Argus Insights will continue to monitor social Mobile World Congress discussion throughout the show, keep an eye on this blog for more updates. Please contact us if you are interested in information about the performance for a specific brand, product, or market throughout the show.
Apple is in the business of revolutionizing markets. They create products that transform the way humans interact with technology, and that focus on the experience is what keeps them ahead in hearts and minds of countless electronics consumers. The iPod put 10,000 songs in our pockets, the iPhone introduced easy to use internet to the palm of our hands, and 5 years ago today, the iPad transformed the bulky tablet into a sleek, hand held entertainment and productivity hub. The tablet market exploded after Apple introduced the iPad to the world, but in recent years, sales have been slowing as smartphones are growing.
According to IDC, in the year after the launch of the iPad, Apple controlled 77 percent of the tablet market. However, as the market developed, Apple lost much of that mindshare to the likes of Amazon and Samsung, as these companies rode the wave of the iPad to optimize their own tablets. Today, Apple and others are struggling to sell tablets since smartphones are encroaching on the established use cases. Brands are now pushing tablets into the worlds of education and business, hoping to fill a technological void too big for a handheld device.
Although Apple is no longer leading the tablet market, they legitimized it with the introduction of the iPad in 2010. As they are vying to sell the umpteenth version of the iPad to school children and busy business people, they are also scurrying to revolutionize the wearables industry with the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch, however, is not poised to achieve the same greatness as the iPad. Past Apple superstars offered dramatic improvements to the user experience, but the Apple Watch is dropping a sensor filled smartwatch with a fashionable flair in to a sea of the same. Apple has yet to transform the wearables experience, and if they do not rewrite the rules of smartwatch manufacturing as they did with the MP3 player, mobile phone, and tablet, the Apple Watch will not improve their legacy of greatness.
Pre order our Apple Watch Launch Report to gauge its success and impact on the wearables market before sales are even reported. Available Monday, May 4th (just 3 days after launch).
Find Out Which Brands and Products were the Biggest Winners in Barcelona
Argus Insights has been monitoring social conversations at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Before MWC, we hosted a webinar highlighting the brands and products that drove the most mindshare heading into the showcase, for which the slides and presentation are now available to download. Simply fill out the form and we’ll send that your way immediately.
Now that the event has passed, find out which brands, products, and tech trends were sparking interest during MWC. Argus Insights would also like to offer a free Post MWC 2015 Report (usually valued at $3,000) as a gift. The stories that we are finding are just too good that we believe everyone can benefit from the data. The world is talking and we’re listening, take advantage of our comprehensive analysis:
Discover what topics are most important to consumers
Examine market trends and consumer preferences
Gain actionable insight
If you want to stay up to date with trending social content, sign up for our weekly newsletters in the Smartphone, Wearable, Home Automation, and SDN/NFV markets. Leverage Argus data to gain an upper hand in the marketplace.
According to global market intelligence provider TrendForce, Chinese smartphone vendors will rise to “38.6 percent of the worldwide total” of smartphone sales by the end of 2014. As consumer interest is shifting to reasonably priced, lower end smartphones, it is not a surprise to see that users are finding delight outside of Samsung and Apple devices. Chinese companies Huawei, Lenovo, and Xiaomi have not been shy about their aspirations to “become the global top dog,”[1] and Argus Insights found that consumer reviews support this projection. Overall, these Chinese smartphone companies have gained mindshare as customer feedback for Lenovo and Huawei has grown in both volume and positivity since May this year, while Xiaomi saw an increase in review volume and a drop in NPS.
The growth is even more pronounced within the United States smartphone market. Delight levels have soared past global market leaders Apple and Samsung as buzz increased steadily. Adoption of Chinese handsets in the US is slow, but the consumers that are using these phones are reporting satisfaction.
Argus Insights will continue to track Lenovo, Huawei, and Xiaomi’s quest for the hearts and minds of smartphone consumers all over the world. For weekly updates about consumer smartphone perceptions, sign up for our free newsletter.
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The smartphone market in China is quickly growing, but mobile provider China Unicom is struggling to maintain consumer mindshare. As competitors China Mobile and China Telecom continue to grow their user base by leveraging new 4G and LTE networks, China Unicom’s growth is stagnant.
In the current scramble to provide high speed access to users in China, China Unicom was “unsure on whether to use the home-grown TD-LTE standard or wait for the FDD-LTE license to launch 4G services.” Forbes reported that their sporadic transition strategy from 3G to 4G and LTE service set them back in expansion. Examining consumer reviews confirms that consumer subscriptions are dropping along with consumer mindshare for China Unicom. Therefore, Forbes simply confirmed the decrease in consumer interest that our consumer data has been displaying for months!
Buzz about China Unicom by Brand
This chart displays smartphone buzz by brand for China Unicom over the past few months. The amount of buzz about all brands has shrunk showing a loss of interest in this specific provider. Is China Unicom’s inconsistent high speed internet upgrade to blame for the decline in consumer interest?
Forbes will track China Unicom’s stock for you, but visit our website to see how Argus will investigate what is driving the reported changes. Let us help your business, contact Argus Insights for portal access, tailored reports, and more. We will investigate products in your market of interest.