Last night marked the date for the annual Apple Special Event, held at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, United States. The event, much like last year, was to showcase the upcoming hardware offerings by Apple, with the primary focus being the upcoming iPhones, but before jumping into that, let's go through the other product lineups that the company had to offer.
Apple TV+
Apple is also hopping on to the booming video streaming services market bandwagon with the launch of Apple TV+. It is a monthly paid service that gives access to multiple exclusive Apple originals, without any ads, and support for Dolby Atmos, for up to 6 family members for just US$4.99 per month. To get more traction, Apple is also offering a 7-day trial for all users, and a free 1-year subscription on the purchase of a new iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, or Apple TV.
The new iPad
Among the plethora of products in Apple’s iPad lineup, ranging from the iPad mini to the Pro, only the OG iPad got an uplift. The screen got a bump up to 10.2 inches from 9.7, while maintaining the same pixel density as before. In addition to that, the iPad also got some feature updates such as the inclusion of the Apple Smart Connector, eSIM support, Gigabit-Class LTE-A, and more. And even though other aspects such as the processor itself still stayed the same, at a starting price of US$329 for the WIFI only 32GB model, makes it a pretty good value for money.
The 5th generation Apple Watch
Ever since the introduction of the Apple Watch, it has led to a disruption in the global smartwatch market. Apple started off this year’s Apple watch unveiling with a very heartwarming video made by apple and some of the users of the previous generation of Apple watches, showing how Apple watch not only transformed people’s lives but also helped save multiple, and this was the stepping stone for the company towards the improvements that Apple brought to the next-generation Apple Watch. Nifty features such as a notification update in case of heartbeat irregularities, applications to track mensural cycles, a Noise app to let users know when outside sound can be damaging to their years, and the list goes on. This not only has assisted in increasing the popularity of smartwatches around the globe but has also led to an astounding impact on the wearable healthcare devices market. Not only that, the watch now also features an integrated compass, which along with measuring which direction you are facing, also measures your elevation, incline, and latitudinal and longitudinal position. Plus, the watch features all the other cool things from the previous generation like support for Apple Pay, access to cloud music services, among other things. Oh, and before I forget to mention this, the watch also does, tell time.
Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade was already unveiled by the company back in the year and now has finally put a release date and price on it. The Xbox’s GamePass like service allows users to access a multitude of titles at a fixed monthly price. Apple Arcade is set to launch on September 19th and will cost US$4.99/month. Users can also access one-month worth of service for free on signup and can share access with up to 6 family members.
The Brains of the iPhone – the A13 Bionic
Before we jump onto the star of the show, we need to talk about what is powering Apple’s next flagship. The A13 is Apple’s latest and greatest microprocessor featuring a set of 2 performance CPUs, and 4 efficiency CPUs with 20% faster performance and up to 40% less power draw compared to the previous generation chipset. Moreover, it also boasts of having the world’s fastest GPU ever on a smartphone. The chip also features a 3rd generation 8 core neural engine AI accelerator and 4 Gigs of LPDDR4X ram. In terms of raw number-crunching performance, this chip is very tough to beat. That combined with the in-house and fully compatible development of the software to run this chip further amplifies the potential of the chip even further. However, the chip lacks any 5G modem, and thus won’t be able to tap into the new wave of 5G network spreading across the globe at an unprecedented scale. In addition to this, the growing integration of this chipset from smartphones to tablets and more is also projected to bring a positive impact on the global microprocessor market.
TABLE 1: Popular mobile microprocessors specification comparision
The iPhones
Now coming to the part everyone is waiting for, the iPhone 11. The iPhone 11 features, that uber-powerful A13 chipset talked about above, a set of dual cameras, a liquid retina HD display, and more, and is more of a successor to the iPhone XR. And then to upgrade their premium/power user segment phones, the XS and the XS Max, Apple unveiled the 11 Pro and the 11 Pro Max. Like the previous generation, these two phones provide the absolute best that Apple has to offer. The display is the company’s newly named Liquid Retina XDR display, which has complete HDR support, with a pixel density of 458 PPI. The smaller one is available in a 5.88” screen size while the bigger one boasts a 6.5” display. The phones also offer a triple camera setup with multiple integrated AI features such as night mode, smart HDR for photos, and more. Furthermore, the front camera also kept the TrueDepth 3D smartphone camera with multiple shooting modes and enabled Apple’s Face ID facial recognition system. Moreover, Apple also announced that due to the great power-saving advantages granted to them by the A13 Bionic chip, all the new iPhones offer considerable battery advantages in comparison to their previous generation counterparts.
TABLE 2: Top premium segment smartphones comparison
Aside from that, not only Apple and tech fanatics were excited about that event, multiple investors were too. Apple’s stocks have been on a roller-coaster ride in the past year, and the company’s September events have influenced the company’s stocks multiple times. The company saw major falls in the months of December, May, and August, and the investors were looking up to this event for a surprise announcement by Apple. But in terms of sheer products, the event did disappoint a lot of fans and investors, and it seemed like multiple investors would sell their stake in the company, but the introduction of subscription services and integration with multiple 3rd party developers have resulted in the company’s stocks to show a 1.18% increase from 9th September to 10th September.
To sum it all up, the next generation of Apple’s smartphones is a great no compromised device, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. The event was a bit lackluster, not in terms of the content shown and made available by Apple, but regarding the fact that the products showcased did not have anything outstanding or industry-changing. It almost felt like Apple played safe in the hardware department this year while focusing more on improving the services provided, and the software experience in general. The features such as triple camera setup, the display, and almost everything else have already been available in the smartphone market and have also been a lot improved upon by some of its competitors. Also, even though 5G is not readily available in multiple markets around the globe and will still have a lot of scopes to improve in the coming 2-3 years, it seems kind of wrong to charge users US$1,000+ for a device and still not giving them an option to pick a 5G variant for some degree of futureproofing. However, Apple does deserve a lot of credit as they will be manufacturing all of the 7th gen iPads, 5th gen Apple Watch, and the iPhone 11 from 100% recycled aluminum.
But what about the competitors? Well, it seems like they got off the hook pretty easily this time around, as the products announced weren’t as surprising or innovative as hoped before. But still, Apple is a feared competitor in the premium smartphone market segment, primarily because of the company’s brand image. It is still the dominant smartphone brand in regions such as North America, and the launch of the newer iPhones is estimated to positively influence this share in the years to come. However, it is almost impossible to neglect the products being offered by the competitors with almost similar or better features at significantly lower prices, resulting in a huge chunk of premium smartphone users moving to the upper-middle smartphone range category, which is bound to negatively impact the sales of iPhones. However, to counter that, the approach that Apple has adopted since the last iteration of the iPhones has significantly helped them recover their sales. Last year the iPhone XR was the most sold iPhone, with the main reason for it being its price, and with the pricing trend which Apple has gone with this time, they are hoping to replicate the same thing with the iPhone 11, while still maintaining their dominance in the premium segment with the 11 Pro devices.
So, to conclude, there isn’t any major impact or difference that this year’s Apple event has brought to the global smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices market. However, Apple’s movement towards the video streaming services market, combined with the ample of resources that the company backs on, is bound to disrupt that market in the coming years. Similarly, video game subscription services market, is also an up and coming thing making its way to the consoles and media devices near you, and Apple’s recent announcement is not only going to aid that market but has also pushed its competitors such as Google, to fasten the launch of their video gaming pass for Android.
All in all, it was a good event by Apple showing a lot of promising products, however, it left multiple expectations unfulfilled.
About the Author:
Prithvi Gulati is a Market Research Analyst at KSI, working on estimates and global reports on multiple industries spanning from IoT to food and beverages, with a special knack for semiconductors and consumer electronics. With the addition of his formal education in Economics, Mathematics, and Commerce, he is able to provide more light on the macro aspects of the story. To read more articles by him, and for more information regarding multiple global markets, visit https://www.knowledge-sourcing.com.
The Global Demand for Enterprise Server Market Continue to Propel With the Growing Number of Data Centers With an Improved It Infrastructure
BlogThe market for the enterprise server market is expected to surge with a double-digit growth rate owing to a wide adoption of cloud computing among enterprises. Additionally, enterprise servers hold importance in mission-critical applications which usually fault-tolerant and utilize customized hardware and software having low failure rates, thus, maximizes the server uptime. Key features of an efficient enterprise server include data conflation, improved connectivity through effective network management, expedites streaming data connections via UDP broadcast and IP multicast technologies, provides benefit to organizations by making the most out of the limited IT resources, resulting in enhancing the IT productivity.
Key Trends in 2019:
1. Adoption of cloud-computing worldwide
Companies and organizations across the globe require an effective, secure and cost-effective solution to manage their data. Cloud storage solutions help companies and organizations reduce their operational costs by saving money on many fronts such as server maintenance, power and cooling costs, and software licensing and upgrade expenses. Many SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) with low budgets across the globe are adopting cloud computing solutions owing to the greater access to the internet. According to EuroStat, 26% of EU enterprises used cloud computing in 2018, which rose from 19% in 2014 and 21% in 2016.
Cloud-based solutions improve connectivity among employees and save time, resulting in increased efficiency of business operations. According to Flexera Software LLC, headquartered in the Itasca, Illinois, United States, the multi-cloud strategy is the most preferred choice among the enterprises accounting to around 80%. The adoption of public cloud increased from over 85% in 2017 to over 90% in 2018. Thus, the demand for cloud computing is increasing significantly among enterprises with the growing public cloud spending.
2. Growing IT investment
With cloud storage and cloud computing gaining traction and are being adopted by large and small businesses, the IT spending is also rising simultaneously. This is further providing an impetus to IT services in staying ahead in the current technology era. Modern digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) are coming into practice and the sector is being dominated by the cloud infrastructure. With more than half of the activities in most of the business enterprises are on the cloud-based platforms, the IT spending continues to soar with the surge in demand for these cloud-based solutions. Therefore, cloud computing, big data, and IT security have already been prioritized as the top drivers for IT spending. Many developing countries are investing heavily in information technology in order to achieve higher economic developments. The United States has invested the maximum of its total spending on information technology. Moving on to the Middle East region, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is also showing interest in investments in information technology on an international level.
3. Rapid growth of internet of things and big data
There will be an increasing number of connected devices in the coming years with the rapid adoption of the internet of things and this will create trillions of data every hour that needs to be handled, and here comes the big data which can easily solve the problem. Big data has the capacity to handle huge and complex data, Hadoop is the open-source software ecosystem which has the provision for an immense data storage and high processing power with the ability to manage virtually n number of tasks from the IoT devices. Thus, providing assistance in coping up with the increasing volumes of data and, in turn, fueling the market growth.
4. Growing number of data centers
As the number of data generated every year continues to soar showing no signs of slowing in the future as well, the companies are moving on to the expansion of their data storage capabilities with the growing adoption of cloud computing. Thus, the growth in the number of data centers provides an excellent option for managing huge volumes of data. Hence, with the increasing global demand for huge data storage, the number of data centers is also continuing to surge, propelling market growth as well. Additionally, the focus is being laid towards the hyperscale data centers, resulting in demand for servers. This is because of the fact that these hyperscale data centers rely on specialized infrastructure scaling cloud computing to achieve high performance, thus, contributing to reducing power consumption and lowering of carbon footprint. Europe houses the tech hubs in a number of major cities which include Dublin as the center of tech excellence with booming data centers, Netherlands as the fastest growing data center market, Germany having a high internet bandwidth capacity and London, which is referred to as the tech capital of Europe and one of the world’s largest data center markets. The City of London has one of the largest and the most comprehensive financial centers globally and is regarded by the investors because of its solid regulatory, legal and tax environments, known for its supportive market infrastructure and highly skilled and dynamic workforce.
Future Prospects:
Growing trend towards the adoption of AI and Machine learning in cloud computing
With technological advancements in the IT industry, AI and machine learning are proving to be a disruptive technology, providing benefit to enterprises across various industry verticals. As the companies are moving on to the adoption of cloud computing, AI is benefiting the companies in increasing the computation power with more sophisticated algorithms. The technology is becoming crucial in managing huge data overload with network devices carrying billions of gigabytes each day. With growing digitalization, AI along with cloud computing will further enhance the abilities of the cloud forming an “intelligent cloud” and will be helpful in predicting and analysing situations, thus serving as an intelligent platform for task performance without human intervention, thus avoiding human error.
4D Printing : A Revolutionary Change In Additive Manufacturing
Blog4-D printing which is also called as 4- dimensional printing or active origami uses the same techniques that are used in 3-D printing which is made possible through computer programmed deposition of materials in successive layers to create a 3D object. However, 4D printing adds the dimension of time which means the printed product changes it’s form after reacting to various environmental factors such as pH, temperature, water, light and some other forms of energy and factors. 4D printing also requires some special materials such as hydrogels, shape memory polymers which can reacts to triggers. 4D printing makes use of different materials which possess different properties and react to different environmental factors, those materials include thermo-responsive, moisture-responsive, photo-responsive and other materials. Basically 4D printing is an extension of 3D printing technology which provides users with the benefits such as enhanced efficiency, quality and performance capabilities.4D printing also improves the overall speed of the manufacturing cycle. 4D printing technology has many uses in different industries and can revolutionize the way they work. It finds applications in automotive, aerospace and defense, healthcare and other industries.
Current Scenario in 4D printing Space:
1) The need for 4D printing to rise in coming years
3D printing technology has been is use for quite some time now and has applications in many industries providing with quality and efficient solutions 4D printing, which belongs to the semiconductor category, is relatively new and a significant improvement over 3D printing. 4D printing holds immense potential to grow over the coming years. The demand for better and efficient materials and improving the efficiency and speed of the manufacturing cycle are some factors which will play a role in the growth of the 4D printing market. Moreover, unlike 3D printing which is used for making static structures, 4D printing can be used to create structures whose shape and form can be altered and can be used for a wide variety of applications according to the requirement of the process.
2) Research and development in 4D printing to unlock more possibilities
Major companies, industries, and sectors are starting to prefer and demand the more advanced 4D printing due to that fact that they are very useful in optimizing various manufacturing lifecycle and improving the quality of the product. This demand is facilitated by all the advancements and improving technologies 4D printing in the past few years and investments made in the market. Thus, increasing the participation of big players along with the entry of new players to research and develop 4D printing further to better understand and make use of it is set to propel the 4D printing market growth. For example, The United States Army Research Office has provided around $855,000 in grants to the researchers of Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), the University of Illinois and the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering to develop 4D materials for military advancements. In 2018, BMW and MIT developed an inflatable material that changed shape and size under the effect of air pulses for use in automotive applications. Doctors at the University of Michigan’s CS Mott Children’s Hospital have developed a 4D printed airway splint for infants suffering from tracheobroncomalacia, a condition that cause the windpipe to collapse, so in this situation the airway splints can keep the trachea open can open up to twice their size and aid children until the children are strong enough. Also, Airbus is working with MIT to develop a component for the inlet of air that would be made using carbon fiber, that would automatically adjust to control the airflow which can be used to cool the engine, due to which the fuel consumption will decrease , thus improving fuel efficeincy and also the heavy mechanical control required will be removed.
3) Different Sectors to show growth
There are some industries which will benefit from the use of 4D printing technology which would enhance and increase the efficiency of products and processes. Like in the healthcare sector, the 4D printing technology can be used for the development of intelligent devices, implants, tissue engineering, self assembling biomaterials, and nanorobots for chemotherapy. As there is increasing demand for development of some implants which grow with the patient or implants which can change it’s shape and body size according to the changing environment of the body can effectively aid in patient treatment will help bolster the market growth. Moreover, as the investment in regenerative medicine is increasing, it will also boost the market growth of 4D printing. In the aerospace and defense industry, 4D printing facilitates different applications such as self-deploying structures for air ventilation, engine cooling and other purposes, it can also be used to create advanced materials and composites that take a definite shape or perform a particular function. In fact, the market analysis shows that the 4D printing is finding it’s way into every major sector slowly and gradually which means that in a few years there 4D printing would find it’s way in numerous industries making different processes easier and improving the qualities and properties of products.
Conclusion:
Currently, thermo-responsive 4D printing holds a significant share in this market and is anticipated to witness a fast growth rate in the upcoming years due to the burgeoning demand from many countries and industries. With respect to current market trends, it is anticipated that the software-based robotic vision systems will flourish in the upcoming years with demand being generated from various regions and sectors. The growing need for better printing and manufacturing technology such as 4D printing which ensure that a process is completed efficiently, with reduced labor costs and within the least time and produces high quality end product will continue to play a central role in driving this market and will attract a lot of new entrants who will bring new and better changes in 4D printing. Thus, the market will remain competitive in the upcoming years and it is projected to show modest growth in the upcoming years.
Industrial Safety a Way to Safeguard Human Life
BlogIndustrial Safety Market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 7.72% to reach $7.103 billion by 2024, from $4.545 billion in 2018. Industrial Safety Market comprises of sensors, logic solvers, and final control elements to ensure process safety in a plant when predetermined conditions are violated. The growth of the market is influenced significantly by government regulations such as EU Machinery Directives and North America’s OSHA standards. Apart from government regulations, technological advancements and increasing demand from developing nations are driving the growth. However, the major limiting factors are the complexity of standards, lack of awareness and the high cost of Industrial Safety products.
Industry safety products help in creating a safe and secure working environment for workers in an industry. Industry safety product is segmented into Fire and Gas monitoring and Control, Burner Management System (BMS), Turbomachinery Control (TMC), High Integrity Pressure Protection Systems (HIPPS) and Emergency Shutdown Systems (ESD). Industrial safety products are required for personnel and asset protection.
Industrial Safety Product Market, by Segments
BMS is a safety solution for power generation facilities that enables the safe start-up, operation, and shut down of the multiple burner furnace sections of a boiler. It reduces maintenance, improves uptime, and provides a safe environment for the boiler and plant personnel. Multiple-burners are typically used in dryers, incinerators, and in almost all chemical heating appliances. Gas-powered burners are utilised more due to their operating efficiencies and easy availability of natural gas.
The F&G safety system continuously monitors for abnormal situations such as a fire. Or a combustible or toxic gas release within the plant and provides an early warning and mitigations actions to prevent escalation of the incident and protect the process and environment. Oxygen analyzers, detectors and monitors are widely used in automotive, smart cities & building automation, food & beverages, and other industrial applications.
A high integrity pressure protection system is a type of safety instrument system (SIS) designed to prevent over-pressurization of a plant, such as a chemical plant or oil refinery. The HIPPS will shut off the source of high pressure before the design pressure of the system is exceeded, thus preventing loss of containment through the rupture of a line or vessel. HIPPS market is increasing due to government imposition of regulatory norms for the protection of environment, equipment, and personnel.
TMC controls the speed of stream, hydro, and gas turbines while ensuring over-speed protection. Surge protection for compressors, enabling users to operate closer to the surge curve safely. Load balancing between compressors or generators to allow for more efficient use of resources.
ESD is designed to minimize the consequences of emergency situations, related to typically uncontrolled flooding, escape of hydrocarbons, or outbreak of fire in hydrocarbon areas or areas which may otherwise be hazardous. Recovering oil and gas prices and increasing upstream activity is going to increase the demand for ESD. New refinery projects across India, Norway, Denmark, Uzbekistan, and Kuwait among other potential customers will increase the demand for ESD systems.
Industrial Safety Product: Use, Trends, and Opportunities
What The Future Holds
Apple’s Big Special Event – A Hit or a Miss?
White PapersLast night marked the date for the annual Apple Special Event, held at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, United States. The event, much like last year, was to showcase the upcoming hardware offerings by Apple, with the primary focus being the upcoming iPhones, but before jumping into that, let's go through the other product lineups that the company had to offer.
Apple TV+
Apple is also hopping on to the booming video streaming services market bandwagon with the launch of Apple TV+. It is a monthly paid service that gives access to multiple exclusive Apple originals, without any ads, and support for Dolby Atmos, for up to 6 family members for just US$4.99 per month. To get more traction, Apple is also offering a 7-day trial for all users, and a free 1-year subscription on the purchase of a new iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, or Apple TV.
The new iPad
Among the plethora of products in Apple’s iPad lineup, ranging from the iPad mini to the Pro, only the OG iPad got an uplift. The screen got a bump up to 10.2 inches from 9.7, while maintaining the same pixel density as before. In addition to that, the iPad also got some feature updates such as the inclusion of the Apple Smart Connector, eSIM support, Gigabit-Class LTE-A, and more. And even though other aspects such as the processor itself still stayed the same, at a starting price of US$329 for the WIFI only 32GB model, makes it a pretty good value for money.
The 5th generation Apple Watch
Ever since the introduction of the Apple Watch, it has led to a disruption in the global smartwatch market. Apple started off this year’s Apple watch unveiling with a very heartwarming video made by apple and some of the users of the previous generation of Apple watches, showing how Apple watch not only transformed people’s lives but also helped save multiple, and this was the stepping stone for the company towards the improvements that Apple brought to the next-generation Apple Watch. Nifty features such as a notification update in case of heartbeat irregularities, applications to track mensural cycles, a Noise app to let users know when outside sound can be damaging to their years, and the list goes on. This not only has assisted in increasing the popularity of smartwatches around the globe but has also led to an astounding impact on the wearable healthcare devices market. Not only that, the watch now also features an integrated compass, which along with measuring which direction you are facing, also measures your elevation, incline, and latitudinal and longitudinal position. Plus, the watch features all the other cool things from the previous generation like support for Apple Pay, access to cloud music services, among other things. Oh, and before I forget to mention this, the watch also does, tell time.
Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade was already unveiled by the company back in the year and now has finally put a release date and price on it. The Xbox’s GamePass like service allows users to access a multitude of titles at a fixed monthly price. Apple Arcade is set to launch on September 19th and will cost US$4.99/month. Users can also access one-month worth of service for free on signup and can share access with up to 6 family members.
The Brains of the iPhone – the A13 Bionic
Before we jump onto the star of the show, we need to talk about what is powering Apple’s next flagship. The A13 is Apple’s latest and greatest microprocessor featuring a set of 2 performance CPUs, and 4 efficiency CPUs with 20% faster performance and up to 40% less power draw compared to the previous generation chipset. Moreover, it also boasts of having the world’s fastest GPU ever on a smartphone. The chip also features a 3rd generation 8 core neural engine AI accelerator and 4 Gigs of LPDDR4X ram. In terms of raw number-crunching performance, this chip is very tough to beat. That combined with the in-house and fully compatible development of the software to run this chip further amplifies the potential of the chip even further. However, the chip lacks any 5G modem, and thus won’t be able to tap into the new wave of 5G network spreading across the globe at an unprecedented scale. In addition to this, the growing integration of this chipset from smartphones to tablets and more is also projected to bring a positive impact on the global microprocessor market.
TABLE 1: Popular mobile microprocessors specification comparision
The iPhones
Now coming to the part everyone is waiting for, the iPhone 11. The iPhone 11 features, that uber-powerful A13 chipset talked about above, a set of dual cameras, a liquid retina HD display, and more, and is more of a successor to the iPhone XR. And then to upgrade their premium/power user segment phones, the XS and the XS Max, Apple unveiled the 11 Pro and the 11 Pro Max. Like the previous generation, these two phones provide the absolute best that Apple has to offer. The display is the company’s newly named Liquid Retina XDR display, which has complete HDR support, with a pixel density of 458 PPI. The smaller one is available in a 5.88” screen size while the bigger one boasts a 6.5” display. The phones also offer a triple camera setup with multiple integrated AI features such as night mode, smart HDR for photos, and more. Furthermore, the front camera also kept the TrueDepth 3D smartphone camera with multiple shooting modes and enabled Apple’s Face ID facial recognition system. Moreover, Apple also announced that due to the great power-saving advantages granted to them by the A13 Bionic chip, all the new iPhones offer considerable battery advantages in comparison to their previous generation counterparts.
TABLE 2: Top premium segment smartphones comparison
Aside from that, not only Apple and tech fanatics were excited about that event, multiple investors were too. Apple’s stocks have been on a roller-coaster ride in the past year, and the company’s September events have influenced the company’s stocks multiple times. The company saw major falls in the months of December, May, and August, and the investors were looking up to this event for a surprise announcement by Apple. But in terms of sheer products, the event did disappoint a lot of fans and investors, and it seemed like multiple investors would sell their stake in the company, but the introduction of subscription services and integration with multiple 3rd party developers have resulted in the company’s stocks to show a 1.18% increase from 9th September to 10th September.
To sum it all up, the next generation of Apple’s smartphones is a great no compromised device, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. The event was a bit lackluster, not in terms of the content shown and made available by Apple, but regarding the fact that the products showcased did not have anything outstanding or industry-changing. It almost felt like Apple played safe in the hardware department this year while focusing more on improving the services provided, and the software experience in general. The features such as triple camera setup, the display, and almost everything else have already been available in the smartphone market and have also been a lot improved upon by some of its competitors. Also, even though 5G is not readily available in multiple markets around the globe and will still have a lot of scopes to improve in the coming 2-3 years, it seems kind of wrong to charge users US$1,000+ for a device and still not giving them an option to pick a 5G variant for some degree of futureproofing. However, Apple does deserve a lot of credit as they will be manufacturing all of the 7th gen iPads, 5th gen Apple Watch, and the iPhone 11 from 100% recycled aluminum.
But what about the competitors? Well, it seems like they got off the hook pretty easily this time around, as the products announced weren’t as surprising or innovative as hoped before. But still, Apple is a feared competitor in the premium smartphone market segment, primarily because of the company’s brand image. It is still the dominant smartphone brand in regions such as North America, and the launch of the newer iPhones is estimated to positively influence this share in the years to come. However, it is almost impossible to neglect the products being offered by the competitors with almost similar or better features at significantly lower prices, resulting in a huge chunk of premium smartphone users moving to the upper-middle smartphone range category, which is bound to negatively impact the sales of iPhones. However, to counter that, the approach that Apple has adopted since the last iteration of the iPhones has significantly helped them recover their sales. Last year the iPhone XR was the most sold iPhone, with the main reason for it being its price, and with the pricing trend which Apple has gone with this time, they are hoping to replicate the same thing with the iPhone 11, while still maintaining their dominance in the premium segment with the 11 Pro devices.
So, to conclude, there isn’t any major impact or difference that this year’s Apple event has brought to the global smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices market. However, Apple’s movement towards the video streaming services market, combined with the ample of resources that the company backs on, is bound to disrupt that market in the coming years. Similarly, video game subscription services market, is also an up and coming thing making its way to the consoles and media devices near you, and Apple’s recent announcement is not only going to aid that market but has also pushed its competitors such as Google, to fasten the launch of their video gaming pass for Android.
All in all, it was a good event by Apple showing a lot of promising products, however, it left multiple expectations unfulfilled.
About the Author:
Prithvi Gulati is a Market Research Analyst at KSI, working on estimates and global reports on multiple industries spanning from IoT to food and beverages, with a special knack for semiconductors and consumer electronics. With the addition of his formal education in Economics, Mathematics, and Commerce, he is able to provide more light on the macro aspects of the story. To read more articles by him, and for more information regarding multiple global markets, visit https://www.knowledge-sourcing.com.
5G Technology – The Final Piece of the Puzzle in the Connected Infrastructure Revolution
White PapersSmartphones have become an indispensable part of human life, with the latest advances in technology focusing on bringing about all the possible applications at the palm of individuals. However, smartphones have, begun to look like a relatively old innovation and are now merely used as a foundation for new technological breakthroughs, with innovations aiming to make just about any device –smart and thus, connected to the smartphone. For example, the surge of the Internet of Things has led to the development of several connected devices such as smart TVs, smart wearable devices, smart kitchen appliances, and smart energy-saving solutions among others, which have the capability of keeping individuals always informed while simultaneously providing the owner with the power to control its assets from just about any location and anytime. The advent of smart devices is creating a huge volume of data that is being transmitted and thus is creating a challenge to maintain the process of data transmission smoothly. The total internet traffic in 2016 increased to 26,600 GB per second from 2,000 GB per second in 2007 (Source: Cisco VNI, 2017). This was primarily because of the adoption of 4G technology, which ramped up the data transmission speed and reduced the connection latency compared to the previously available technologies. However, the arrival of the 5G technology is drawing closer with each passing day, with major companies currently testing the viability of the technology and the commercialization of the technology is slated to be in the first half of 2019. The 5G technology comes with the capability of transmitting data at a speed of 10 Tbps and a density of 1 million nodes per Km², while it is expected to further reduce the connection latency and thus will improve the data transfer rate and allow millions of devices to be connected simultaneously. The adoption of 5G technology is anticipated to boost the proliferation of connected devices globally as the number of connected devices is projected to increase from 19.24 billion units in 2016 to 85.93 billion units in 2023 with marked growth expected to be observed after 2019.
Simultaneously, urban planners are also moving towards the development of smart infrastructure as they seek to address the concerns regarding individual safety, improving air quality, enhancing efficiency in the transportation system, and in general, improving the standard of living. Moreover, with the proportion of the urban population expected to increase from 54% in 2014 to 66% by 2050, efforts are being made to make the cities more efficient and overcome these challenges. In this regard, the communication system is considered to be of the utmost importance and has the capability of unleashing critical services. Therefore, it is an accepted fact that the development of smart infrastructure and thus smart cities is heavily dependent on the data transmission speed that allows handling of the large volumes of data smoothly, and the commercialization of 5G technology is expected to increase the number of smart cities projects worldwide radically.
There is also widespread research being conducted in the sphere of autonomous vehicles that require continuous internet connectivity to operate, however, the commercial reality of completely autonomous vehicles is believed to be still years away. Simultaneously, the idea of connected cars has been growing, with the number of connected cars rapidly increasing. Presently, the majority of the connected cars in the market are equipped with level 2 autonomy, which tends to generate approximately 25 GB of data per hour. The present level of connected features in the vehicles can be managed through the existing data transmission speed, however, the automotive manufacturers are aiming to increase the convenience level for the individuals and install vehicles with more advanced features. The success of level 3 autonomous vehicles, and the subsequent levels in the autonomous vehicle, is dependent on the speed with which the data is gathered from different sensors installed in the cars and the time taken to respond to the given circumstances. In this aspect, internet connectivity plays a vital role in terms of the duration of processing speed, and 5G technology is projected to significantly improve the scope of the connected and autonomous vehicle in the years to come because of its ability to support vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to infrastructure communication.
To conclude, the idea of being always connected with the required devices is on the cusp of being realized as more devices aiming to improve the quality of life and convenience of individuals are being developed. The imminent commercialization of 5G technology is expected to unlock the potential of high-speed data transmission that is crucial for the functioning of the connected devices and, therefore, the arrival of 5G technology is, in fact, the final piece of the puzzle that is required to support the revolution of connected infrastructure.