Smartphone Market

T-Mobile’s Profit is Not Paired with Delight, Can it be Sustained?

T-Mobile is pushing the boundaries of a traditional market with their ‘uncarrier’ tactics, and it paid off this holiday quarter as they saw a “19.4% surge in revenue.”[1] T-Mobile has managed to maintain a stream of new subscribers in an increasingly saturated market. The carrier has remained appealing through their Data Stash plan and acceptance of “subprime subscribers,” and while these tactics have resulted in increased profit, consumer review data paints a different picture. Although T-Mobile saw more subscribers and revenue, these new customers reported lower delight scores.

Looking to consumer reviews for the same time period in which T-Mobile saw impressive revenue growth does not bode well for the future of the carrier. Their new subscribers report less satisfaction, with complaints of poor network quality and stability. Meanwhile, some of T-Mobile’s biggest competition, Verizon and Sprint, saw happier customers.

Argus Insights will continue to track consumer perception of smartphone carriers to keep you informed on how T-Mobile fairs this quarter. For more information, or to inquire about consultation and data access, please contact us.

Want to know what is driving mindshare ahead of Mobile World Congress? Register for our MWC 2015 Webinar on Thursday, February 26.

[1] http://www.marketwatch.com/story/t-mobile-us-swings-to-profit-as-revenue-surges-2015-02-19-7485646

Apple Beats Chinese Manufacturers On Their Own Turf

Apple just announced one of the most profitable quarters known to man. Their insane profit came from shipping “74.5 million” smartphones, “5.5 million” Macs, and just about 21.4 million iPads.[1] However, the real secret to their success this quarter was breaking into the Chinese Smartphone Market. This spike is evident in the volume of Apple Smartphone reviews from just ChinaUnicom customers. This spike is began in mid October (when the iPhone 6 was made available in China) and after a small dip, was sustained throughout the rest of the quarter.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were, of course, also popular in the US. The graph below shows a similar spike in reviews, but this buzz was not as well sustained. While the US market was excited, this excitement dwindled shortly after the new iPhones were released. US reviews definitely got a boost after the release of the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, but this quickly fell off. On the other hand, ChinaUnicom consumers flocked to the new iPhones and never looked back.

Not only did Apple have an amazing quarter in terms of earnings, but on top of that, they also stole mindshare from the globally rising Chinese smartphone manufacturers in their home territory. Argus Insights will continue to track the ever changing international smartphone market. If you have any questions, or would like to access our data or to inquire about custom reports or consultation, please contact us.

We have been busy covering several markets, and want to share our insights with you. If you are interested in Who Won the Consumer Electronics Show, you can download our 2015 CES Report. To track the battle within the Software Defined Network (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) markets, download our latest SDN/NFV Webinar.

[1] http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/161952/apple-crushes-q4-earnings-yahoo-reports-with-surprise-spinoff

Intel Peaks Interest with Everything From Spider Dresses to 2 in 1 Laptops

CNET reported that Intel announced “its first full year of revenue growth since 2011,” and it was “driven in part by rebounding PC revenue.” Over the past couple years, innovation and rapid improvement of smartphones and tablets has driven consumers away from tired old PCs and laptops. Today, we are seeing a “rise of hybrid tablet-laptop computers, dubbed “2-in-1” devices,” that are pulling people back into the PC market. This rise in the 2 in 1 market is evident when analyzing the volume of consumer reviews across these various categories. Tablets and Smartphones continue to hold the majority of mindshare, but just as everyone went ‘back to school’ this year, 2 in 1 devices saw increased attention.

2 in 1 & All-in-One Devices are Gaining Attention from Consumers

As more consumers begin to buy 2 in 1 devices, however, they are not enjoying them as much as more traditional technology. 2 in 1 delight scores have been rising steadily since 2013, but they remain the lowest of the common consumer computing devices. Delight across all devices, except for laptops, is improving as consumers are finding satisfaction with something else, whether it is an All in One, 2 in 1, Tablet, or Smartphone.

Delight for Laptops Declines as all Other Devices Gain Favor

While CNET reported on Intel’s growth as a result of better PC sales, they are poised to make waves in several other markets as well. Intel stole the (Consumer Electronics) Show in Las Vegas this year, as their involvement and innovation in several categories, including wearables, automotive, IoT, and drones won them the most mindshare of all the component suppliers and brands present at the show. While Intel saw growth in the standard laptop market as devices were adapted to consumer needs, they introduced innovative technology like a responsive spider dress, a button sized super computer, and much more, to intrigue consumers at CES.

We would love to tell you more about why Intel won consumer interest at at CES, and which other brands and products you should pay attention to in 2015. If you would like a free copy of our comprehensive CES Report, please indicate your interest and we will send it over.

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Sprint is Gaining Customers, But Can They Keep Them?

A couple weeks ago we examined the effectiveness of Sprint’s ‘Cut Your Bill in Half’ promotion, and now CNET has reported that Sprint “added close to a million customers during its fiscal third quarter,” putting them “just ahead of T-Mobile in terms of total customers.” Sprint has introduced a slew of promotions in an effort to surpass T-Mobile and secure its spot in the top three US carriers. Sprint’s increase in customers came with an increase in delight. However, despite this internal growth, Sprint consumers are some of the most unhappy smartphone customers.

Sprint Saw Increased Buzz & Delight from Fiscal Q2 – Q3 2014, but Remains the Least Delightful US Carrier

Buzz and delight have both gone up for Sprint as it gained more customers through various promotions, but Sprint’s overall delight scores remain lower than all other US subscribers. Sprint slashed access fees and increased data to attract customers, but Sprint’s users continue to report the problems with the speed, performance, and reliability of their phones. Will these recently acquired customers stay with Sprint if they do not invest in upgrading their network?

While Sprint has seen an increase in their personal consumer delight scores, indicating better satisfaction within the company, they are still the least delightful major US carrier. With T-Mobile and other carriers constantly looking for ways to shake up the mobile market, pushing their own promotions like allowing customers to roll over unused data, can Sprint retain their underwhelmed customers with low rates? Or will they seek greener pastures with the next another carrier to offer them an appealing promotion? Argus Insights will continue to track the feedback from Sprint’s new consumers to report if they can maintain the momentum they have gained through promotions.

For a detailed look at the entire smartphone market, check out our Monthly Consumer Demand Reports (also available for Wearables and Home Automation). Please contact us with any specific questions or to gain access to our data.

Which Smartphones Stuffed Stockings this Holiday Season?

According to app analysis by Flurry, devices that run iOS (aka Apple iPhones) constituted just over half the mobile devices activated in the week leading up to Christmas. Their analysis is based on the assumption that the first thing someone does when they receive a smartphone is download apps. Here at Argus Insights, we track engagement through consumer reviews, to discover how consumers use and enjoy their devices. Our analysis shows that Apple reviews constituted less than 30% of all smartphone reviews in the days after Christmas.

Since we constantly collect reviews across brands, we can compare the volume of consumer interaction and delight levels derived over time. Doing this shows that while Apple received more attention overall, Samsung saw a larger post holiday boost in reviews. As for delight, people who found iPhones in their stockings were happier with their phone than those who received Samsung devices.

Argus Insights tracks and analyzes consumer feedback in several markets. Check out our monthly Consumer Demand Reports for Smartphones, Home Automation, and Wearables, or contact us for custom analysis or access to our data and tools.

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