Vox: All Posts by Ben Bajarinhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52517/voxv.png2018-03-06T17:34:01-05:00https://www.vox.com/authors/ben-bajarin/rss2018-03-06T17:34:01-05:002018-03-06T17:34:01-05:00Rival chipmakers Qualcomm and Broadcom are in a back-and-forth that can only be described as a soap opera
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<img alt="Cristiano Amon, president of Qualcomm Inc., gives a press conference on Feb. 26, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain, on the first day of the Mobile World Congress." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZSGvpGQLKuY_dXFxjhSxLugwXis=/0x0:4692x3519/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58929725/cristiano_Amon_Qualcomm.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Cristiano Amon, president of Qualcomm Inc., gives a press conference on Feb. 26, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain, on the first day of the Mobile World Congress. | Lluis Gene / AFP / Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Qualcomm has no interest — never has and never will — in letting Singapore-based Broadcom take over its company.</p> <p id="Gj0Mea"><em>A version of this guest post by analyst </em><em>Ben Bajarin </em><em>originally appeared on </em><a href="https://techpinions.com/the-qualcomm-broadcom-soap-opera/52369"><em>Techpinions</em></a><em>, a website dedicated to informed opinions, insight and perspective on the tech industry. It is part of the site’s </em><a href="https://techpinions.com/membership-options/"><em>Think.Tank series</em></a><em>, for which a subscription is required.</em></p>
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<p id="GWGCgr">The back-and-forth between rival chipmakers Qualcomm and Broadcom can only be described as a soap opera. Both companies are using PR to go back and forth and talk to each other through public channels. This is largely for the shareholders, and the media to a degree, in order to help shape public sentiment and to be on the record.</p>
<p id="YeJlYG">Here’s where we are at this point: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/05/business/dealbook/broadcom-qualcomm-cfius.html">The White House is now paying attention to the $117 billion takeover fight</a> between the two companies, because Broadcom is based in Singapore and Qualcomm is based in San Diego, and the Trump administration isn’t sure that an Asian buyer should own a big U.S. tech company. Qualcomm management agrees, and has been fighting off Broadcom’s advances for months. This week, a secretive government panel called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States moved to stall the takeover for 30 days until April 5 while it reviews the deal. And today, the U.S. government said Broadcom’s proposed acquisition of Qualcomm could pose <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/06/business/qualcomm-broadcom-cfius.html">a national security risk</a>, and called for a full investigation into the hostile bid.</p>
<p id="Al8xkO">I think it would be helpful to look briefly at a few key pieces of the timeline in this saga:</p>
<p id="r2lyGw"><strong>Nov. 6, 2017:</strong><em><strong> </strong></em><em>Broadcom makes an </em><em><strong>unsolicited</strong></em><em> bid for Qualcomm at $70 per share. </em></p>
<p id="P4EpoV">I bolded the emphasis there because it is worth remembering there had been no prior discussions between the companies, and Broadcom’s hostile takeover offer came out of the blue. The $70-per-share offer, according to an official Qualcomm statement, was so low that it didn’t merit engagement.</p>
<p id="SdavE4"><strong>Nov. 13, 2017:</strong><em><strong> </strong></em><em>Qualcomm rejects Broadcom’s $103 billion takeover bid, saying the offer undervalued the company and would face regulatory hurdles.</em></p>
<p id="0mLz6N">By now it should be clear Qualcomm wants nothing to do with Broadcom. I will go into details why after we finish looking at the timeline of key events. </p>
<p id="zSfczF"><strong>Dec. 4, 2017: </strong><em>Broadcom makes its first formal move toward a hostile bid to take over Qualcomm by nominating 11 directors to its rival’s board.</em></p>
<p id="CZRJ7Z"><strong>Dec. 22, 2017:</strong><em><strong> </strong></em><em>Qualcomm rejects Broadcom and private equity firm Silver Lake Partners’ 11 director nominees, setting the stage for a proxy battle.</em></p>
<p id="t0mcuc"><strong>Feb. 5, 2018:</strong><em><strong> </strong></em><em>Broadcom raises its offer for Qualcomm to $82 per share from $70 per share, calling the bid its “best and final offer.” The revised offer is contingent on either Qualcomm acquiring NXP Semiconductors for $38 billion or the NXP deal being terminated.</em></p>
<p id="EV2TMY"><strong>Feb. 8, 2018:</strong><em><strong> </strong></em><em>Qualcomm rejects Broadcom’s revised buyout offer of $121 billion, but proposes meeting to address the bid’s</em><em> </em><em>“serious deficiencies in value and certainty.”</em></p>
<p id="NN8wtm"><strong>Feb. 14, 2018: </strong><em>Representatives of Broadcom and Qualcomm meet for the first time to discuss a potential combination; Qualcomm later calls the meeting “constructive.”</em></p>
<p id="WYvpcV"><strong>Feb. 20, 2018:</strong><em><strong> </strong></em><em>Qualcomm deals a blow to Broadcom’s raised bid by increasing its offer for NXP Semiconductors to $127.50 per share in cash from $110 per share.</em></p>
<p id="cQhxYJ">Okay, now things are getting a bit more interesting. The two companies got together to talk. I was a bit shocked when this happened, because I believe deep in my bones that Qualcomm wants nothing to do with Broadcom. Perhaps Qualcomm’s board and the executive committee felt they needed to take this meeting as a show of good faith, as well as to present the public-facing view that they are willing to talk with Broadcom. Especially in light of Qualcomm’s increased bid for NXP, which can only be interpreted as a hostile way to get Broadcom to back off, which in turn needed to be justified to shareholders.</p>
<p id="C1XPGZ">In a recent statement from Qualcomm in advance of its annual shareholder meeting — rescheduled yesterday for April 5 — where a vote will be taken regarding the Broadcom acquisition/merger bid, the following statement was made:</p>
<blockquote><p id="lhyMNP">Since evaluating and subsequently rejecting the $82 per share offer on February 8, Qualcomm has repeatedly and genuinely attempted to engage with Broadcom on issues including price, regulatory and other closing certainties, including most recently at meetings on February 14 and February 23. In each of those meetings, Broadcom refused to engage in good faith. It instead reiterated its “best and final” stance which it established prior to our first meeting, despite our attempts to find a path to a deal that makes sense for Qualcomm stockholders. Broadcom’s refusal to outline its proposal and the future direction of Qualcomm’s licensing business also raises significant issues from a value and regulatory perspective.</p></blockquote>
<p id="dYvUhT">Qualcomm is trying to balance the fine line of making it clear to shareholders and the general public that it is not in its best interests to agree to the terms of Broadcom’s proposals. Qualcomm needs to make sure that its wording and tactics don’t raise any issues or potential lawsuits from activist investors who would be willing to jeopardize Qualcomm’s future just to make some quick money now. In the end, this is what I think this continuing dog-and-pony show is about.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="7ZNlCr"><q>If you remember your history, Broadcom isn’t actually Broadcom — it is Avago, which purchased Broadcom in 2015 for $37 billion dollars.</q></aside></div>
<p id="NzNzrz">Qualcomm has no interest, never has and never will, in letting Broadcom take over its company. If you remember your history, Broadcom isn’t actually Broadcom — it is Avago, which purchased Broadcom in 2015 for $37 billion dollars. I had done quite a bit with Broadcom up to that point, and had close contacts there even after the acquisition. Broadcom, like Qualcomm, was an aggressive patent pursuer and prided itself on its culture of innovation. Everyone I know left because of the culture clash Avago brought to the scene, where everything was about the bottom line and management was very short-sighted when it came to R&D. Should Broadcom get its way and acquire Qualcomm, the same thing would happen, and it would be the end of Qualcomm as we know it.</p>
<p id="FTZ7cS">A review of the timeline, in light of the upcoming Qualcomm shareholder vote regarding the board of directors, reveals a clever set of maneuvers and carefully crafted public wording by Qualcomm. I think this line from Qualcomm’s latest press release from the board sums up its stance:</p>
<blockquote><p id="lxh5lw">All three items — price, closing certainty and the licensing business — are critical to the Board’s evaluation of Broadcom’s proposal, and without a meaningful discussion or an agreement on these items, the Qualcomm Board believes it is not in the best interest of Qualcomm’s stockholders to elect Broadcom’s nominees. The Qualcomm Board of Directors remains ready to engage with Broadcom on these issues both before and after the March 6 stockholder meeting.</p></blockquote>
<p id="6eYDTN">Qualcomm is leading with price, closing certainty and licensing business. But what really is at stake is a culture of innovation that the global tech industry depends on. That is much harder to argue and plead with shareholders within this vote, which is why the company is leading with the tangible items. I truly hope Qualcomm investors do the right thing and vote to reelect all 11 current board members.</p>
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<p id="qifu6h"><em>Ben Bajarin is a principal analyst at </em><a href="http://creativestrategies.com/"><em>Creative Strategies Inc.</em></a><em>, an industry analysis, market intelligence and research firm located in Silicon Valley. His primary focus is consumer technology and market trend research. He is a husband, father, gadget enthusiast, trend spotter, early adopter and hobby farmer. Reach him </em><a href="https://twitter.com/benbajarin"><em>@BenBajarin</em></a>.</p>
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<aside id="8lyGV8"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"recode_daily"}'></div></aside><p><small><em>This article originally appeared on Recode.net.</em></small></p>
https://www.vox.com/2018/3/6/17087758/qualcomm-broadcom-soap-operaBen Bajarin2018-02-06T17:00:02-05:002018-02-06T17:00:02-05:00Apple’s HomePod speakers will be the best-sounding ones you’ve ever owned
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3HpnA1f4JZqa8TMO4UcGV69dPHQ=/131x0:2338x1655/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58596215/HomePod_Verge.0.png" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/6/16976906/apple-homepod-review-smart-speaker">The Verge</a></figcaption>
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<p>Hands-free Siri on HomePod is an important strategic initiative for Apple.</p> <p id="vE9uK0"><em>A version of this essay was originally published at </em><a href="https://techpinions.com/you-cant-unhear-apples-homepod/52182"><em>Tech.pinions</em></a><em>, a website dedicated to informed opinions, insight and perspective on the tech industry.</em></p>
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<p id="UPvIzs">Before receiving my Apple HomePod to review, I found myself in a house in Noe Valley in San Francisco. Apple had invited me to see and experience HomePod in a unique home setup before taking one home to try for myself. I’ll spare you the details of the entire demo, as there was one demonstration where HomePod’s value was truly made clear.</p>
<p id="tDCKhq">On top of an entertainment center that looked like a retro design out of the ’70s with silver and copper knobs, wood like old cedar and metallic grates, sat a Sonos Play One (Alexa-enabled), a Google Home Max, Apple’s HomePod and an enormous second-generation Amazon Echo.</p>
<p id="rZdFss">This demo was not that much different from the one I had last June at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. At that event, the demo was HomePod, an Amazon Echo (first-gen) and a Sono Play 3. Even in that demo, which was in a highly controlled room, HomePod was head and shoulders better-sounding.</p>
<aside id="DIVIMz"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Apple HomePod review: locked in","url":"https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/6/16976906/apple-homepod-review-smart-speaker"}]}'></div></aside><p id="ixOJeS">This demo included the much-praised Google Home Max and a quality new speaker from Sonos in the Alexa-enabled Play One (I own three of those). When I listened to the comparison of each speaker to the HomePod, I realized how the audio engineers at each company focused on different things. The Google Max focused on bass; it had a lot of bass, so much, in fact, the product ships with a rubber mat it recommends you place the speaker on. Given how much bass the Google Max emphasizes at the expense of clean vocals and certain instrumentation, I imagine this rubber mat is to help limit vibrations the speaker may make on any hard surface due to the amount of bass it emits. Google Max was too heavy on bass for my preferences.</p>
<p id="QsJkQR">The Sonos Play One was the second-best-sounding after HomePod. I felt that the Sonos sound engineers (in comparison to the others) did a good job balancing sound more in the midrange and not emphasizing too much bass or too much treble. It was clean and balanced. The Echo sounded the worst by a large margin. But the HomePod was a different audio experience entirely.</p>
<p id="PkUswu">Listening to these demos side by side — and even once I got HomePod home and had it play in my living room, comparing it to my Sonos Play One and my Amazon Echo — what hit me was that once you hear the HomePod, it is hard to unhear it. Once you listen to it and experience it for yourself, there is no going back. My Sonos, as great as it sounds, and my Echos just didn’t sound the same after listening to the same songs on the HomePod. You can’t unhear the quality of the HomePod, and it will change your opinion of many others speakers you may own. There was no going back.</p>
<h2 id="w35Ivf">The sound experience</h2>
<p id="BfziO2">HomePod has what can only be explained by the most balanced audio, not just of any smart speaker but of any speaker I currently own, which includes a number of Sonos speakers and a Bose Home Theatre system. By balanced, I mean evenly distributed quality sound. With many speakers and sound systems, there is a zone of perfection. That is a specific place or alignment of your body where the system sounds the best. HomePod is unique in that it doesn’t have a singular place where it sounds the best. Apple’s engineers designed HomePod to sound the best no matter where you are in the room. In our demo, Apple explained how this was done technically, which is beyond my limited understanding of audio engineering. But I did try to prove them wrong, and failed. HomePod truly did sound great from any place in the room.</p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="ZKHxGz"><q>HomePod is unique in that it doesn’t have a singular place where it sounds the best. </q></aside></div>
<p id="O6BUas">The other thing that really impressed me about HomePod was how great it sounded at nearly every volume level. If you have any experience with speakers, you know that there is also a sweet spot for volume. Too low and you lose almost all bass; too high, you blow out the high end/treble and often your ears hurt as the high-end parts of the audio start to distort and lose clarity. With HomePod even at low volumes, I heard balanced bass and clarity across the spectrum of sound frequencies, as was the case when you put HomePod to >90 percent volume. What was impressive was how you could stand right next to HomePod even when the volume was quite high and not feel like your ears were being blown out, and it maintained clarity in the sound.</p>
<p id="NIZk8X">With the balance of audio and the way sound is distributed, I found that HomePod even sounded terrific at a distance, meaning when I was in other rooms of my house. HomePod lived in my living room, and even as I moved as far away as the upstairs, I could still hear the distinct bass, vocals and overall clarity. When I tried the same with my Sonos or Bose, HomePod won in all of these tests of overall audio quality.</p>
<p id="oEABJU">I have no doubt that HomePod will compete with the best speakers in your house even if you have an expensive/high-end setup. Granted, that is not a massive portion of the market, which is why I’m confident in saying that for most consumers, HomePod will be the best-sounding speaker they have ever owned.</p>
<h2 id="4JNsIJ">Siri on HomePod</h2>
<p id="gSXdw8">Now we have to talk to about the experience with Siri. It is difficult for me to go as deep as I want here without fully articulating why I feel that Siri on HomePod is an important strategic initiative for Apple. Apple’s strategy with Siri has to be zero friction in access to Siri, no matter where I am or what I’m doing. Before HomePod being in my home, I used Alexa dramatically more than Siri. The reason was simple. I didn’t have to do anything but speak. You may say, “Well, Siri is on your wrist.” True, but I have to raise my wrist and tilt my Apple Watch toward me to initiate Siri. As easy as that may sound, I’m not always in a position to do that, especially when I’m cooking or doing things where my hands are occupied. And you may say, “Well, Siri is on your phone always listening.” True, but my phone is not always near me when I’m home. Sometimes I set it on a table in the other room. If it is near me, it is in my pocket. While “Hey Siri” may work when my iPhone is in my pocket, it’s an awkward place to engage with Siri.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="LV24hG"><q>Having Siri on a truly always-listening loud ambient speaker creates a true zero-friction engagement with Siri in my home.</q></aside></div>
<p id="SVWQfv">Having Siri on a truly always-listening loud ambient speaker creates a true zero-friction engagement with Siri in my home. HomePod became my preferred way to interact with Siri, and I found myself using Apple’s assistant dramatically more than I ever did when at home. And luckily, Siri worked very well and delivered on many of expectations and even some of my past criticisms.</p>
<p id="XCwV8B">Siri on HomePod is not much different from Siri on your other Apple products. She is a little more limited on HomePod and can’t do everything you can do on your iPhone. This is because HomePod is designed to be used by others in your household, not just the person who set it up. This works as expected: Siri can play songs, set alarms, check the weather and do a bunch of general tasks for all those in the household, even when the person whose iPhone/iCloud account it is tied to is not there.</p>
<p id="efd9Wj">When it came to music, Siri knocked it out of the park. In fact, because Siri is learning about its owner when you ask to play music, when I said, “Play Jack Johnson radio,” she would say, “Sure, here is a personalized playlist for you.” What’s happening is Siri is acting as a “mixologist,” as Apple likes to say, but essentially she is playing DJ according to my music preferences. This worked fantastically, and I have a very wide range of music interests, artists and genres. Usually, this has given Siri troubles, but I found the playlists she generated to be very relevant. As I mentioned above, this feature is not unique to HomePod and functions the same way on other Siri-enabled devices, but I make the point because Siri and the music functionality is particularly useful with HomePod, given that music will be what most consumers use it for primarily.</p>
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<cite>Apple</cite>
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<p id="D7l3rY">Siri on HomePod really stood out against other smart speakers in communications uses, particularly with text messages. Now, this only works for the person who set up HomePod, which in this case was me, but always being able to send messages and have messages read to me was extremely useful in the home environment. Given that I’m in Apple’s ecosystem, I knew the communications/productivity part would be the one angle that differentiated Siri from Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant.</p>
<p id="qTRYHv">Siri on HomePod is not as full-featured as Siri on your Macs or iOS devices, and this was done by design. Siri on HomePod focused on doing a few things well for the individual and the communal family of the house, and from my experience, it did those things well. Alexa and Google Assistant do have more features, for now, and they are definitely more advanced in their functionality.</p>
<p id="lLl80M">Overall, what stood out to me in my experience was the deeper you are in Apple’s ecosystem, the more value you will find from HomePod if you are in the market for a smart speaker. Being able to see what song is playing on your Apple Watch, or quickly move a phone call to the HomePod as a speakerphone from your iPhone, or being able to change songs from your Apple Watch, etc., were all key differentiators for me. Most consumers don’t have as many Apple products as I do, but for those who do, HomePod is a great addition to the ecosystem and will be more appreciated in its functionality over competing smart speakers.</p>
<h2 id="2O3i1v">To buy or not to buy</h2>
<p id="Lt7dQb">Thinking about HomePod within the broader market for smart speakers, it is smart for Apple to emphasize not just music quality but also Siri as it relates to music. Both those use cases deliver 100 percent on their value. Music (specifically the experience with Apple Music) is where HomePod and Siri will shine.</p>
<p id="JkZkm4">Is HomePod worth the premium over a product like the Sonos One, which is $199 and has Amazon’s Alexa? I’d say absolutely, if you truly care and are picky about sound quality and/or you are deeply embedded in Apple’s ecosystem.</p>
<p id="AVG7LO">For the time being, if you want a great-sounding speaker with multi-room capability, a bit more full-featured assistant in Amazon’s Alexa (with Google Assistant support coming), then the Sonos Play One is a great option and great value for the money. In fact, the more I compared the Sonos Play One to the HomePod, while HomePod did sound better, I was still impressed with the sound quality of the Sonos comparatively for the price.</p>
<p id="MtXHYq">This space is going to be interesting to watch. We all have our suspicions for how this market may play out, but we now have a legitimately competitive market with lots of options for consumers at many price points and features. Ultimately, this is when a market gets exciting, because with all this competition, consumers win.</p>
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<p id="nsqo39"><em>Ben Bajarin is a principal analyst at </em><a href="http://creativestrategies.com/"><em>Creative Strategies Inc.</em></a><em>, an industry analysis, market intelligence and research firm located in Silicon Valley. His primary focus is consumer technology and market trend research. He is a husband, father, gadget enthusiast, trend spotter, early adopter and hobby farmer. Reach him </em><a href="https://twitter.com/benbajarin"><em>@BenBajarin</em></a>.</p>
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<aside id="XU15Ks"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"recode_daily"}'></div></aside><p><small><em>This article originally appeared on Recode.net.</em></small></p>
https://www.vox.com/2018/2/6/16979576/apple-homepod-smart-speaker-siri-amazon-echo-google-home-sonos-sound-quality-audioBen Bajarin2018-01-14T13:20:02-05:002018-01-14T13:20:02-05:00Apple’s star presence no longer overshadows CES
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<img alt="Monika Chalk of the Amazon Alexa team demonstrates an array of devices infused the company's artificial intelligence in a Roadshow trailer parked at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, January 10, 2018." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7AB7NzPQOzlYc2-JFrwOec56jt8=/0x0:4608x3456/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58322937/Amazon_Roadshow_CES_2018.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Monika Chalk of the Amazon Alexa team demonstrates an array of devices infused the company's artificial intelligence in a Roadshow trailer parked at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Jan. 10, 2018. | Glenn Chapman / AFP / Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Amazon’s Alexa voice platform, and now Google’s assistant voice platform, were the clear ecosystem winners of CES.</p> <p id="qVsri2"><em>A version of this essay was originally published at </em><a href="http://techpinions.com/apples-indirect-prescence-fades-from-ces/51967"><em>Tech.pinions</em></a><em>, a website dedicated to informed opinions, insight and perspective on the tech industry.</em></p>
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<p id="8hMg2q">I want to make an observation, which I feel is an important one. However, I don’t want it to be taken the wrong way. For the record, Apple is not doomed. But what should be noted is how fast the Amazon ecosystem is growing. The critical point here is how consumer electronics vendors need platform partners. The question at hand is whether or not that platform partner can or will be Apple or not. As of now, the answer is no.</p>
<p id="TlPO7B">For many years, articles were published discussing how, even though Apple was not present or participating in CES, it was still one of the show’s biggest winners. This was during what we may now call “peak Apple ecosystem.” I distinguish this phrase from peak Apple, which I don’t believe is the case. However, one could ask whether Apple’s ecosystem has reached its peak.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="rDM9ig"><q>The critical point here is how consumer electronics vendors need platform partners. The question at hand is whether or not that platform partner can or will be Apple or not. As of now, the answer is no.</q></aside></div>
<p id="mSKJpX">We would go to CES and remark at how Apple’s dominance loomed over the show. Vendors of all shapes and sizes were rushing to be a part of the Apple ecosystem. Apple’s ecosystem was front and center with everything from iOS apps, to accessories galore for iPhone and iPad, and even companies looking to copy Apple in many ways. Over the last year or so, things have dramatically changed, and that change is further evident at this year’s CES.</p>
<p id="Wq0cGC">Gone are the days of Apple’s presence, or observably “winning” CES, even though they are not present. It was impossible to walk the show floor and not see a vast array of interesting innovations that touched the Apple ecosystem in some way. Now it is almost impossible to walk the floor and see any products that touch the Apple ecosystem in any way except for an app on the iOS App Store. The Apple ecosystem is no longer the star of CES — instead, things like Amazon’s Alexa voice platform, and now Google’s assistant voice platform, are <a href="https://www.recode.net/2018/1/9/16871330/google-ces-2018-assistant-ai-alexa-amazon-integrations">the clear ecosystem winners of CES</a>.</p>
<p id="tkyIBa">While many Apple defenders want to dismiss the momentum we are observing with the Amazon ecosystem on display here at CES, while Amazon is similarly not present just like Apple, I believe it is a mistake to do so.</p>
<p id="kODUlc">It is easy to say that because Apple was never present at CES the show didn’t mean something to it or its ecosystem. It is easy, and correct, to say that CES was not, or never was, a measure of the health of Apple’s products. It is, however, incorrect and dangerous to miss that CES had been, for some time, a barometer for the health of Apple’s ecosystem. </p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="zF9Dwk"><q>Amazon’s Alexa voice platform, and now Google’s assistant voice platform, are the clear ecosystem winners of CES.</q></aside></div>
<p id="zh9kGG">As I mentioned, our ability to measure any platforms ecosystem from what we observe at CES, is the main reason so many are paying attention to what is happening with Amazon’s Alexa platform. Google Assistant is certainly more present than it was last year. However, when you look at how third parties are talking about — and marketing — their support of these assistants, they are putting significantly more effort into talking about Alexa than Google Assistant. Which is a telling signal.</p>
<p id="frJyyH">To reiterate this point: Third parties used to market and spend energy talking about their integration with iOS or support of iPhone/iPad with the same rigor they are now talking about Amazon’s Alexa. This can not be ignored. </p>
<p id="5HQqoM">As I outlined, with the two scenarios for Amazon’s Alexa, one could take a position that this is short-lived, and the dust will settle once Apple enters the market with HomePod, and you will see more partners and third parties start talking more about HomeKit than anything else. For Apple’s sake, I would love for this to happen, but I don’t see it, unless Apple’s makes some changes to where Siri can be integrated outside of Apple first-party hardware.</p>
<p id="KieXPu">With all of that being said, I am noticing a bit more support of HomeKit this year versus last. And with Apple’s recent pivot surrounding HomeKit requirements, which required a dedicated security chip from Apple that now allows security and authentication to be done in software, I do expect even more HomeKit support next year.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="MwRGup"><q>It’s possible the industry has simply grown so much that where it used to sit in Apple’s shadow, it has now fully come into its own and grown up.</q></aside></div>
<p id="33OPG9">But this point goes beyond just supporting HomeKit. It speaks to the more significant integration story with a platform’s ecosystem, which we know creates momentum and market perception, that one platform is the dominant leader. And, as we are so often reminded, perception is often the reality.</p>
<p id="l6CtHB">Of course, there may be a bigger-picture point. During the era where the Apple ecosystem was on display at CES, the consumer/personal electronics category was still just coming into its own. This category is now reaching full maturity, and has grown significantly since those days. It is possible the industry has simply grown so much that where it used to sit in Apple’s shadow, it has now fully come into its own and grown up.</p>
<p id="gAeCR0">Whichever theory you want to land on, the bottom line is that the CE industry looks for platform partners, and requires fitting in with a mature or maturing ecosystem. We can’t ignore the fact that Apple’s ecosystem, which used to be on display at CES, is no longer, and that competitors’ ecosystems are now the ones that dominate the show. How this plays in the market, we aren’t sure, but we need to keep a close eye on these new dynamics.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="3WQEhb">
<p id="1KfSop"><em>Ben Bajarin is a principal analyst at </em><a href="http://creativestrategies.com/"><em>Creative Strategies Inc.</em></a><em>, an industry analysis, market intelligence and research firm located in Silicon Valley. His primary focus is consumer technology and market trend research. He is a husband, father, gadget enthusiast, trend spotter, early adopter and hobby farmer. Reach him </em><a href="https://twitter.com/benbajarin"><em>@BenBajarin</em></a>.</p>
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<aside id="LXuu5p"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"recode_daily"}'></div></aside><p><small><em>This article originally appeared on Recode.net.</em></small></p>
https://www.vox.com/2018/1/14/16890496/apples-ces-amazon-ecosystem-platform-partnerBen Bajarin2017-06-20T16:50:02-04:002017-06-20T16:50:02-04:00Technology is created to augment the fundamental weaknesses of human beings
<figure>
<img alt="'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Red Carpet Fan Event" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wMzVWf9d4TNG3g26JSLdJatYscs=/50x0:4287x3178/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55357995/693489090.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ore Huiying/Getty Images for Sony Pictures</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And one of tech’s greatest values is in the assistance of capturing memories.</p> <p id="sDmJEK"><em>A version of this essay was originally published at </em><a href="https://techpinions.com/technology-and-human-augmentation/50364"><em>Tech.pinions</em></a><em>, a website dedicated to informed opinions, insight and perspective on the tech industry.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="1zvueH">
<p id="ecUTCu">One of the core premises of our research is to understand technology from a deeper human level. We too often get caught up in the technology itself, and may lose sight of the basic human needs or desires technology is serving. With all the tech of artificial intelligence, augmented reality and any number of other buzzwords, I sense that the human angle is again being lost while we chase technological advancements for the sake of the technology rather than the sake of the human.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="Yl7Ldu"><q>The human angle is being lost while we chase technological advancements for the sake of the technology rather than the sake of the human.</q></aside></div>
<p id="rWWR0O">To frame my perspective, I think it is helpful to use the idea of human augmentation as a basis for our understanding of how technology serves humans and will always do so. The core definition of “augment” is to make something greater by adding to it. Using this framework from a historical perspective, we can observe how nearly every human technological invention was designed to augment a fundamental weakness of human beings. </p>
<p id="Khmcqa">Tools were invented to augment our hands so we can build faster, bigger, more complex things. Cars were invented to augment the limitations of the distance humans can travel. Planes were invented to augment humans lack of ability to fly. The telephone was invented to augment the limitations of human communications. Nearly every example of technological innovation we can think of had something to do with extending or making greater some aspect of a human limitation or weakness.</p>
<p id="JuNlnK">This was true of historical innovation, and it will be true of future innovation, as well. Everything we invent in the future will find a home augmenting some shortcoming of our human bodies. Technology, at its best, will extend human capabilities and allow us to do things we could not do before.</p>
<p id="sTgs5u">While we can analyze many different angles in which technology will augment our human abilities, there is one I think may be one of the more compelling things to augment: Our memory.</p>
<h2 id="qeEgyE">Memory augmentation</h2>
<p id="Wl2Kqg">My family and I recently took a vacation to Maui. It is always nice to get out of the bubble of Silicon Valley for a more natural atmosphere to observe human behavior and technology. Going to a place where most people are on vacation provides an even deeper atmospheric layer to observe.</p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="1ZDhNX"><q>One of technology’s greatest values to humans is in the assistance of capturing memories.</q></aside></div>
<p id="IvPLo9">On vacation, I saw how critical and transformative the smartphone camera has been when it comes to memory augmentation. I’ve long thought that one of technology’s greatest values to humans is in the assistance of capturing memories. For sure, this is the single driving motivation behind most people purchasing digital cameras and video cameras through the years. With most people in developed markets now owning a memory-capture device, and comparable apps on their smartphones to enhance these memories, observing memory augmentation is now a frequent activity.</p>
<p id="w4Gbpd">It was fascinating to see the lengths people on vacation would go through with their phones, drones (I was surprised how many drones I saw), GoPros, waterproof smartphone cases and more to capture and preserve their memories.</p>
<p id="WQGjqc">I saw people climbing trees, braving cliffs and hiking extreme conditions with their phones to get a unique selfie. Flying their drone overhead as they jumped off waterfalls. Putting their phones in waterproof cases to get pics of kids snorkeling. And obviously, there were lots of uses for GoPros to capture unique photos and videos of undersea creatures and experiences.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="vQaNwz"><q>The camera sensor is, and will remain for some time, one of the most important parts of our mobile computing capabilities.</q></aside></div>
<p id="N9Xtsf">As was often the case, most of the memories captured are designed to share on social media, but the point remains that these pervasive capture devices enable us to create and capture memories we would most likely forget, or have a hard time recalling if left to our memory.</p>
<p id="Cu1kO2">I’ve argued before that the camera sensor is, and will remain for some time, one of the most important parts of our mobile computing capabilities. The desire to preserve, or capture a unique memory will remain a deeply emotional and powerful motivator for humans.</p>
<p id="9j3tHm">Allowing technology to take this idea a step further, we have things like Apple Photos and Google Photos, which look over our memories and make short videos to not just augment but to automate our memory creation process. As machine learning gets even better, these technologies will make creating memories from moments even easier.</p>
<p id="QMnyPa">As technology continues to augment more and more of our human capabilities, my hope is that the technological tool or process involved will fade so deeply into the background that it nearly disappears. This way we can get the most out of our time whether at work, school, play or vacation, and spend less time fidgeting with technology. Ultimately we will be able to do more with technology, but also spend less time with the technology itself, and more time doing the things we love.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="3fn3Me">
<p id="vhNeSa"><em>Ben Bajarin is a principal analyst at </em><a href="http://creativestrategies.com/"><em>Creative Strategies Inc.</em></a><em>, an industry analysis, market intelligence and research firm located in Silicon Valley. His primary focus is consumer technology and market trend research. He is a husband, father, gadget enthusiast, trend spotter, early adopter and hobby farmer. Reach him </em><a href="https://twitter.com/benbajarin"><em>@BenBajarin</em></a>.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="mTRfSw">
<aside id="anHTHz"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"recode_daily"}'></div></aside><p><small><em>This article originally appeared on Recode.net.</em></small></p>
https://www.vox.com/2017/6/20/15841086/smartphone-camera-sensor-augment-human-memory-technology-mobileBen Bajarin2017-02-28T09:00:02-05:002017-02-28T09:00:02-05:00If Apple wants the iPad to beat the PC, it needs to make much bigger strides in iOS software
<figure>
<img alt="Apple Unveils New Versions Of Popular iPad" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RplH8bFV6vPTPeUgdmSOY2T4f80=/98x0:2743x1984/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53449339/185576305.1488233334.jpg" />
<figcaption>Justin Sullivan / Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The average consumer is still not turning to iPads or Android tablets as a replacement for his or her PC.</p> <p id="sDmJEK"><em>A version of this essay was originally published at </em><a href="https://techpinions.com/apple-airpods-more-than-just-headphones/48310"><em>Tech.pinions</em></a><em>, a website dedicated to informed opinions, insight and perspective on the tech industry.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="0sR1g3">
<p id="QfOJMU">Apple needs to take great strides in software around iOS for iPad if it wants the iPad to truly rival the PC in the minds of consumers.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="034nJi"><q>Tablets and the iPad have yet to overwhelmingly move from luxury to necessity for the vast majority.</q></aside></div>
<p id="qmY99X">I vividly remember when the iPad first hit the scene. Much of the commentary at the time ranged from confused to skeptical to <a href="https://lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/06/ipad-romance/">wildly optimistic</a> and then some. However, very few people truly grasped the underlying shift to the touch-based computing paradigm that was under way.</p>
<p id="CAZt7Z">In fact, throughout a good portion of the tablet computer’s life, the form factor has continually fallen short of its full potential. Most were convinced this device could never be a productivity machine. These folks missed the broader reality that many millions of people were being extremely productive on their smartphones using a touch-based operating system, and that generations of young people would grow up with an intense familiarity and comfort level using touch-based systems as their primary computing platforms.</p>
<p id="pshKrM">It was this broader shift of workflows, from a mouse and pointer to ones that used touch, that I articulated in one of my first public columns back in 2010, <a href="https://www.slashgear.com/from-click-to-touch-ipad-the-era-of-touch-computing-0680617/">“From Click to Touch — iPad & the Era of Touch Computing”</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p id="Q8orsr">It is interesting to have observed the barrier to computing a keyboard and mouse have been for so long. I was always amazed at how older generations stumbled with a keyboard and mouse, or how the biggest hurdle of learning computers for my children was the keyboard and mouse. Even my youngest, who had issues with the mouse and is just learning to read, is operating the iPad with ease and engaging in many learning games she couldn’t on the PC with the traditional peripherals. Think about the developing world and the people who never grew up with computers the way we in America have with a mouse and keyboard. How much more quickly will they embrace touch computing?</p></blockquote>
<p id="YkfWQr">This point, which I have expanded on and further articulated through the years, has served as the basis of my bullish view on the tablet’s potential. Touch-based operating systems, built from the mobile/smartphone experience, eliminate the complexity that exists with Windows and MacOS and make computing more accessible to the masses who are, admittedly, not the most technology-literate people. Mobile operating systems like iOS and Android abolish the need for tech literacy classes, yet still yield the same potential end results in creativity and productivity as any desktop OS.</p>
<p id="PakvX2">In the years since the iPad’s launch, the broad observation of the power in touch/mobile operating systems has manifested itself with Windows and the PC ecosystem creating products more like tablets, Apple with the iPad Pro, and now <a href="https://www.slashgear.com/samsung-galaxy-tab-s3-hands-on-premium-android-with-s-pen-26476208/">Samsung, with the Galaxy Tab S3 just announced at Mobile World Congress</a>, looking to make tablets more like PCs.</p>
<p id="chfG8n">Now we are several years down the road, and my concern is that tablets have not gained as much ground on the PC as the PC has gained on tablets. It’s true that iPad has tens of thousands of dedicated apps, and that both iPad and Android tablets are utilized in enterprises for mobile workforce computers. But the average consumer is still not turning from their PCs to iPads or Android tablets as a replacement. In a research study we did in the second half of 2016 on consumer usage and sentiment around PCs and tablets, 67 percent of consumers had not even considered replacing their PC/Mac with an iPad or Android tablet.</p>
<p id="uqhfua">As you may have seen, the tablet’s trend line is not encouraging:</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_-Agbh1PUuF8e1pb5_HyZjkG1Og=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8055909/Screen_Shot_2017_02_26_at_4.41.39_PM.png">
</figure>
<p id="h42Uzg">While it is true that the PC trendline isn’t much better, over the past year or so, a fascinating counter-trend has been happening in the PC industry: The average selling price of PCs is actually increasing. In the midst of the tablet decline, many consumers are realizing they still need a traditional laptop or desktop and are spending more on such computers than in many years past.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="lLpxS7"><q>I’m still as bullish as ever on the tablet’s potential.</q></aside></div>
<p id="e4KRAT">Our research suggests that one key reason is because consumers now understand they want a PC that will last, since they will likely keep it for six years or more. They understand that spending to get a quality product, one that won’t break frequently or be a customer support hassle, is in their best interests, and they are spending more money on PCs than ever before. This single insight is a key source of my concern for the tablet category.</p>
<p id="IDXmss">Another key data point in the tablet and PC conversation is how the tablet continues to fall by the wayside when it comes to the most important device to consumers. While the smartphone is the obvious choice that consumers pick as most important, the tablet still ranks lower than both desktops and laptops — this is true of iPad owners, too. Tablets and the iPad have yet to move overwhelmingly from luxury to necessity for the vast majority.</p>
<p id="d87WtT">I’m still as bullish as ever on the tablet’s potential. However, my concern is that consumers may be extremely stubborn and lean heavily on past behavior and familiarity with PCs instead of going through the process to replicate the workflows and activities they did on their PCs and transition to tablets. This is a year where Apple needs to take great strides in software around iOS for iPad if it wants the iPad to truly rival the PC in the minds of consumers. While tablets have no doubt grown up, they still have a little more growing to do if they want to truly challenge the PC and Mac.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="ZYDATz">
<p id="TCSk17"><em>Ben Bajarin is a principal analyst at </em><a href="http://creativestrategies.com/"><em>Creative Strategies Inc.</em></a><em>, an industry analysis, market intelligence and research firm located in Silicon Valley. His primary focus is consumer technology and market trend research. He is a husband, father, gadget enthusiast, trend spotter, early adopter and hobby farmer. Reach him </em><a href="https://twitter.com/benbajarin"><em>@BenBajarin</em></a>.</p>
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<p><small><em>This article originally appeared on Recode.net.</em></small></p>
https://www.vox.com/2017/2/28/14754482/tablet-computer-ipad-touch-pc-apple-consumerBen Bajarin2016-12-19T14:15:01-05:002016-12-19T14:15:01-05:00Apple’s AirPods are so easy to wear you’ll forget you have them on
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/N6rqNjUP7tAbZuym8GOttqwsUKs=/0x0:3308x2481/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52361271/AirPods_closeup.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Josh Edelson / AFP /Getty</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>AirPods are “just” wireless headphones about as much as the Apple Watch is just a watch and iPhone is just a phone.</p> <p id="sDmJEK"><em>A version of this essay was originally published at </em><a href="https://techpinions.com/apple-airpods-more-than-just-headphones/48310"><em>Tech.pinions</em></a><em>, a website dedicated to informed opinions, insight and perspective on the tech industry.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="qV6YB5">
<p id="Mh26t9">After a <a href="https://www.recode.net/2016/10/26/13427676/apple-airpod-wireless-headphone-delay">delayed start</a>, AirPods finally started appearing in Apple Stores this morning, and inventory quickly sold out in many locations.</p>
<p id="lbGnSx">Before they went on sale, we had quite a bit of information about AirPods and what they were capable of doing. We knew they would pair easily, and that there were sensors built in that knew when you are wearing them and when you weren’t. But some things just have to be experienced to appreciate their magic, and AiPods are one of them.</p>
<p id="wbhjk1">First, you will never see a more seamless pairing experience than the first time you pair the AirPods. Open the case, press Connect and they are instantly paired with all your iOS devices, including iPad and Apple Watch. As soon as you put one AirPod in your ear, a subtle sound lets you know they are on and ready to be used.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="A66IYd"><q>The theme of both of Apple’s wearable computers — Apple Watch and AirPods — is comfort to the degree of making them feel as though they disappear.</q></aside></div>
<p id="Yyfo4G">Perhaps my favorite feature is when you take one AirPod out, the music automatically pauses. Put it back in, and it resumes flawlessly. This is useful when someone is talking to you and you need an ear free to listen and respond. I have some context with this experience, having used the Plantronics BackBeats Pro 2, which offer a similar smart sensor that pauses your music when you take off the headphones. For whatever reason, I found taking one AirPod out much more convenient than lifting the entire headset off my head. Perhaps just personal preference, perhaps not. In either case, the seamlessness of this experience is fantastic.</p>
<p id="Kirfz1">Whenever you need to know the battery level of the AirPods or the charging case, simply open the case next to your iPhone and this screen instantly pops up. Apple is using some sort of close-proximity solution, because if you move the case even one foot away and open it, nothing happens on the phone.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tPkYQ2YTEZ71I_P1mMSDYsvSxUY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7672005/IMG_0819_1.jpg">
<cite>Ben Bajarin</cite>
</figure>
</div>
<p id="MhUOy9">I’ve been using Bluetooth headphones for years, so the awesomeness that is wireless headphones was not new to me. But these were the first I’d used that are independently wireless — not connected to anything. With sports Bluetooth headphones, you notice and feel the wire on the back of your neck as you move. Similarly, with over-the-ear wireless headphones like the Bose QuietComfort or Beats Wireless, you feel the band that goes over the top of your head. The point is, they don’t disappear. I was surprised and delighted by how comfortable the AirPods are in my ears, and how easily you forget they are there.</p>
<p id="bMLxWS">Interestingly, I feel the same way about my Apple Watch. It seems that the theme with both of Apple’s wearable computers (and yes I consider the AirPods to be wearable computers) is comfort to the degree of making them feel as though they disappear. This may be ear-shape-dependent, so my statement may not be true of everyone but it is with me.</p>
<p id="KKqedO">Many others who have tried them have commented on how well they stay in your ears. I found this to be true. I used them while doing light exercises like yoga and even some living-room cardio (via the Apple TV app Zova) and they stayed in perfectly. The lack of a cable makes a difference in helping them stay in your ears. I took it one step further and played a singles tennis match with my playing partner. I’m sure Apple wouldn’t recommend them for an intense run or similar activity, but I figured I’d try it. I’ve tried every form of sport Bluetooth headphones and, because of the wire behind my neck and some of the violent movements of tennis, they all fall out regularly. Here again, not having the wires attached made all the difference in the world. Maybe the AirPods shape fit my ears like a glove — they didn’t fall out one time during my match. In case it matters, I’m a fairly high-level (by USTA ranking) tennis player, so I go at it pretty hard.</p>
<p id="ez4ZlW">When I was tweeting my thoughts about AirPods, I got resistance from some saying, “Aren’t they just wireless headphones?” Apple’s AirPods are “just” wireless headphones about as much as the Apple Watch is just a watch and iPhone is just a phone. Nothing makes this more apparent than the Siri experience.</p>
<h2 id="yWIFfH">Siri in your ear</h2>
<p id="kGUY07">It is remarkable how much better Apple’s Siri experience is with AirPods, in part because the microphones are much closer to your mouth and, therefore, Siri can more clearly hear and understand you. I’m not sure how many people realize how many Siri failures have to do with the distance you are from your iPhone or iPad, as well as ambient background noise and the device’s ability to clearly hear you. Thanks to the beam-forming mics and some bone-conduction technology, Siri with AirPods is about as accurate a Siri experience as I’ve had.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="dYXqp6"><q>It’s remarkable how much better Apple’s Siri experience is with AirPods.</q></aside></div>
<p id="qHwEq8">In fact, in the five days I’ve been using AirPods extensively, I have yet to have Siri not understand my request. Going further, the noise-canceling built into AirPods is impressive as well. I’ve intentionally created noisy environments to test AirPods and Siri to see how it handles loud situations. Perhaps the most intense was when I turned my home-theater system to nearly its peak volume, blasted Metallica and activated Siri. Remarkably, it caught every word and processed my request.</p>
<p id="0Rje1B">Furthermore, having Siri right in your ear and available with just a double-tap on the side of either AirPod profoundly changes the experience. In many ways, AirPods deliver on the voice-first interface in the ways I’ve been impressed with Amazon’s Alexa.</p>
<p id="DFY0fO">There is something to not having to look at a screen to interact with a computer, especially in a totally hands-free fashion. The AirPods bring about an experience which feels like Siri has been set free from the iPhone. This was something that enhanced the experience, but also pointed out some holes that I hope Apple addresses.</p>
<h2 id="BvSwel">Voice-first versus voice-only interfaces</h2>
<p id="3A5hSb">There is, however, an important distinction to be made where I believe the Amazon Echo shows us a bit more of the voice-only interface, and where I’d like to see Apple take Siri when it is embedded in devices without a screen, like AirPods. The more you use Siri with AirPods, you very quickly realize how much the experience today assumes that you have a screen in front of you.</p>
<p id="mVWuCp">For example, if I use AirPods to activate Siri, and say, “What’s the latest news?” Siri will fetch the news and then say, “Here is some news — take a look.” The experience assumes I want to use my screen (or it at least assumes that I have a screen near me to look at) to read the news. Whereas the Amazon Echo and Google Home just start reading the latest news headlines and tidbits. Similarly, when I activate Siri on the AirPods and say, “Play Christmas music,” the query processes and then plays. With the Echo, the same request yields Alexa to say, “Okay, playing Christmas music from Top 50 Christmas songs.”</p>
<p id="Mov2k0">When you aren’t looking at a screen, the feedback is important. If I was to ask that same request while I was looking at my iPhone, you realize, as Siri processes the request, it says, “Okay,” on the screen but not in my ear. In voice-only interfaces, we need and want feedback that the request is happening or has been acknowledged.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="WDU5PH"><q>Take the screen away, and things start to get really interesting. This is when new behaviors and new interactions with computers take place.</q></aside></div>
<p id="6VkUUe">Again, having Siri in your ear and the ability to have a relatively hands-free and screen-free experience broke down when you asked Siri something which required unlocking your phone. For example, one of my most common Siri interactions is to locate a family member, particularly my daughter, who takes a bus home from school that has a variable drop-off time due to traffic or student tardiness. Nearly every day, I ask Siri to locate my daughter. But, when I do so via AirPods and my phone has been off long enough to lock, it says I need to unlock my iPhone first. I hit this wall due to Apple’s security protocols, which I appreciate greatly. I wonder if, in the future, we can have a biosensor in AirPods that authenticates with me and thus gives me security clearance to process a secure request like reading email, checking on a family member or other sensitive requests without having to unlock the phone first.</p>
<p id="Eof7aR">There were cases where Siri assumes I can look at my iPhone to deliver the request. There are certainly plenty of queries where Siri, in a voice-only experience, works — when you ask Siri to read your new emails, or set timers, appointments, ask what time a sports game is, etc. — but the sweet spot here will be when you can thoroughly use Siri and not need any screen for the full experience. I’m confident that Apple will increasingly go in this direction.</p>
<p id="IT19mr">Creating the Siri experience to be more than just voice-first but voice-only will be an important exercise. I strongly believe that when voice exists on a computer with a screen, it will never be the primary interaction input with that screen. Take the screen away, and things start to get really interesting. This is when new behaviors and new interactions with computers take place, and it’s what happens when you start to integrate the Amazon Echo or Google Home into your life, as both are voice-first experiences.</p>
<h2 id="4Wk3tc">Looking ahead</h2>
<p id="ZFHGOh">There is a great deal to like about AirPods. Those who buy them and use them will be pleasantly surprised and delighted by their performance as wireless headphones, and impressed with the upside of Siri in your ear. I consider the AirPods an important new product in Apple’s lineup, and in the same category as the Apple Watch regarding importance for the future.</p>
<p id="M30KqF">A significant observation of both the Apple Watch and the AirPods worth pointing out: Apple has a tendency to push engineering limits at times to learn or perfect a technique it believes is important for the future, or to learn from it in order to integrate into other products. While iPads and iPhones are getting larger, the Apple Watch and AirPods are pushing the limits of miniaturization — something that is key when we start thinking about future wearables, where companies will pack tremendous amounts of technology — sensors, microprocessors, batteries and more —into extremely small objects and manufacturing them at scale is an incredibly important skill set to develop for the future.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="8lAoWw">
<p id="YXMEDg"><em>Ben Bajarin is a principal analyst at </em><a href="http://creativestrategies.com/"><em>Creative Strategies Inc.</em></a><em>, an industry analysis, market intelligence and research firm located in Silicon Valley. His primary focus is consumer technology and market trend research. He is a husband, father, gadget enthusiast, trend spotter, early adopter and hobby farmer. Reach him </em><a href="https://twitter.com/benbajarin"><em>@BenBajarin</em></a>.</p>
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<p><small><em>This article originally appeared on Recode.net.</em></small></p>
https://www.vox.com/2016/12/19/14009236/apple-airpods-wireless-headphones-voice-first-siriBen Bajarin2016-10-10T16:00:02-04:002016-10-10T16:00:02-04:00Facebook is going to have a hard time getting people to shop through its app
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<figcaption>Allison Shelley / Getty</figcaption>
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<p>Why a company’s customers don’t pick up on new features the way they’re “supposed to.”</p> <p id="RzVuuc"><em>A version of this essay was originally published at </em><a href="https://techpinions.com/behavioral-debt/47323"><em>Tech.pinions</em></a><em>, a website dedicated to informed opinions, insight and perspective on the tech industry.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="VOJeR6">
<p id="SvV4tK">I’m fortunate to be a part of several circles here in Silicon Valley that get together frequently to discuss big ideas and engage in all kinds of technology-related philosophical questions. I started sharing a concept with this group, and was encouraged to flesh it out further. So I would like to introduce it to all of you for thoughts and feedback. Consider this one of those posts for which you need to have your thinking cap on. </p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="unhrb2"><q>“Behavioral debt” explains why a company’s customers don’t act or do the things they want them to, like Facebook’s current incursions into commerce and video.</q></aside></div>
<p id="0B0BuZ">I’m calling this concept “Behavioral Debt”: It explains why a company’s customers don’t act or do the things they want them to.</p>
<p id="Q0qv2t">The simplest way to understand this is with the popular saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I am attempting to put more understanding around this idea as it relates to the consumer tech landscape. I run into issues around behavioral debt regularly in my research on the consumer market. Companies want to know why their customers aren’t buying new products or services they offer, while their old ones seem to be all their customers are interested in. In most cases, what we observe is simply entrenched behavior that is very difficult to evolve. Once a behavior is established, debt is built up around it. The longer that behavior remains entrenched, the larger the pile of behavioral debt. The larger the pile of behavioral debt, the more difficult it is for that customer to climb out from under it.</p>
<p id="o8jViY">Let’s use a tangible example: Facebook. Facebook would like to move into a more <a href="http://www.recode.net/2016/10/3/13140804/facebook-marketplace-craigslist-classifieds-buy-sell">transactions-based model</a> for the buying and selling of goods on their platform. Here we may likely see the messy reality of behavioral debt rear its ugly head. Consumers have built up years of behavioral debt while doing a few main things on Facebook. Consumers are likely content in this reality, and when they want to buy something, they go to Amazon or some other established online merchant. Facebook wants to offer them the chance to do this on Facebook so they don’t have to leave and spend time and money somewhere else. </p>
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<p id="78YEcF">But you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and I have a feeling that convincing consumers to do anything more on Facebook than they do today will prove quite tricky, due to the many hours/years spent building up behavioral debt in how they’ve used Facebook.</p>
<p id="e8ZV2o">Similarly, Intel, Microsoft and the PC makers would all like to sell more of the 2-in-1 PC concepts. These devices are not the cheapest machines on the market, but they offer better margins. The problem is, 2-in-1 PCs sell at a fraction of the volume of notebooks. What Intel and Microsoft have not yet learned is that there is a massive amount of behavioral debt built up around the PC form factor. People understand it, they are comfortable with it, and they have established workflows on it. Many of you have heard me say that those who grew up with a PC have a bias for it. This bias is explained by behavioral debt.</p>
<p id="WUBvrF">This idea of behavioral debt also showed up recently in our mobile payments study. In markets like the U.K., where consumers have been tapping to pay with their physical credit cards for years, many consumers (nearly 40 percent) said they have yet to embrace paying with their smartphones (which they acknowledge is safer and more convenient) because it is still easier to use their physical cards to tap and pay. Another 25 percent said they simply forget that they can use their smartphone to pay instead of their credit card. This is a prime example of behavioral debt, and showcases why changing an established and entrenched behavior is extremely difficult.</p>
<p id="s4sk0u">This is why we observe consumers in emerging markets or the Gen-Z kids of today do things with their smartphones and tablets many of us can’t believe. We see them do things, and think there is no way they can do them without a PC. The reason that this “you can’t do real work on a tablet” phrase keeps erroneously showing up is because those who use it have a ton of behavioral debt around PC-based workflows. Those who do not have PC behavioral debt are free from those biases, and are able to break what seems like new ground but is entirely natural to them.</p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="tcDjBM"><q>It is so rare when consumers fundamentally change a behavior that it should be considered quite profound.</q></aside></div>
<p id="VXr0ST">This should also be recognized by startups trying to do something similar but better than what a popular service already does. We see startup after startup offering a feature, like a messaging app or a commerce store that proposes to be better than what hundreds of millions of people already use. More often than not, these fail because, when behavioral debt is built up, the person rarely wants better — <em>they simply want familiar.</em></p>
<p id="K3yB9Y">Getting customers to break free from behavioral debt is very hard. It also seems it is very rare, given the case studies I’m finding and working through. In fact, it could be observed it is so rare when consumers fundamentally change a behavior that it should be considered quite profound. Doing so means an acknowledgment the new way is dramatically better and thus the behavior change is swift. This happens less frequently than we often believe in consumer markets.</p>
<p id="1LGcZc">This one point, circling back to Facebook, is what makes something like Snapchat so interesting. Snapchat is on pace with Facebook in the number of videos played, the main difference being that the vast majority of videos played on Facebook are not clicked on, where in Snapchat they are. <a href="http://www.recode.net/2016/4/6/11585888/facebook-paying-media-partners-like-buzzfeed-to-livestream">Facebook wants/needs videos to be successful</a>, but its users just want to get on Facebook, post a picture or share something, see some posts from others and move on.</p>
<p id="7P8Hvo">Getting video engagement has been a challenge for Facebook because of their users’ behavioral debt. But with Snapchat, video was the assumed experience from the beginning. Starting fresh means starting without behavioral debt. This is why, in my opinion, Facebook must continue down the road of acquiring a family of assets which encompass the needed consumer behavior. Buy Snapchat for video, Twitter for real-time news and global social communication, and whatever else springs up.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="sWNJDj">
<p id="sjp83L"><em>Ben Bajarin is a principal analyst at </em><a href="http://creativestrategies.com/"><em>Creative Strategies Inc.</em></a><em>, an industry analysis, market intelligence and research firm located in Silicon Valley. His primary focus is consumer technology and market trend research. He is a husband, father, gadget enthusiast, trend spotter, early adopter and hobby farmer. Reach him </em><a href="https://twitter.com/benbajarin"><em>@BenBajarin</em></a>.</p>
<p id="b2wn4K"></p>
<p><small><em>This article originally appeared on Recode.net.</em></small></p>
https://www.vox.com/2016/10/10/13189980/technology-consumer-behavior-behavioral-debt-theory-facebookBen Bajarin2016-09-28T13:12:04-04:002016-09-28T13:12:04-04:00The future of mobile payments is here, it’s just not evenly distributed
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/J0CxcOHGWBhVMusUK5EPtL8gTr8=/544x0:4896x3264/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51087549/Apple_20Pay_20China.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>A consumer uses Apple Pay on the Apple Watch at a McDonald's in Beijing, China. | VCG / Getty</figcaption>
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<p>Consumers are ready for tap-to-pay, but retailers and banks need to catch up to demand.</p> <p id="ssOS8e"><em>A version of this essay was originally published at </em><a href="https://techpinions.com/mobile-payments-the-future-is-here-just-not-evenly-distributed/47259"><em>Tech.pinions</em></a><em>, a website dedicated to informed opinions, insight and perspective on the tech industry.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="zVYx7v">
<p id="FMS18s">If you’re anything like me, and you’ve made a payment at retail with your smartphone, you’ll feel this is the future of payments. But as the famous quote from William Gibson says, "the future is here. It is just not evenly distributed." After conducting some research in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, it would be hard to find a more appropriate phrase for mobile contactless payments.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="QzAOqp"><q>It’s not consumers standing in the way of adoption of contactless, tap-to-pay technology. Retailers and banks need to make the appropriate moves to bring this safer and more secure way to pay to their customers.</q></aside></div>
<p id="IlfHEb">Last fall, the U.S. went through a drastic disturbance in consumer retail stores thanks to the <a href="http://www.recode.net/2016/8/24/12587094/microchip-credit-card-transition-failure-disaster">EMV shift</a>, which moved us from swiping our credit cards to inserting them into a terminal and waiting for the transaction to complete. With the average transaction time still taking between five and 10 seconds — down from 15 seconds six to eight months ago, U.S. consumers have had friction added to their checkout process.</p>
<p id="v0lLCt">It is with this retail experience in mind that we were hopeful, last fall, that mobile contactless payments would take off. Toward the end of 2015, roughly 17 percent of iPhone owners had used Apple Pay, and 7 percent of Android owners had used Android Pay. Part of this had to do with less than 50 percent of the iPhone installed base in these markets having devices that are Apple Pay-capable. An even smaller number of Android-based devices in use are NFC-capable. Here we are a year later, with exponentially more smartphones in the market NFC-capable and, interestingly, not a lot has changed.</p>
<p id="CN3kHw">When it comes to tap-to-pay terminals, the U.S. is well behind markets like the U.K. and Australia. While we are still in early days with consumers paying with their smartphone in those markets, as well, a majority of consumers there are already using tap-to-pay on a regular basis, using their bank-issued card with an NFC chip in it. We decided it would be interesting to study consumers in the U.K., Australia and the U.S. in order to see the contrast between mature contactless (tap-to-pay) payment markets and one like the U.S. where it is all brand-new.</p>
<p id="Qu3uMX">We asked consumers in the U.S., U.K. and Australia if they have ever used a form of contactless payment, defined as tapping to pay with your bank-issued card or mobile phone.</p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8h9RDeHTau0QD4UbZKdZDqRz2Do=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7171239/Bajarin-2016-09-24-at-8.44.50-AM.png">
</figure>
<p id="OWzd1e">As you can see, when it comes to contactless tapping to pay behaviors, markets like the U.K. and Australia, with bank-issued cards that have tap-to-pay functionality and the vast majority of merchants accepting tap-to-pay, it paints a very different picture than the U.S. market. Where ~80 precent of consumers in the U.K. and Australia have used a tap-to-pay method, 80 percent of consumers in the U.S. had not. Part of this has to do with minimal acceptance of contactless methods at U.S. retail, compared to many merchants accepting it in the U.K. and Australia.</p>
<p id="todoRZ">To further highlight the stark differences of the U.S. market compared to the U.K. and Australia, where a form of contactless payment is a normal transaction behavior, 61 percent of U.S. consumers said they are not that familiar or not familiar at all with any kind of contactless payment method. One solid conclusion from our research is that we still have a lot of educating to do on the U.S. market.</p>
<h2 id="R8YwPL">Room to grow for mobile payments</h2>
<p id="KowGxD">After studying all three markets, what I found most interesting was, first, the disparity between consumers using contactless in the U.K .and Australia and those not using it in the U.S. as outlined above. The second thing that stood out was how all three markets were remarkably similar when it came to usage of mobile contactless payments —meaning using something like Apple Pay, Android Pay or Samsung Pay.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/px-khmdEnuPCuluEm7wTutdNLHc=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7171247/Screen-Shot-2016-09-24-at-8.57.44-AM.png">
</figure>
<p id="p3XF93">The chart shows the types of contactless transactions consumers have tried in all three markets. Interestingly, while tapping to pay with your credit/debit card is an established behavior in the U.K. and Australia (more than 50 percent of the market uses this method on a weekly basis), consumers in those markets have yet to fully transition their contactless payment behaviors from their credit/debit card to their smartphone, even though it is accepted almost universally in their country.</p>
<p id="k8mDg9">When it came to which mobile contactless payment was most popular among those who said they have used their mobile phone to tap and pay, Apple Pay is the most common form of mobile payment, with 62 percent usage share of mobile contactless methods, compared to less than 30 percent for Android Pay and Samsung Pay respectively.</p>
<p id="rKUBBd">While we are still new to paying for goods and services with our smartphones, the future seems bright. Our research found that consumers who have used Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay had high satisfaction levels with the experience, with speed and convenience the biggest factors in their satisfaction, and a high propensity to use it more often in the future.</p>
<h2 id="E2uWJ2">Security is still the largest barrier for non-users</h2>
<p id="ibsTNi">The sleeper story for consumers is security. While this happens to be one of the single most important reasons to adopt contactless payments, it is also the one that is least understood by consumers. In all three markets, 40 percent of consumers listed security concerns of adding their credit/debit card to their smartphone as the main reason they have yet to try it, while 29 percent said not trusting the transaction was secure as their main reason.</p>
<p id="ys4gr4">In an era of heightened awareness of identity fraud, merchant breaches of credit card data and more, it is not surprising security concerns came up time and time again in our study. Yet, a data point that stood out was that 45 percent of consumers stated an increase in willingness to use mobile contactless payments if retailers and banks helped them understand the security benefits of using something like Apple Pay, Android Pay or Samsung Pay. This was listed as the single biggest thing retailers and banks could do to get them to use mobile contactless payments.</p>
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<p>As I analyzed the data of more than 50 questions between all three markets, and the responses of 1,761 consumers, I’m convinced as ever mobile payments are the future. As more banks support it, merchants accept it and consumers understand the security benefits, I’m convinced we will get to an era where paying with our smartphones is the normal and most common behavior. However, our research strongly suggests that it is not consumers standing in the way of adoption. It is retailers and banks that need to make the appropriate moves to bring this safer and more secure way to pay to their customers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p id="QSA5nH">I’ll be presenting the full findings of our research at a VIP event hosted by NXP in Las Vegas on Oct. 24. If you are coming to <a href="https://www.money2020.com">Money20/20</a>, or are a VIP in the banking and transaction industry, or in the media, let me know if you would like to attend.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="yuInkZ">
<p id="ccxU3u"><em>Ben Bajarin is a principal analyst at </em><a href="http://creativestrategies.com/"><em>Creative Strategies Inc.</em></a><em>, an industry analysis, market intelligence and research firm located in Silicon Valley. His primary focus is consumer technology and market trend research. He is a husband, father, gadget enthusiast, trend spotter, early adopter and hobby farmer. Reach him </em><a href="https://twitter.com/benbajarin"><em>@BenBajarin</em></a>.</p>
<p id="RJIp78"> </p>
<p><small><em>This article originally appeared on Recode.net.</em></small></p>
https://www.vox.com/2016/9/28/13067218/mobile-payments-contactless-tap-to-pay-apple-androidBen Bajarin2016-09-16T16:00:08-04:002016-09-16T16:00:08-04:00Living with the ‘benchmark’ jet-black iPhone 7 Plus
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<figcaption>Customers inspect the new iPhone models after the release at the Apple Store in Melbourne, Australia on Sept. 16, 2016. | Asanka Brendon Ratnayake / Anadolu Agency / Getty</figcaption>
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<p>I’ve never loved a piece of electronics this much before.</p> <p id="ssOS8e"><em>A version of this essay was originally published at </em><a href="https://techpinions.com/the-benchmark-iphone-7-plus/47175"><em>Tech.pinions</em></a><em>, a website dedicated to informed opinions, insight and perspective on the tech industry.</em></p>
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<p id="k4kKK0">“The iPhone is the industry gold standard,” <a href="http://www.mobileworldlive.com/devices/news-devices/apple-reveals-iphone-watch-updates/">said Tim Cook</a> at last week’s Apple product-launch event. “The phone by which all other phones are compared.” </p>
<p id="cOG8DG">Yesterday, <a href="https://techpinions.com/apple-and-the-bar-by-which-tech-is-measured/47157">I articulated for Tech.pinions subscribers</a> how this is true of Apple at an industry level, not just with the iPhone. But any reasonable person understands that Tim Cook is right. Apple sets the bar, and brings cutting-edge technology to the masses like no other technology brand.</p>
<p id="qXpsBF">During the past week, I’ve spent some time with the jet-black iPhone 7 Plus, and I’d like to share some thoughts from that experience.</p>
<h2 id="5fUSrZ">Thinking about design</h2>
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<p id="aKCwk3"><a href="https://techpinions.com/iphone-5-the-most-beautiful-iphone-yet-and-more/10034">I said of the iPhone 5</a>, upon seeing and using it, that it felt as though it were a piece of jewelry. I still feel that way about that design. It was iconic in many ways. With the new jet-black and matte-black designs of the iPhone 7 Plus, I’m reminded of sports cars. The jet-black finish is the reason I’ve been telling folks that I’ve never loved a piece of electronics this much before.</p>
<p id="8LDoNE">Reading the tea leaves about Apple’s design strategy around colors and materials, a few things stand out. First, a high-level observation is that the colors are not staying entirely the same. First it was gold, then rose gold, and now two entirely new blacks. Things will get very interesting if this is a continuing pattern. We have already heard rumors that Apple is looking into ceramics for future versions, maybe doing new things with glass, etc., which makes for an interesting design point with each passing year. </p>
<p id="S8wckT">The key here is that we can expect new colors, materials, or variations to deliver some dramatic new finishes each year. Yet, they remain grounded in high-end or luxury coatings, the way high-end cars strategically span certain colors and materials. The idea that during each buying cycle consumers may be confronted with new types of innovative colors and materials is an interesting idea. Again, it reminds me quite a bit of how car manufacturers use color innovation and new types of materials (carbon fiber, mesh or other types of metals) to add design flair to their cars each year.</p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="E59IsR"><q>We can expect new colors, materials or variations to deliver some dramatic new finishes each year.</q></aside></div>
<p id="R8XQDw">Similarly, sports car designs are iconic. You know a Porsche 911 when you see one, no matter what year it was made. I feel similarly about Apple sticking with certain design language, and thus establishing it as iconic. Iconic car designs have slight variations year to year, but never dramatic departures from the iconic look. I feel that Apple is on a similar design path. </p>
<p id="4ts7oY">I was curious about the car-choosing parallels with where Apple is going in color and design materials. I quickly polled iPhone owners in our panel, and found that only 2 percent say they always buy the exact same color car. Some 65 percent said they generally lean toward buying the same color as their last car, but they like to look around at new colors/materials in case something stands out. And 33 percent of the market tends to switch colors in order to use something new or have variety.</p>
<p id="mEJWKO">It is possible that I’m reading too much into the car/luxury car parallels, but I tend to do that from time to time.</p>
<h2 id="AEOMoD">Thinking about the camera</h2>
<p id="iepUTP">What happens when everyone can take professional-looking photos? This goes far beyond the resolution of the pictures to the ability to take a simple photo of a sunset or your kids, and have the camera do all the hard work.</p>
<p id="4Jh49P">In early research with consumers who have no photography background whatsoever, we looked at motivations and drivers for their purchase of a DSLR. It came back to the quality of the photo. We often heard the remark, “It lets me take so much better pictures of my kids or family.” Which makes sense. DSLR camera technology is great at taking professional-looking photos on the Auto setting — which is the only setting most consumers use to take pictures with on their DSLR. The bottom line is that they bought the DSLR because the camera did all the hard work of taking great pictures. I jokingly nicknamed these “point-and-shoot DSLRs,” because that is basically what they were for the mainstream, non-photography consumers who purchased them.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="Sfoaer"><q>Even professional photographers are making bold claims about the iPhone 7 camera.</q></aside></div>
<p id="PseKl3">This has always been the clear value proposition of smartphones, and the quality of smartphone photos has undoubtedly gotten better over the years. But this time around, it feels like even professional photographers are making bold claims about the iPhone 7 camera. Emphasizing my point about the value perception of a DSLR. In consumers’ minds, “professional” is now achievable in a smartphone, and will continue on this path for years to come. I’m not saying this is a total DSLR replacement. I’m saying that the core value of a DSLR for the mainstream can now fully apply to the smartphone.</p>
<p id="1RN7L0">Certainly, there is more to my statement with the iPhone 7 Plus dual-lens camera, which many professionals have remarked is best in class when it comes to a smartphone camera. This is where Apple’s tight integration of hardware, software and custom silicon gives it an advantage. The combination of the hardware and the software designed to focus on a single thing — better pictures — is exactly why DSLRs helped the average consumer take a better-looking photograph. Just point and shoot and get near-professional pictures in terms of exposure and focus. This is what the mainstream values.</p>
<p id="uKNYkf">One of the best values of the dual-lens approach that Apple is taking is with the 2x optical telephoto. Having taken many photography classes in my life, I’ve learned that when taking portrait photos, you want the subject to “fill the frame” — basically, get as close as you can to fill the subject in the entire frame, or close to it. In the past, doing this with a smartphone meant getting right up in your subject’s face. With the 2x zoom, you can now be standing at the distance most normal people do from their subject, yet use the 2x zoom and fill the frame. This is a subtle yet powerful change in how people can use the dual-lens feature to get better photographs. Smartphone cameras were about as good as point-and-shoot cameras. Now, I’d argue that we are seeing the path for them to take on DSLRs. The key point for me is that all the best photos of my family — the ones in frames and on the walls— were taken on DSLRs. I’m certain that this will no longer be the case going forward.</p>
<p id="uu7078">Here is the 2x portrait technique in action. Both photos are shot from the same distance from our dog Nutmeg. I can’t emphasize enough how different an opportunity this presents for smartphone photography. Many subjects, like little kids, animals, etc., are less cooperative, so taking a true portrait, due to how physically close you have to be, is frequently an awful and frustrating experience.</p>
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<figcaption>Photo at 1x</figcaption>
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<h2 id="JHPvZT">Thinking about silicon</h2>
<p id="w6HOT1">I maintain one of the most underappreciated things about the “new Apple” is its custom-designed silicon. The company designs its own processors and even many of the sensors in all of its products now, and the number of Apple-designed chipsets in every product seems to be increasing every year. I expect this to continue. We know that Apple’s iPhone and iPad stand out from their competitors because they have iOS, an operating system no competitor can use. Much of Apple’s objective differentiation is tied to the fact it runs an operating system no one else has. I’d argue that its efforts in custom silicon designs are as important as its work in custom operating systems as a differentiating factor. Both are best in class, and both are exclusive to Apple products.</p>
<p id="9LTAYF">Apple’s software plays a key role in making its products stand out. The company’s custom silicon makes the experience of that software stand out even more. While this experience can come in the way of more quality apps, graphics or other visuals, perhaps the best example of this advantage is the increase of battery life of the new iPhones.</p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="cRAyd9"><q>I’d argue that Apple’s efforts in custom silicon designs are as important as its work in custom operating systems as a differentiating factor.</q></aside></div>
<p id="fCzWh5">Having tested many devices, and being among the top 1 percent of heavy mobile users, I routinely run out of battery life on every smartphone I try. For most of the past two years, I was on an iPhone 6s and, near the end of every day, my battery life was in the 10-20 percent range. Since June, I’ve been on the iPhone SE, and was routinely under 10 percent at the end of each day. With the iPhone 7 Plus, I have yet to get below 30 percent by the end of day on heavy usage days and, on light days, my battery life stays in the 40 percent range by the end of day.</p>
<p id="SvQypc">Apple’s custom-designed A10 chip, and its ability to tune its software for better battery life, is a key reason for these gains. The A 10 Fusion processor uses a mix of two low-power-efficient cores, which can handle most tasks by most users and keep the higher-performance cores from turning on. When users need it, the higher-performance cores kick into gear and power the more intense graphics and visual elements of iOS. By not having to run these larger, more powerful cores all the time, the new iPhones are getting much better battery life than other devices in my initial testing. While there are many other objective benchmarks we can point to which highlight Apple’s silicon advantage, battery life is one of the many consumers will latch on to, because it is a known pain point.</p>
<p id="hE15RE">When we polled consumers on certain features and pain points regarding both waterproofing and better battery life, we discovered that 51 percent of iPhone owners say they have run out of battery by 5 pm on their smartphone before, and had no way to charge it, and had to go some time without a working smartphone. Some 45 percent of consumers have, at some point, dropped their phone in the water; and, of those, 16 percent had to get a new phone because of the water damage.</p>
<p id="GYK3nQ">Similarly, of existing iPhone owners planning to upgrade to the new devices and those strongly tempted to upgrade now they have seen them, the better-battery-life story resonates the strongest, with the improved camera the second-biggest motivating factor. </p>
<p id="n6tdrd">These are practical improvements which hit a key pain point in the market today, and these features alone could move the needle for Apple in the next few quarters.</p>
<p id="9Xnjdn">While pundits may look at the current iPhones and claim that it doesn’t meet their expectations, the bottom line is that the new designs — and even more so, the improvements to the fundamental experience like camera, battery, performance, etc., — will speak most powerfully to the mainstream consumer. This market represents the 80 percent, and it’s worth remembering Apple makes products for the mainstream, not the tech elite, even though the tech elite can find many things innovative about the new iPhones should they only try.</p>
<h2 id="N0ZBnl">Afterthoughts</h2>
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<li id="bEXulJ">I think it’s incredibly significant that there are APIs Apple has made available for Live Photos. I can’t wait to see what developers do to integrate Live Photo support into their apps. Primarily because I discovered something interesting about Live Photos. As nice as they are for your photos, they become incredibly interesting with other people’s photos. I discovered this with my 13-year-old daughter, as she was taking many pictures on our recent family vacation. With my Live Photos, I took the shot, so I know all the little secrets behind the picture. Going and looking at her Live Photos is an entirely different experience, because I get to discover the moments behind the photo for the first time. This is surprisingly delightful, and will add a dimension to friends and family posts on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram or elsewhere that people will really love.</li>
<li id="Y7H896">People have asked if the jet-black finish is slippery. The answer is no. To give you a sense of the feel of the jet-black version, just feel your iPhone’s screen. The feel of the screen is very similar to the feel of the back of the jet-black design.</li>
<li id="wvS5Mr">People also wondered if the jet-black scratches easily. I’ll echo what others have said about it getting small microabrasions, but not scratches. Mine has very little microabrasions which you have to try really hard to see. Doesn’t seem to scratch easy as I’ve bonked it on hard objects on accident. </li>
<li id="dHXQeN">Concerning low-light photos: Here are two pictures I took on my porch last night. This is a tough photo because it is only using the ambient light from my porch lights. One is from the iPhone 7 Plus and the other from the iPhone 6s Plus. You can see that they are both great, but the 7 Plus has more light on my siding and cushions, less noise, more dynamic range, and overall less darkness.</li>
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<figcaption>iPhone 6s Plus</figcaption>
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<figcaption>iPhone 7 Plus</figcaption>
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<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="ozn7od">
<p id="0cy6Nl"><em>Ben Bajarin is a principal analyst at </em><a href="http://creativestrategies.com"><em>Creative Strategies Inc.</em></a><em>, an industry analysis, market intelligence and research firm located in Silicon Valley. His primary focus is consumer technology and market trend research. He is a husband, father, gadget enthusiast, trend spotter, early adopter and hobby farmer. Reach him </em><a href="https://twitter.com/benbajarin"><em>@BenBajarin</em></a>.</p>
<p><small><em>This article originally appeared on Recode.net.</em></small></p>
https://www.vox.com/2016/9/16/12943750/apple-iphone-7-plus-camera-battery-first-impressions-jet-blackBen Bajarin2016-08-09T10:00:03-04:002016-08-09T10:00:03-04:00Netflix and the future of entertainment
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<figcaption>The Netflix original drama “Stranger Things” could have been a two-hour movie, but was made better from a storytelling perspective by being made into an eight-hour series. | Netflix</figcaption>
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<p>The future: Story as a service.</p> <p id="jHoCi5"><em>A version of this essay was originally published at </em><a href="https://techpinions.com/netflix-and-the-future-of-entertainment/46750"><em>Tech.pinions</em></a><em>, a website dedicated to informed opinions, insight and perspective on the tech industry.</em></p>
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<p id="iuu3ZN">I spent last Thursday night watching all eight episodes of "<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80057281">Stranger Things</a>," a new Netflix Original series. When Netflix releases a full season of episodes of a show, I tend to watch them all in fairly quick succession. I have had long debates with myself as to whether I prefer having a season’s episodes released all at once or weekly over the span of many months. I’m still not sure which I prefer, but I do think Netflix is on to something that may give us a glimpse into the future model for entertainment.</p>
<p id="Dzt67X">What made "Stranger Things" interesting was that it felt like a story that could have been a two-hour movie but was made better from a storytelling perspective by being made into an eight-hour series. "Stranger Things" could end now or go another year, but either way, it had a satisfying end.</p>
<aside id="dyADBt"><q class="is-align-right">The model that Netflix, HBO and Amazon Prime Video are using with their approach of original content investment is the beginning of this shift to storytelling as a service.</q></aside><p id="3ThPnD">The full-series release of the season gave the impression of it being a great movie broken up into episodes that could be consumed in my own time — all at once or over time. This model allows writers to do more than they could in a movie, given the time constraint. I’d even offer the viewpoint that this model allows for better storytelling overall. Which is why the glimpse we are seeing from Netflix is the future of entertainment — storytelling as a service.</p>
<p id="uyh7WR">Interestingly, in a recent cloud services study we did at Creative Strategies, 47 percent percent of consumers said they were more likely to pay for an internet service that was entertainment-based than any other kind of internet service category. Consumers like to be entertained, and they are okay paying for it. This is not surprising.</p>
<p id="rJTqNT">But the model that Netflix, HBO and Amazon Prime Video are using with their approach of original content investment is the beginning of this shift to storytelling as a service. Which means that their investment in original content and even the hiring of full-time story writers is essential to their futures. But it also positions them as the best ,versus network TV brands who are stuck in the "show a week" model.</p>
<p id="jiIAGr">Over the weekend, using our Survey Hound research technique, I took a quick sample of our panel and found that 83 percent of consumers say they have binge-watched entire series or seasons and 40 percent said they do so monthly. Even more interestingly, 75 percent of consumers said they prefer the shows series/season to be released all at once versus one per week.</p>
<p id="i6zDYq">TV networks are, in my opinion and analysis, not well-positioned for this shift, given their business model. Due to their advertising focus, they are incentivized to release content over long periods of time, because of how they structure ad deals. Netflix, HBO and Amazon are not subsidizing these shows by ads but by my consumer dollars, so I’m paying for these stories as a service. Which allows for this favorable model consumers prefer of releasing all at once.</p>
<aside id="WNUA6S"><q class="is-align-right">The challenge, as I see it, is their need to keep the stories coming. If I’m paying for it, then I always want something to be on.</q></aside><p id="sGiyF1">The challenge, as I see it, is their need to keep the stories coming. If I’m paying for it, then I always want something to be on. The thing I dislike the most about binge-watching a series is when it’s over. After you finish a series or season in a weekend, we need/want something else, and if we’re paying for these stories as a service, we will demand it. Netflix, Amazon, HBO and any others wanting to compete here for consumer dollars need to be extremely aggressive in how much original content they release regularly. Again, the demand, if this future comes to fruition, is that we will always want a fresh story. That will be expensive.</p>
<p id="SYswei">I often emphasize a point that consumer markets are not generally "winner take all" markets. However, this may be one of those areas where it could be, simply on the point of economics to invest and create original stories at a frequent pace. The capital intensive nature of this business model means those who pull it off will acquire the most customers, and can turn that revenue scale into investments in new content.</p>
<p id="pWeiqd">Storytelling is not a commodity, and quality production of content is not cheap. Even in the neutralizing era of the internet, not everyone can do this well. So it will continue to be an area less open for disruption.</p>
<p id="NvmOw6">This shift is just starting to happen, but I do believe we are nearing a tipping point in the way consumers consume their content. This will have a major impact in incumbents today, and could put companies like Netflix in dominant positions in the future of entertainment.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="3qSV9C">
<p id="in1nPA"><em>Ben Bajarin is a principal analyst at </em><a href="http://creativestrategies.com"><em>Creative Strategies Inc.</em></a><em>, an industry analysis, market intelligence and research firm located in Silicon Valley. His primary focus is consumer technology and market trend research. He is a husband, father, gadget enthusiast, trend spotter, early adopter and hobby farmer. Reach him </em><a href="https://twitter.com/BenBajarin"><em>@BenBajarin</em></a><em>.</em></p>
<p><small><em>This article originally appeared on Recode.net.</em></small></p>
https://www.vox.com/2016/8/9/12402746/netflix-stranger-things-binge-watching-story-as-service-future-entertainmentBen Bajarin