Posted on Tue, Aug 23, 2011 @ 02:15 PM
Originally published in All Car Tech
The lightbulb killed the gas lamp. The DVD killed the VHS tape. And now, the world is preparing for the death of another invention past its prime: the standalone GPS device.
We've been expecting this funeral for some time. Google Maps' debut on smartphones was a bad omen, and each new travel app has been another nail in the standalone's coffin. We've bade a long, lingering goodbye to hardware from manufacturers like Garmin and TomTom, and it's about time to call up the pallbearers.
Why now?
The death knell for GPS units has officially been sounded by marketing powerhouse Chadwick Martin Bailey. CMB asked 1,461 adults across the U.S. about their technology habits. What researchers found was that owners of smartphones and tablet computers are using them in place of many devices they've traditionally relied on.
For example, nearly half of all tablet owners said they now watch movies on their tablets, instead laptops, notebooks, or portable DVD players. (More alarming for cinema owners: 34% said they'd stopped going to the movies altogether.)
The statistics are equally grim for standalone GPS units: among people who own smartphones or tablets, 80% said that they use those devices for getting around. And nearly all -- 89% -- said that they're using other mapping and directional resources less.
Specifically, among people who own a GPS unit as well as a smartphone and/or tablet, 38% said that they were using the GPS unit less than in the past because they preferred to use their mobile devices. Add to that the booming rate of smartphone adoption and the fact that over 25% of U.S. adults are considering a tablet purchase, and the future looks bleak, indeed.
But this shouldn't be too surprising. After all, standalone GPS units are very limited. Like CD players, portable DVD units, and other single-function items, GPS units serve one purpose, and one purpose only. It only makes sense that such devices would be supplanted by roving computers capable of doing many things -- and of being adapted to do others.
This news might indirectly offer a few more clues as to what Garmin is unleashing this Wednesday. We'd almost bet the farm that it has something to do with app expansion or a new concierge service, since that's clearly what's trending in the marketplace. We'll give you the full report later this week.
Posted on Fri, Aug 19, 2011 @ 04:07 PM
originally published in Marketing Daily
Tablets and iPhones are fundamentally changing the way people get their entertainment, and they may eventually make that DVD player, GPS and other single-use electronic devices obsolete.
According to a new survey of more than 1,400 consumers by research agency Chadwick Martin Bailey (CMB), people are using their smartphones and tablets for a variety of entertainment outlets, from games to watching movies and television. According to the research, more than half of smartphone and tablet users play games on their device. As a result, nearly two-thirds of tablet owners are using other devices (particularly portable gaming devices) less for this purpose.
Similarly, two-thirds of tablet owners are using their devices to watch feature-length movies. With further tablet adoption, the stand-alone DVD player may become obsolete, says Chris Neal, vice president of CMB's tech and telecom practice. With just over a quarter (26%) of U.S. adults saying they expect to purchase a tablet in the coming year, that development could come relatively quickly, he says.
"As people get more tablets, these devices are an endangered species," Neal tells Marketing Daily. "Those specialty devices do one application really, really well. Now you've got a device that does multiple things."
Even worse are the prospects for stand-alone GPS systems. According to the research, 80% of tablet and smartphone owners have used their devices for mapping and directions. Of these users, nearly 90% of them said they're using other methods such as a standard GPS less. "Some, like TomTom have already placed their bets and said they're not a device manufacturer anymore they're making software only," Neal says. "It will be one of many [GPS-type] apps on an iPhone or iPad."
For every downside, however, there is an upside. On the whole, the increasing prevalence of tablets is leading to more content consumption overall, the agency reports. "The majority of tablet owners are watching full-length movies, TV shows in addition to standard web videos," Neal says. "It's carving into standard TV time a bit, but it's increasing the amount of time people are watching in general, which is good for media companies."
Posted on Fri, Aug 19, 2011 @ 08:34 AM
originally posted in examiner.com
A recent study of over 1,400 U.S. consumers conducted by Boston-based custom research firm, Chadwick Martin Bailey found that smartphones and tablets are not only more popular than ever, they are replacing relatively new technology like portable gaming systems as well as devices that have long resisted substitution like TVs and laptops.
The increase in quality and capabilities of mobile devices has sparked major changes in consumer habits. For example: over half of smartphone and tablet users play games on their device and two-thirds of these people are using other devices less for gaming (particularly portable gaming systems).
Additionally, nearly two-thirds of tablet owners have used these devices to watch feature-length movies. As tablets become more mainstream, the data indicate that stand-alone DVD players will go the way of the horse and buggy.
“The increasing ubiquity and capabilities of smartphones, tablets and the mobile networks that support them is having enormous implications for the entertainment and consumer electronics industries,” says Chris Neal, Vice President of Chadwick Martin Bailey’s Tech and Telecom Practice. “Content owners and advertisers of all stripes stand to benefit, while many specialty device manufacturers will need to course correct if they haven’t already.”
Not all consumer behavior changes are a zero-sum game, however. Overall consumption of entertainment, like watching videos on YouTube, social networking, and watching TV and feature length movies has increased as a result of increased smartphone and tablet ownership.
Everyday activities have also felt the effects of the mobile device revolution: 80% of mobile device owners have used their device for mapping and getting directions. Among these users, 89% say they’re using other methods like stand-alone GPS devices less.
The study also looks at behavioral differences by gender, age, income, region, and device ownership. The research also takes a pulse on likely future trends: for instance, 26% of US adults claim they are considering buying a tablet in the coming year.