Digital Lifescapes

Demand for mobile internet access remains strong around the globe. According to the latest market study by Juniper Research , smartphone shipments reached over 290 million in Q2 2014, representing 26 percent year-over-year growth and 2 percent quarter-over-quarter growth. Indicative of a growing new trend, both Apple and Samsung witnessed a decline in their global market share as other vendors -- including Huawei, LG and Lenovo -- made significant gains at their expense. Samsung accounted for 26 percent of all smartphone shipments globally, with an estimated 75 million shipments during the quarter. While the Samsung market share declined y-o-y and q-o-q, shipment volume were estimated to be up by 4 percent, when compared to Q2 2013. However, the company does not disclose actual shipment numbers. Apple posted its best ever second quarter, shipping over 35 million iPhones, representing a y-o-y growth of 13 percent. However, Apple’s market share slipped from 15 percent in Q1 2014 ...

Demand for casual user online video games has grown significantly over the last few years, particularly on mobile devices -- such as smartphones and media tablets. Regardless, personal computer gaming is still in vogue with its loyal traditional fan-base. A recent digital gaming software and services forecast from International Data Corporation (IDC) concludes that PC and Mac gamer spending and direct banner/video advertising outlays -- across all digital channels -- will grow to over $24 billion worldwide by 2017. The forecast also found that global digital PC/Mac game revenue will rise about 4 percent per year between 2012 and 2017. North American digital PC/Mac gaming revenue, however, is forecast to slip at the margins over the forecast period. This market share slide is mainly the result of the cannibalization of casual-leaning, browser-centric games -- typified by Zynga's Farmville 2 -- by smartphones and tablets. The market share shift is also compounded by a stead...

​The apparent significance of emerging markets to the evolution of the Mobile Internet is really nothing short of a transformation. Demand for lower cost technology has helped to advance all wireless broadband deployments and it's shifting the balance of power in the process. Case in point: China will displace the U.S. as the largest smartphone market in 2013. Brazil and India are also forecast to be in the top four countries for smartphone shipments by 2018. Smartphone vendor interest and the strategies of the smartphone value chain are shifting accordingly. ABI Research forecasts that Russia will come in as the eleventh largest smartphone market in 2013 and will climb to 7th in 2018. "With room to grow, the emerging BRIC nations are displacing established markets such as the U.S. and Japan as market leaders in terms of smartphone shipments," said , Michael Morgan senior analyst at ABI Research . ABI Research forecasts that the top five countries in 2018 will a...

Global shipments of smart connected devices (PCs, tablets, and smartphones) are expected to surpass 1.7 billion units by 2014, with roughly 1 billion units delivered to emerging markets -- according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Within the emerging markets, the BRIC countries -- China, India, Brazil, and Russia -- are expected to generate shipments of 662 million units with a shipment value of more than $206 billion. More than 650 million units are forecast to be shipped to developed markets, with the United States, UK, and Japan capturing more than 400 million units with a shipment value of $204 billion. With the BRIC countries expected to surpass the total shipments to developed markets by 2014, it is clear that demand for smart connected devices is quickly shifting from developed to emerging markets. The emerging markets are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17 percent over the 2012-2017 forecast period, compare...

According the the latest worldwide market study by eMarketer, 2010 brought a welcome return to growth after the devastating global economic recession. The expectation was that this year would continue this positive trend, but in several major markets -- including the U.S. and UK -- the onset of a second recession is casting a dark shadow over mainstream marketer and advertiser outlooks. Economic turbulence will typically impact advertising spending in a negative way. But global advertising spending will still approach $500 billion this year, eMarketer estimates, and digital advertising will remain strong -- following a 2010 upswing, in which growth in online ad spending outpaced all other platforms. eMarketer forecasts that North America will continue to draw the greatest share of online advertising spending of any region -- with over 40 percent of the worldwide total. The Western European share of online spending will decline as emerging markets in Asia-Pacific, Latin ...