"Apple" articles

After a week-long rumor mill about Fitbit acquiring the struggling smart watch maker Pebble, the suspense ended today when Fitbit announced that it is acquiring Pebble’s software assets and IPs , not the latter’s hardware business. Though it is a smart move to skip Pebble’s hardware business, the rationale for Fitbit to acquire Pebble’s software business remains unconvincing to me. We don’t know the price tag of the deal so have no idea how much value Fitbit attaches to...

This week, Chinese CE device and entertainment company LeEco made impressive announcements about its U.S. market entry plans. Which market? All of them. LeEco makes phones, bikes, VR headsets, and even an electric car prototype. It acquired TV manufacturer Vizio in July, and makes its own TV sets as well. It is not dipping its toe into the U.S. market with a single device type but jumping in wholesale with an entire ecosystem of devices. Recent research from Parks Associates shows...

For the past few years, the start of September means a new announcement from tech giant Apple, and this year is no different. Today, we anticipate Apple will announce its newest iPhone model, the iPhone 7, as well as a new version of the popular Apple Watch. Apple remains the dominant smartphone manufacturer in the U.S According to Parks Associates’ 360 View: Mobility & the App Economy , Apple’s iPhone accounted for 47% of the U.S. smartphone market in 2015, an 11%...

According to Parks Associates’ consumer data, about 9% of Apple smartphone users have used Apple Pay, 1  and only about 3% use it regularly. 2 2015 was “the year of Apple Pay” according to Tim Cook. Apple’s failing to gain adoption, right? 3 No. Apple is focused on gaining merchant adoption before gaining consumer adoption. Here’s evidence that Apple’s focus for Apple Pay is not on consumer uptake: Apple’s iPhone 6, the first Apple phone that allows consumers...

A recent but significant development is Apple’s and Google’s entry into the health and wellness market. Both giants offer a wearables OS platform, dominate the smartphone and tablet software market, control app distribution channels, and now have their own respective health data aggregation/device integration platform. Apple’s HealthKit and ResearchKit have received considerable news coverage highlighting its partnerships with healthcare industry players. Google also...

Fitbit launched its “Apple Watch killer”—the Blaze Smart Watch—on the first day of the CES week. On the same day, the leader in the fitness wearable market was hit by a class-action lawsuit from consumers who accuse Fitbit of false/misleading marketing about its Surge and Charge HR’s claim that they track accurately people’s heart rate. The company’s stock price tanked in two consecutive days—amid overall market volatility and almost wiping out Fitbit’s IPO...

I attended the London Wearable Technology Show last week. According to the event organizer, show floor traffic was up 250% and press coverage increased 60%, compared with last year’s inaugural event. Unlike other mega-events such as CES and Mobile World Congress where wearable was just a prominent track, this London event is dedicated to the wearable industry covering topics such as smart watches, fitness trackers, augmented reality, and smart garments. Exhibitors at the show...

In a recent article for The Guardian , HBO revealed the scheduled launch of HBO Now, its online streaming-only OTT service, will be April 2015. Apple TV is also reportedly set to be one of the new streaming service's first partners. HBO first announced its plans to launch a streaming-only OTT service in October 2014, sparking intense discussion and analysis throughout the digital media market. Shortly after, Parks Associates research showed that 17% of U.S. broadband...