I agree with the shift away from PCs. I took a trip down to DC for the ong weekend via a Greyhound bus. The majority of people on the bus were using tablets of some sort or their smartphone to watch videos/movies/play games.
When I browsed related information about electronic products, a interesting title attracts me: Will Samsung be the next Dell due to the increasingly serious homogenization in smartphone, or in all electronic products. Or smartphone and Tablet PC will step into the road of the leaguered PC industry.
As we all know, global PC industry in 2012 suffered the first decline with shipments declining by 6.4% over 2011 and is still in a difficult development environment, due to the sluggish worldwide economic situation and the fierce competition from smartphone and Tablet PC, which, by contrast, are expected to achieve more than 50% of growth rate in 2012 and shore up the semiconductor industry as a whole. Considering the continuous strong market prospect, more and more manufacturers flock into this segment.
However, there is a problem standing out so that we can't ignore: the homogenization sign in smartphone is becoming more and more obvious, large-size, high-resolution, mobile payment, wireless wifi and charging service seems to be the basic characteristic or function whether in high-end smartphone or in low-end smartphone, whether in brand handset or in fortress mobile phone. As such, the resulting smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung, Apple, Nokia, and Sony and so on will step into the road like HP and Dell, suffering the sudden and dramatic reduction in revenue. Of course, the current mobile devices have large development space, which can access to potential consumers in Africa, in emerging markets including China, India and Brazil. But when the market becomes saturated, what result will face them. Adding the significant price falling, this moment seems not very remote.
According to the data about handset ranking, Samsung outpaced Nokia and ranked the first among all phone makers with market shares expecting to reach 33%. But if the "PC crisis" occurs in mobile phone industry, Samsung will also suffer largest damage, due to profit will flow to operating system manufacturers. This, at some extent, poses requirements for innovation. But in addition to the currently prevail direction and the possible bendable display, there is no large progress direction.
Despite Apple cutting orders from panel manufacturers such as Japan Display Inc. and Sharp Corp, South Korean concern LG Display Co, Seiko Epson Corp and Murata Manufacturing Co, due to the lower-than-expected shipments of iPhone 5, Apple can still maintain a strong position if considering the iOS system. Therefore, Samsung has the largest possibility to be the next Dell if the "PC road" of smartphone comes.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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