, and 100,000 bonus skill points if a match is played before the open beta begins.

Free Corvette Stingray Gran Turismo DLC Coming Tomorrow

Polyphony Digital, the developers of the Gran Turismo series, knows what racing fans want. They want Gran Turismo 6, with photo-realistic cars, settings, and weather conditions. Unfortunately, the developer will have to sit on any news of a new core title until Sony finally announces the PlayStation 4. Until then (which could come as soon as May), Polyphony will continue supporting and reminding gamers that Gran Turismo 5 is only a little over two years old.

Today, Sony announced that a free 2014 Corvette Stingray DLC add-on will be available through the PlayStation Store starting tomorrow. The real-life car debuted earlier this week at the North American International Auto Show, and Chevrolet “worked very closely” with Polyphony to develop the in-game car.

Sure, it’s a marketing gimmick for Corvette, but it’s also very shiny. Check out the trailer for the DLC below and make sure to download a free car tomorrow.

Weather Channel Apps Top 100M Downloads, 38M Monthly Mobile Users

The most popular weather app around has just hit a significant milestone: 100 million downloads.

The Weather Channel has just announced that their family of apps has crossed this threshold. That includes iOS, Android and Windows Phone. The iOS app was first launched in 2007, and the Android app followed in 2008. Last July is when it finally landed on the Windows Phone on the Nokia Lumia.

“This is a huge achievement for us – only a very small, select number of companies can say they have this reach and consumer loyalty – and I want to thank our users and our employees,” said Cameron Clayton, digital division president, The Weather Company. “Reaching this milestone is a testament not only to our amazing users who continue to seek out – and use – The Weather Channel on their devices, but also to our hard-working team, which continues its efforts to create the best app available on every screen.”

According to their stats, the apps register 38 million users per month on mobile, and six million on tablets. Over the past year, which has been a pretty crazy year for weather, Hurricane Sandy and Christmas were the two events that drove the most app use. On December 26th, the Weather Channel family of apps saw 137.5 million views, which is an all-time record.

Back in May, The Weather Channel app v5.0 launched in the App Store as a pretty significant redesign, both in the UI and the features. Apart from changes to the way the app looks (for the better, I might add), the new app added social integration from Facebook and Twitter – so users could see the weather chatter in their area. It also added improved severe weather alerts, something that I’m sure came in handy for plenty of users in 2012.

Cellular iPad Mini, 4th-Gen iPad Coming to China on Friday

Apple has just announced that the Cellular + Wi-Fi versions of their two newest tablet offerings will become available in Chain by the end of the week.

The Cellular + Wi-Fi iPad Mini and 4th-gen iPad with Retina display will launch in China this Friday, January 18th.

The iPad Mini and the 4th-gen iPad will be available through Apple Stores, the Online Store, and other authorized Apple retailers.

The Wi-Fi-only versions of the two devices have been available in China for over a month. They landed in the country back on December 7th, just a week before the iPhone 5 launched there.

“iPad mini with Wi-Fi + Cellular models come in black & slate or white & silver for a suggested retail price of $459 (US) for the 16GB model, $559 (US) for the 32GB model and $659 (US) for the 64GB model. 

The fourth generation iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular models come in black or white for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model.”

The newest iPads are currently available in over 100 countries. 

Get Up Close And Personal With The Blackberry Z10

RIM’s last chance to save itself is almost upon us. BlackBerry 10 and its accompanying handsets will launch on January 30. That being said, not a lot of people have had a chance to see the new handsets in action. Now they can thanks to a vide from TelekomPresse.
TelekomPresse, a German Web site, uploaded a video today that features the BlackBerry Z10, RIM’s all-touch smartphone. The entire video is in German, but you can get a good look at the phone and its features by watching it.


The BlackBerry Z10 in the video looks just like the Z10 that we’ve already seen before in leaked photos from the developer beta. The only real difference is that the handset looks much smaller in video than it does in the photos. As many commenters on the video point out, it could just be the presenter has large hands.
Besides not understanding the German, did the video inspire you to switch back to BlackBerry once it launches? That’s going to be RIM’s greatest challenge moving forward because the enterprise market can’t carry it alone anymore. It has to capture at least some part of the consumer market that’s currently enamored with iPhones and Android devices. RIM will also have to deal with a reinvigorated Windows Phone brand that’s doing much better than expected thanks to increased demand for Nokia’s Lumia 920.