“Last quarter, Apple made $6.8 billion in sales in ‘Greater China’ — which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan — up 67 percent from the year before,” Jon Fortt writes for CNBC. “Sales in the Americas and Europe? Up less than 15 percent.”
“This, in a nutshell, is the challenge that faces the entire mobile industry: Growth opportunities lie in emerging markets, where a new price-sensitive middle class is booming,” Fortt writes. “To win the next phase of the computing race, the heavyweights will have to rethink their approach.”
Fortt writes, “But Google’s not exactly in the clear, either. One of the major announcements out of the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona this week is the debut of Mozilla’s Firefox OS for smartphones. The concept is similar to Google’s Chrome OS for PCs: Instead of a traditional operating system, Firefox OS is basically a browser designed to run web apps. The likelihood is that Firefox OS, at least in the early going, will try to challenge Android at the low end of the smartphone market.bAnother upcoming mobile OS, Tizen, is similar. With backing from Samsung, Intel and others, Tizen aims to provide a more web-friendly alternative to the strong position iOS and Android have in the smartphone market.”
Read more in the full article here.
Related articles:
Open-source Firefox OS takes aim at Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android – February 25, 2013
Apple iPhones 3 times more reliable than Samsung phones – February 23, 2013
Watch out Fragmandroid, Samsung plans big push for Tizen mobile OS – February 14, 2013
After having doing business in greater China regions for over decades, one should understand any Asian with real purchasing power will prefer the real iPhone as oppose to the cheap iPhone. I am not sure how well cheap iPhone will sale in greater China regions. I just have to wait and see.
I’d laugh if Firefox OS kicked the snot out of Google. Doubt it because of Fandroids, but would be funny!
This is still another question that gives Tim Cook that “deer in the headlights” look. Clueless. AAPL falls some more. And, more to come. Flame away! But, unless you acknowledge the accuracy of my position, your irrational support for the now beleaguered CEO makes you look just as lost.
Apple tried an OS that did everything through a browser type interface — the original iOS. It worked and sold OK, but didn’t really take off until Apple allowed native apps.
Why would I ever think that a Firefox OS that forces everything through a browser type interface will have any significant impact on a device running an OS that allows native apps?
You should pay attention to history and what has worked versus what has not worked (or at least not worked well). There’s no reason to flame you (and I’d guess you don’t even know what a flame ware is really like). All I have to do is point you to the history of smart phones over the last six years so you can learn what has and hasn’t worked.
One word: troll!
I wish I were as “beleaguered”as Tim Cook! He heads a company that is making money. Very good money. Worldwide.
You enjoy trying to sound Apple’s imminent failure, yet you have never successfully convinced anyone here that some other company out there is doing better or will in the next few years. What company has the integration of iTunes, the App Store, great software, and top-quality hardware? Enlighten us, and then go away and start your own news aggregation site extolling the virtues of said company. Failing that, just go away.
ppeterson – how’s the water under the bridge? troll!
That’s not water. It’s Pee Pee’s urine.
“Forced to reckon?”
Apple’s top guys are not brain dead on different markets needing different products.
It takes time to enter entirely different markets and position the product correctly. Arguably Apple has had its hands full for 5 years rolling out to the most profitable market segment.
Seems like a winner to me.
Apple is doing a nice little business and could carry one even if it never sells a phone in China. The fact that there are over a billion people there and perhaps only 1% can afford iPhones still leaves Apple with a substantial business there. Apple does not need to own the entire telephone space in China to do well. Please QUIT WITH THE MARKET SHARE DRIVEL.