Technology, Games and Gadgets

Archive for the ‘Mobile Apps’ Category

The South Korean company said it first reached this figure in a year driven by its cell line in the disputed Galaxy smartphone segment

When not yet finished the year, Samsung said it shipped 300 million phones to market in November 2011, a milestone for the South Korean company, reaching the figure for the first time in its history since entering the cell phone industry in 1998 .

Thus, this year’s report, which does not include firms that generate the expected December sales, broadly, to exceed 280 million units shipped to market during 2010.

“We hope to expand this event in 2012,” said JK Shin, head of business phones from Samsung, quoted by Reuters. The company also said its Galaxy line of smartphones contributed to the results obtained in 2011.

Launched in April this year, the second version of its smartphone Galaxy, known as S II, recorded 10 million units sold worldwide. Thus, Samsung managed to gain ground in the smartphone segment and was ranked in second place behind Apple’s iPhone, according to estimates by various mobile industry analysts .

According to research by Juniper Research, the future of mobile apps for Retail in 2012 is exceedingly positive.

Juniper Research forecasts that retailers will spend more than $15 billion worldwide on mobile marketing campaigns in 2012. This is an increase of 50% from what they spent in 2011. Most of the marketing will be spearheaded in Western Europe, Canada, and the United States. The tiger economies of the Far East will play a small role, while other countries in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia show little interest in the concept of mobile marketing.

The research organization attributes the trend to the heavy promotion of tablet and smartphone technology in Western Europe and North America. This has empowered shoppers to shop at home, allowing them to review numerous retail offers in minutes and select the highest quality at the lowest prices.

Mindshare and Market share

Although retail has always been competitive, the introduction of mobile apps to make it easier to shop remotely has raised the ante. Those retailers who are oblivious of the impact of the mobile phone on the market will experience a cultural shock when most of the spoils go to the mobile savvy retailers. The mobile phone, in other words, will increase the mindshare of the retailer, consequently increasing the retailer’s marketshare.

There are five reasons why the future of mobile apps for Retail in 2012 is exceedingly positive and why retailers should embrace the trend.

1. Personal. The phone allows a shopper to do personal shopping remotely. For instance, a woman searching for a particular style, colour, and size for a dress can search on her mobile app instead of driving around town all day hoping to find what she has in mind.

2. Social. People love to share their bargain purchases with their friends. Often after finding a spectacular deal, a shopper is likely to chat with friends about the offer, alerting them to where it can be found.

3. Tactile. People love to embrace the latest technology. They like to flaunt it, play with it, and carry it around with them. It gives them a tactile sense of control over their lives.

4. Functional. A mobile phone with the right apps can provide all sorts of useful functions. Unlike a computer, even a laptop, it is easy to access the apps. Using GPS, the shopper can easily find directions. Browsing websites, the shopper can do quality and price comparisons.

5. Sophisticated. The phone can do things it has never been able to do before. For instance, it allows a shopper to scan a QR code on a product box, get information about it, and make an informed buying decision.

Despite all these reasons why retailers should embrace the future of mobile apps for retail in 2012, only a few foresighted companies will. There are two reasons for this resistance to the mobile phone revolution: one, a general distaste for technology, wanting to do things the old-fashioned way; and two, a belief that interactive touch screen computers is enough to woo shoppers. The anti-technologists have to learn that adding technology to their marketing does not compromise the quality of their human interactions. The alternative-technologists have to realise that interactive computing and televised presentation on the shop floor may work for people who are in the store, but they also have to accept the profitable avenue of mobile marketing.