Android regains market share and smartphone market will soon become about replacement cycle

According to comScore’s latest data (October 2015), Apple’s share is down nearly a point 2015 Q3, without including Q4 holiday-related device sales. Android’s market share is up 1.5 points compared with July.

Also, device forecaster IDC says that globally smartphone growth will slow next year to “single digits” for the first time. Even so, growth will be near 10 percent globally. Slowing growth in China is partly responsible. Many mature markets are now “replacement markets.”

http://marketingland.com/smartphone-data-android-regains-share-but-apple-maps-wins-the-iphone-154923

Social Media Keeps growing.... now Mobage

We used to think that the key players in the social media markets were determined... and the leaders or key players were determined... That was the duppolu betweekn Facebook and Twitter... whcih was recently challenged by the introduction of Google +... and now challenged by MOBAGE.. This social network combines mobility with social networks + games... how cool is that? Mobage just announed its entrance to the US through AT&T and android phones. How this would challenge facebook monopolity on social media gaming withkey advantages such ass FarmVille and others... Now, Mobage will offer its product through Android Markets and will allow consumers to download new games nad updates, post scores and even play among each other. The last one been a great difference with Facebook Gaming applications. Is this going to dethroune angry bird or cut the robe among others big successes...? how will ipod react to this benefit to androids?

Mobile Innovation

Mobile innovation in the last couple of years has been absolutely incredible. Just five years ago, all smartphones were more or less crappy. While Blackberry had the email space efficiently locked down, all other applications were really tedious to use: Internet browsers could not deal with anything but the most simple websites; games were limited by slow processors and tiny screens; usability of the usual stylus- or keyboard-driven navigation was disastrous -- these devices were just horrible to use. Today, there are multiple great products in the market that are revolutionizing the mobile space and for the first time ever provide real choice: whether you are an Apple, a Google Android or a Blackberry person, the mobile space is exciting and enabling ever-new business ideas, not least of which mobile advertising.

But the one thing still holding back mobile innovation are the networks. Those of us who use AT&T's service in any major urban area, particularly in Manhattan, know just how horrible their service is. The complaints do not focus only on dropped calls and slow data connections, though, the networks are active roadblocks to further mobile innovation. They place all kinds of restrictions on the use of their network: no VoIP, no video streaming, no tethering. And it's not just AT&T either, Verizon is little different. What is motivating these networks? For one, they are heavily-regulated, capital-intensive oligopolies -- never exactly a hotbed of innovation. But they also know how to drive up short-term revenue and boost the all-important ARPU (average revenue per user). And as long as all networks are equally user-unfriendly, they can get away with all those little annoying tricks.

What's this all mean? We should really hope for somebody to disrupt the cellular networks. It is probably infeasible to just launch a new competitor. But Google has already dipped its toe in the water by participating in the 2008 wireless spectrum auction. So maybe somebody else has another ace up their sleeve?