Tag Archives: Reliance Industries

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

The Day the iPhone Died?

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By Douglas Ehrman, The Motley Fool

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With Samsung scheduled to release the new Galaxy S IV powered by Google‘s Android OS tonight, many have speculated that this will be the moment when Apple‘s iPhones loses the top spot among smartphones, possibly forever. Of course, there is an equally large contingent of Apple supporters and tech insiders that believe the latest addition to the Galaxy line will be as underwhelming an advance as the iPhone 4S was for the iPhone 4. While some of the new tech that may be included in the device has potential, an underwhelming release could be a huge reinvigoration for the iPhone maker.

Ultimately it is Samsung’s broad market approach that poses the greatest threat to its Cupertino brethren. Recent reports suggest that in addition to the release of a new flagship Android device, the Korean company is planning to release a 4G LTE smartphone in the Indian market with a roughly $100 price tag. By hitting every price point in the market, Samsung is making it hard for any other company to keep pace.

What to expect from the Galaxy S IV
The only devices that have more speculation surrounding their release are iPhones, and Samsung has learned from that, building hype through carefully crafted advertising. In 2012, Samsung spent more on advertising than Apple, spending $401 million in the U.S. as compared to the $333 million spent by Apple. Central to Samsung’s campaign has been the tag line “The next big thing is here,” which has helped the company poke fun at Apple. The response from Cupertino has been a series of ads that highlight how much sense iPhone makes. For example, Apple has asked us to see the common sense of a smaller screen because that is how far our thumbs can reach.

This ad divide provides a natural segue to some of the new features of the Galaxy S IV. Among other advances, the new device is expected to follow the trend of previous Galaxy updates, bringing users a larger screen. The new device is expected to include a nearly 5-inch screen to go with an OLED screen and potentially the ability to scroll through websites using a new eye-tracking technology. Additionally, the new smartphone will have an upgraded camera.

U.S. models will likely utilize a Qualcomm processor; non-U.S. versions will likely get Samsung’s own eight-core processor. The inclusion of the Qualcomm chip, if this is indeed the direction taken by the company, comes as a reaction to supply constraints already being faced by the company. Supply chain issues proved a major problem for Apple with the release of the iPhone 5 which, despite record sales, was believed to have been limited by availability problems.

The low end of the spectrum
According to a recent release from the Times of India, the native Reliance Industries has selected Samsung to help it spearhead the buildout of a 4G LTE network in that country. Associated with the initiative is the expected rollout of …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Brace Yourself: The $100 Smartphone Is Near

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By Steve Heller, The Motley Fool

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Although smartphones have seen explosive growth within developed markets, smartphones as a whole only represent about 25% of all mobile phones worldwide. With the prospect of $100 unsubsidized smartphones on the horizon, the industry is nearing its next growth phase, which will be largely driven by increasing rates of adoption within emerging markets. The Times of India is reporting that Samsung has partnered up with Indian mobile carrier Reliance Industries to bring a $100 4G-powered smartphone to the Indian market later this year. Not only are the implications of $100 smartphone tremendous for the world, the race to the bottom among device makers has officially begun.

Blurring lines
Over the years, the price gap between the feature phone and the smartphone has become increasingly narrowed, and we’re nearing the point where the feature phone loses almost all of its credibility. Nokia , which has one foot stuck in the feature phone past, is about to face increased pressure from the prospect of a $100 smartphone. Last quarter, feature phones proved to be more profitable for Nokia on a gross margin basis than its smartphone business. During the period, feature phone shipments declined by 15% year over year, forcing the company to adopt an aggressive pricing approach within its smartphone business. Until now, it appeared that Nokia was muscling the smartphone competition on price relative to features with its Lumia 620 Google Android-killer. Now that Samsung has thrown a rather large wrench into the mix, Nokia’s growth efforts may be met with stronger resistance.

Clear victor
As smartphone manufacturers continue to battle it out by offering more technology for a better price, the clear victor to this battle is the ecosystem. At this time, it’s unclear if Samsung will be using Google Android for its $100 smartphone or its homegrown Tizen ecosystem, and for the time being, it doesn’t necessarily matter. In the grand scheme of things, the ecosystem that gets adopted the most over the long term will win, since it’s the ecosystem that has the opportunity to capitalize on recurring revenues over the life of the device. Not to mention, it’s little, if any skin off an ecosystem’s back if smartphone OEMs battle it out in a race-to-the-bottom showdown. Considering Android‘s 70.1% global market share at the end of 2012, it’s clear that Android’s OEM-driven model has given Google Search and its app store a tremendous business opportunity.

Missing out
In a world where average selling pricings of smartphones continue their precipitous decline and OEMs are largely responsible for driving worldwide smartphone adoption rates, one must wonder if Apple has really missed the mark. Save for a slight adjustment in strategy in emerging markets, Team Cupertino has yet to announce a meaningful product to address this gargantuan opportunity. Apple has on many occasions made clear that it doesn’t fear cannibalization, so what’s the hold up? It’s almost a given …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

News, Politics, Government

Ambani Brothers In Business Pact?

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By Naazneen Karmali, Forbes Staff The once-feuding Ambani siblings, Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest person (net worth:$21 billion) and younger brother Anil Ambani (net worth $6 billion)  may end up doing business together according to news reports Tuesday. These stories are in turn based on a research report by Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia that Mukesh’s Reliance Industries which is planning to start 4G telecom services this year is likely to lease towers from Anil’s Reliance Infratel.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest