Digital Lifescapes

The traditional point-of-sale (POS) terminal has traveled a remarkable journey since IBM's first mainframe-connected models emerged in the 1970s. What began as clunky screen interfaces tethered to distant computers has evolved into a diverse ecosystem of payment solutions. Today, we stand at the precipice of the most significant transformation yet: the rise of soft POS technology that promises to democratize digital payments for businesses of all sizes. At its core, this evolution reflects a broader shift from hardware dependency to software flexibility. Global POS Market Development With their dedicated terminals, fixed installations, and substantial upfront costs, traditional POS systems have long served as gatekeepers to in-store or mobile payment acceptance. Small businesses, micro-enterprises, and mobile retailers often found themselves locked out of the digital economy, forced to rely on cash transactions or make significant capital investments in POS hardware. Soft POS techn...

Societal shifts have affected how retail customers shop. The move toward a 'cashless' society was accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to more eCommerce transactions and online spending. Meanwhile, in-store retail Point of Sale (POS) terminals transformed. Traditional hardware-based POS systems evolved into specialized solutions, which provide compact mobile terminals. However, the arrival of software-based 'Soft POS' solutions will disrupt this market. Soft POS Market Development All POS systems process payment transactions by forming a connection between a buyer’s and a seller’s respective bank accounts for the transaction to occur, and actioning the exchange of funds. According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, the global transaction value processed via Soft POS solutions will reach $11.8 billion by 2028, which is up from $1 billion in 2023. New growth will be driven by Apple’s launch of 'Tap to Pay', coupled with the Soft...

Global sales of smartphones to end users totaled 380 million units in the first quarter of 2017 -- that's a 9.1 percent increase over the first quarter of 2016, according to the latest market study by Gartner. Gartner analysts believe that mobile phone buyers are spending a little more to get a much better device, resulting in the rise in average selling prices of smartphones across the globe. The shift in buyer preference is positively affecting Chinese manufacturers -- such as Huawei, Oppo and Vivo -- in their strategy to build desirable features into devices at very affordable prices. Smartphone Market Development That being said, the combined market share of the Chinese vendors in the first quarter of 2017 accounted for 24 percent -- that's up by 7 percentage points year on year. "The top three Chinese smartphone manufacturers are driving sales with their competitively priced, high quality smartphones equipped with innovative features," said Anshul Gupta...

Worldwide smartphone shipments will rebound in 2017, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). While growth is expected to be consistent, IDC predicts shipment volumes to grow by 4.2 percent in 2017 and 4.4 percent in 2018 -- with a CAGR of 3.8 percent over the 2016-2021 forecast period. Furthermore, smartphone shipments are forecast to reach 1.53 billion units in 2017, and eventually grow to 1.77 billion units by 2021. From a platform perspective, IDC doesn't expect much change throughout the forecast with Google Android accounting for roughly 85 percent of all smartphone shipments, and Apple iOS making up the rest. That said, the outlook for Microsoft-based smartphones remains grim, given the lack of OEM partner support. Smartphone Market Developmen t Although IDC anticipates that Google Android growth will gradually decline, they do not yet see a point where shipments will contract year-over-year, given the demand for new features such...

When the smartwatch market came into being, most industry analysts assumed that Apple would dominate the new category. Now it seems that Google Android will likely lead the market, via its extensive open ecosystem of software developers. While the number of high-end smartwatches is faltering, hybrid watches remain largely unaffected by the market slow-down, according to the latest market study by Juniper Research. These watches have traditional watch faces but offer some connected functions -- such as tracking the user's steps or enabling NFC payments -- and claim a larger portion of the market than previously anticipated. Smartwatch Market Development Trends While basic smartwatches account for around 30 percent the current market value, Juniper anticipates that this share will grow to almost 40 percent within the next five years. The new research findings anticipate that as the high-end multi-functional smartwatch market slows, vendors will refine or remove unpopular fu...

Worldwide smartphone shipments will reach 1.45 billion units, with a year-over-year growth rate of just 0.6 percent in 2016, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Although growth remains positive, it is down significantly from the 10.4 percent growth rate in 2015. However, 4G smartphones will reach 21.3 percent year-over-year growth globally for 2016, at 1.17 billion units -- that's up from 967 million in 2015. Once again, emerging markets are driving most growth, where only 61 percent of 2015 smartphone shipments were 4G-enabled, compared to the 77 percent in 2016. That being said, mature markets  -- such as USA, Canada, Japan, and Western Europe -- are further along the 4G adoption curve with 85 percent in 2015 and a projected 94 percent in 2016, respectively. Smartphone Market Development Trends "It's been a long slog for 4G uptake in many emerging markets as 4G data tariffs have been very expensive compared to 3G, while 4...

More people are satisfied with the smartphone they own and have no interest to replace the device -- that's a problem for some vendors. Worldwide smartphone shipments will reach 1.46 billion units with a year-over-year growth rate of just 1.6 percent in 2016, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Although growth remains slightly positive, it is down significantly from the 10.4 percent growth in 2015. Much of the smartphone sales slowdown is also being attributed to the ongoing market saturation and decline expected in developed regions (such as North America) during 2016. Developed markets as a whole are expected to experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -0.2 percent, while emerging markets will experience a CAGR of 5.4 percent over the 2015-2020 forecast period. Smartphone Market Development Challenges "Growth in the smartphone market is quickly becoming reliant on replacing existing handsets rather than seeking n...

Payments on smartphones via the mobile internet will boost global online retailers. The entry of OS-Pay (Apple Pay and Android Pay) to the market is likely to play an important role in retailer business strategy, according to the latest market study by Juniper Research. Moreover, with biometric authentication becoming more common as a means of avoiding password or PIN entry, purchase friction can be further reduced. New findings from the Juniper study indicate that the value of digital and physical goods purchased through mobile 'OS-Pay' platforms will increase by fifteen times in the next two years. A combination of in-app purchases and website retail payments is projected to drive worldwide annual spend via Apple Pay and Android Pay to $8 billion in 2018 -- that's up from just $540 million this year. Simple Transactions Key to Mobile Success Their study also found that the integration of OS-Pay into North American eRetail apps will be welcomed by software devel...

Consumer electronics product lifecycle management is often challenging for most vendors, but it's particularly problematic when customer needs and wants are constantly changing. Such is the case with media tablet users around the globe. As the market matured, distinct customer use case segments evolved. Worldwide media tablet shipments, inclusive of slates and detachables, reached 38.7 million in the second quarter of 2016 (2Q16) according to the latest global market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Growth continues to decline with the market receding 12.3 percent year-over-year as vendors begin to refocus their product lines and consumers wait on purchases. An overwhelming majority of tablets shipped this past quarter were Google Android-based systems (65 percent) followed by Apple iOS, which captured 26 percent, and Microsoft Windows for the remaining share. Media Tablet Market Development Segments Though this trend has been constant for years there are earl...

If you thought that the upside potential for FinTech growth -- and the likelihood of a big disturbance within the banking industry status-quo -- was limited to North American and Western European markets, then you would be mistaken. This very significant intrusion is truly a global phenomena. New research has uncovered data that suggests the FinTech sector in Africa is now poised for exponential and rapid growth that will challenge existing financial services providers, despite the fact that it's in the early stages of adoption relative to the rest of the world. According to a worldwide market study by Frost & Sullivan, the FinTech industry in Africa may experience a similar disruption seen in Australia -- a country with financial services development comparable to South Africa. African FinTech Market Development Outlook A case in point: the financial sector in Australia is set to take $10 billion in revenues away from the big Australian banks and contribute $3 billion ...

In developed markets, people who want a smartphone have one. And, the majority don't crave the new models. Demand for new devices still comes from the emerging markets that have yet to reach saturation. According to the latest global market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), 2015 will therefore likely be the last year of double-digit growth. IDC reports that 1.44 billion smartphone were shipped worldwide in 2015, that's up by 10.4 percent over 2014. IDC forecasts 2016 shipments of 1.5 billion, or 5.7 percent growth over 2015. The trend of single-digit year-over-year growth is forecast with volumes growing to 1.92 billion in 2020. Moreover, the global smartphone market will continue to see volumes shifting to the low-end, with the aggregate market average selling price (ASP) dropping from $295 in 2015 to $237 in 2020. Mature markets such as the United States, China, and Western Europe have already reached single digit growth in 2015. Meanwhile, markets such as ...

Now the U.S. smartphone market is saturated, quarter-to-quarter changes in market penetration are very small.  Reporting key trends in the U.S. smartphone industry for October 2015,  comScore  released data from their latest market study. Apple ranked as the top smartphone manufacturer with 43.3 percent OEM market share, while Google Android led as the number one smartphone platform with 52.9 percent platform market share. Once again, Facebook ranked as the top individual smartphone software application. Mobile communication apps will continue to be disruptive in the telecom sector -- in particular, market development for the encrypted open-source  Signal  app from Open Whisper Systems will be the one to watch in 2016. Smartphone OEM Market Share 193.9 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones (77.9 percent mobile market penetration) during the three months ending in October -- that's half of one percent increase since the last quarter. Apple ranked a...

The worldwide media tablet market recorded lower shipments for the fourth straight quarter, with 48.7 million units shipped in 3Q15, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Despite early signs of a slight improvement, shipments were actually down -12.6 percent year-over-year. IDC estimated the global installed base of tablets to stand at 581.9 million at the end of 2014, which was up 36 percent from 2013. With mature markets like North America, Western Europe, and Asia-Pacific well past 100 million active tablets per region, the opportunities for new growth are fewer. "We continue to get feedback that tablet users are holding onto devices upwards of four years," said Ryan Reith, program director at IDC . IDC believes the traditional media tablet still has a place in personal computing. However, as the smartphone installed base continues to grow and as phablets become more capable, the need for smaller form-factor slate tablets is le...

Technology industry analysts are reporting that the current trends within the smartphone marketplace are being led by two key phenomena -- more low-cost, high-value product introductions and dominant mobile service providers being forced to react to the disruptive actions of savvy competitors. Vendors shipped a total of 355.2 million smartphones worldwide in the third quarter of 2015 (3Q15), that's up 6.8 percent from the 332.6 million units in 3Q14, marking the second highest quarter of shipments on record, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). The 3Q15 shipments were slightly below the previous forecast of 363.8 million units, largely due to lower than expected Apple iPhone shipments, as well as Google Android flagship introductions from several top-tier OEMs. "The vendor landscape and product offerings are really unique at the moment as many markets are seeing consumers become more aware of alternative buying options when it com...

According the latest global market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), total smartphone shipments are expected to grow by 10.4 percent in 2015 to reach 1.44 billion units. This new forecast is lower than IDC's previous smartphone forecast of 11.3 percent year-over-year growth in 2015. Smartphone shipments within China will now join North America and Western Europe in a more mature growth pattern. However, the ongoing fall of average selling prices (ASPs) will fuel steady growth through the end of the forecast period, with global shipments forecast to reach 1.9 billion units in 2019. As the largest market for smartphones -- China consumed 32.3 percent of all new smartphone shipments in 2014 -- its importance is still significant, even if its growth has begun to slow. Shipments are forecast to grow just 1.2 percent year-over-year in 2015, which is down from 19.7 percent in 2014. China will remain the largest market for smartphone volumes throughout the forecast perio...

The rigid American telecommunications services sector is about to undergo a significant change as the major mobile network service providers abandon phone subsidies and the previously required 2-year contracts for subscribers. The most apparent effect is likely to be many more consumers will choose to keep their working smartphones for a longer period, and fewer people may be able to rationalize the full cost of a new premium smartphone. That being said, it's highly likely that mobile operators are also going to see more customer churn, as smart people shop for better deals and consider alternative offers. T-Mobile seems to be in the most advantageous position as this trend unfolds, with Google Project Fi also potentially gaining market share. Meanwhile, the smartphone market in North America should witness greater demand for affordable (significantly lower-cost) new devices. This trend will favor the rising Chinese smartphone vendors. In contrast, the vendor likely to be ne...

If you followed the evolution of the mobile communications sector, then you would notice that strategic blunders have humbled several large multinational companies -- including dominant telecom system manufacturers, mobile handset makers and proprietary software vendors. In all cases, companies once recognized as leaders in their respective field had to accept defeat. Most of the remaining industry players knew that their relative position in the mobile ecosystem was tentative and subject to ongoing change. That said, CEOs that believe their company is "too big to fail" is the folly that tends to be repeated, over and over again. The absence of strategic foresight at Microsoft has led to a somewhat predictable result -- a retreat from the battle for a sizable piece of the mobile marketplace, leading to an inevitable total surrender. It's an unfortunate outcome. However, there is still opportunity -- even in the most saturated markets. American Mobile Marketplace Up...

Worldwide smartphone shipments are expected to grow by 11.3 percent in 2015, which is down from 27.6 percent in 2014, according to the latest global market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). While overall smartphone growth will continue to slow as mature markets reach saturation, some markets will experience robust growth in 2015 and beyond. As a result, worldwide shipment volumes are forecast to reach 1.9 billion units annually by 2019. IDC now expects 2015 to bring two notable milestones. First, they predict that this will be the first year in which China's smartphone growth, forecast to be 2.5 percent in 2015, will be slower than the overall worldwide market. Second, Google Android smartphone growth is also expected to be slower than the worldwide market -- now forecast at 8.5 percent in 2015. IDC believes both trends will persist throughout the forecast period, which now goes out to 2019. "Smartphone volume still has a lot of opportunity in the years t...

The competition to become the third mobile device Operating System (OS), behind Google and Apple, has evolved. Introduction of the  Internet of Things (IoT) has shifted the focus. Now, savvy OS vendors need to be concerned with supporting wearables, smart cars, and smart home devices. "For both new and incumbent OS vendors, capturing the next wave of users will require support of new device types, a strong focus on developing markets, and support for universal development processes," said Eric Abbruzzese, research analyst at ABI Research . As Google expands Android Wear, and Apple launches its Apple Watch, other OS vendors must capitalize on not only wearables, but all smart device categories requiring an OS that supports apps. This emerging market is a tremendous upside opportunity for open-source solutions. Why the Developer Community Matters The Apple Watch is getting the news headlines, but it serves as an example of the current limitations of smart watches and t...

According to the latest global study by International Data Corporation (IDC), the combined total market of smartphones, media tablets and PCs is now forecast to grow from 1.8 billion units in 2014 to 2.5 billion units in 2019. During the forecast period, smartphones will grow to represent the majority of total Smart Connected Device (IDC's term for the combined market) shipments -- dwarfing both tablets and PCs in terms of shipment volumes. As recently as 2010, PCs still made up the lion's share of the total device market, with the combined desktop and notebook categories accounting for about 52.5 percent of shipments, versus 44.7 percent for smartphones and 2.8 percent for tablets. However, by 2014, smartphones had grown to represent 73.4 percent of total shipment, while PCs had slipped to 16.8 percent and tablets had increased to 12.5 percent. By 2019, IDC expects the distribution to be 77.8 percent smartphones, 11.6 percent PCs, and 10.7 percent tablets. "Smartp...