Smartphones

Verizon & Best Buy are creating Galaxy S6 & S6 Edge buzz with enticing promotions & freebies

Samsung’s Excess Inventory of Galaxy S6 Finally Moving Thanks to Best Buy and Verizon

Earlier, we expressed concern over the gap between the published estimates of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the consumer response we are seeing in our data. Now, thanks to some very attractive promotions by Best Buy and Verizon, consumer demand is increasing, as demonstrated by the chart below (we kept the scale linear to emphasize just how far ahead Best Buy & Verizon jumped ahead in demand). However, demand is only growing at those retailers that are enticing consumers with gift cards, free upgrades, or other goodies like free wireless charging pads.

Based on our past experience in tracking product launches, this could mean that organic demand for Samsung’s latest handset is much lower than analyst from Citibank and elsewhere would have us believe. It would be one thing if we saw demand through the roof, and then Best Buy and Verizon were competing to be the best carrier/retailers for the new Galaxy S6, but these promotions came AFTER the launch date. This is the opposite of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus promotions, which Verizon used to dominate the market BEFORE the launch.

Promotions prior to launch ensure the flood of buying consumers come to your store. Promotions after launch (literally days after launch) indicate significant extra inventory needing to be cleared.

We stand by our assertion that the Galaxy S6 launch is not going as well as others believe. Our data does support that the S6 Edge is in higher demand than expected (by our count almost on par with the S6) and definitely better loved by new consumers than the more generic S6. It has only been two weeks since the launch, but those looking for Samsung to have an easy return to smartphone market leadership are likely to be sorely disappointed…

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MWC 2015 Mindshare Winners: Ericsson, HP, Apple & Huawei

Argus Insights has been tracking all social conversation about Mobile World Congress, and is ready to reveal some of the most popular brands of the show. Our winners secured the most mindshare in their category, prompting continued engagement and conversation.

And the winner is…
Cloud: Ericsson
NFV: HP
Smartphones: Apple
Wearables: Huawei

Cloud

With cloud related announcements ranging from an Industrial Cloud partnership with Intel to a Connected Traffic Cloud to introducing a Volvo cloud platform, Ericsson gave MWC followers a lot to talk about

NFV

HP was driving interest in NFV through their proof of concept with Orange, OpenNFV partnership with Telefonica, and targeted comments from their CEO about improving infrastructure with virtualization.

Smartphones

Though the smartphone giant was not actually present at the show, Apple dominated mindshare and the iPhone 6 was awarded ‘Best Mobile of the Year’ along with the LG G3

Wearables

Huawei got people talking with the early announcement of the round, Android Wear enabled Huawei Watch.

For more details about why and how these brands won mindshare during the show, and an outline of overall trends plus winners and losers in several more categories, request a copy of our Mobile World Congress 2015 Report. Typically a $3,000 value, we are offering this report to our readers for free.

Mobile World Congress 2015 Report

Find Out Which Brands and Products were the Biggest Winners in Barcelona

Argus Insights has been monitoring social conversations at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Before MWC, we hosted a webinar highlighting the brands and products that drove the most mindshare heading into the showcase, for which the slides and presentation are now available to download. Simply fill out the form and we’ll send that your way immediately.

Now that the event has passed, find out which brands, products, and tech trends were sparking interest during MWC. Argus Insights would also like to offer a free Post MWC 2015 Report (usually valued at $3,000) as a gift. The stories that we are finding are just too good that we believe everyone can benefit from the data. The world is talking and we’re listening, take advantage of our comprehensive analysis:

Discover what topics are most important to consumers
Examine market trends and consumer preferences
Gain actionable insight

If you want to stay up to date with trending social content, sign up for our weekly newsletters in the Smartphone, Wearable, Home Automation, and SDN/NFV markets. Leverage Argus data to gain an upper hand in the marketplace.

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Pre MWC Buzz led by Galaxy S6 & S6 Edge and HTC’s Grip Wearable

Mobile World Congress begins in Barcelona today, and Argus Insights is tracking which brands and products people are interested in at the show. We determined the most popular links shared about smartphones and wearables in social conversation about MWC in the week leading up to the show, to discover major interest in Samsung’s new flagship Galaxy phones and HTC’s Grip Wearable.

Samsung’s announcement of their most recent Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge phones monopolized mindshare, as people shared the NYT blog reviewing the phones and CNET’s coverage of their MWC reveal. While Samsung is gaining attention for their high-end flagship phones, LG and French manufacturer Archos, both developed interest as they revealed 4 midrange smartphones, surprisingly generating more interest than flagship models from HTC and other major brands. Ikea’s wireless smartphone charging furniture was the only non-handset related news to make major waves in MWC conversation leading to the show.

Popular Smartphone Related MWC Links	Total Shares
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/mobile-world-congress-samsungs-galaxy-6-s-and-galaxy-6-edge-offer-the-best-of-the-iphone-and-more/?emc=rss	438
http://www.cnet.com/news/samsungs-galaxy-s6-launch-join-us-march-1-live-blog/	349
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/03/01/ikea-introduces-furniture-you-can-charge-your-smartphone-on/	285
http://www.blackxperience.com/technews/detail/lg-akan-bawa-empat-smartphone-ke-mwc-nanti	200
http://www.elandroidelibre.com/2015/02/archos-se-apunta-la-fiesta-del-mwc-con-4-nuevos-smartphones.html	183

Popular Shared Links about Smartphones at MWC on Social Media 2/23-3/1

Wearables conversation was driven by device announcements from HTC, Haier, and Acer. HTC unveiled their HTC Grip wearable, a device optimized for use by serious athletes, and Acer vaguely teased a mysterious new wearable device. Haier sparked interest in their line of smartwatches aimed at children and senior citizen, along with smart pet collars.

Popular Wearables Related MWC Links	Total Shares
http://vbusacareers.com/mwc-2015-htc-reveals-the-grip-a-wearable-going-beyond-active-to-athletic/	325
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/mobile-world-congress-htc-unveils-a-new-phone-and-wearable-device/	293
http://www.cnet.com/products/haier-smartwatch/#ftag=CADe9e329a	174
http://www.zdnet.com/article/wearables-internet-of-things-muscle-in-on-smartphone-spotlight-at-mwc/	174
http://www.gsmarena.com/acer_confirms_new_phones_and_a_wearable_device_are_coming_to_mwc-news-11335.php	128

Popular Shared Links about Wearables at MWC on Social Media 2/23-3/1

As a category, wearables are beginning to encroach on the traditional interest in smartphones around MWC, as major companies are also focusing on the wrist. Mobile World Congress smartphone conversation, however, remains vast, and was heavily focused on Samsung’s announcement of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, but people were also interested in the midrange handset lines released by LG and Archos, and Ikea’s innovative wireless charging furniture.

Argus Insights will continue to track Mobile World Congress mindshare, so keep an eye on our blog, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions. If you are interested in a comprehensive report of who and what won at MWC 2015, we are happy to send you the Argus Insights complete MWC 2015 Report when the show is over.

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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