Verizon進(jìn)軍平板市場 蘋果三星受威脅

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元器件交易網(wǎng)訊 11月18日消息，據(jù)外媒 Fool報(bào)道，Verizon無線公司作為美國最大的無線通訊運(yùn)營商，進(jìn)軍低端平板市場，可能將竊取其代理的蘋果和三星的一些平板電腦銷售策略，從而對其造成威脅。上周，Verizon開始獨(dú)家銷售自己的7英寸平板電腦——Ellipsis 7，它搭載Android系統(tǒng)，并擁有LTE連接。

Verizon進(jìn)軍平板設(shè)備市場

Verizon沒有自己的生產(chǎn)線，不可能自己生產(chǎn)Ellipsis 7，所以它應(yīng)該是與一家像富士康這樣的制造設(shè)備公司合作。無論如何，Ellipsis 7作為Verizon的品牌設(shè)備，運(yùn)營商可能會用盡全力力推Ellipsis 7給用戶，此外，還Verizon提供了在官網(wǎng)購買Ellipsis 7合約機(jī)(為期兩年)可獲得100美元的折扣。

Verizon公司曾銷售多種型號神似蘋果iPad和三星平板電腦的中低端機(jī)型，但Ellipsis 7是運(yùn)營商迄今為止提供的最便宜的平板電腦?？紤]價格的消費(fèi)者更可能選擇Verizon的Ellipsis 7，而非三星或蘋果設(shè)備。

但追求質(zhì)量的買家Ellipsis 7可能就不合適了。即使裸機(jī)售價250美元，合約機(jī)(為期兩年)售價150美元，Ellipsis 7相對蘋果的iPad Mini Retina而言，顯得動力不足，例如處理器、分辨率、相機(jī)方面都差遠(yuǎn)了。當(dāng)然，iPad Mini Retina 合約機(jī)(為期兩年)售價429美元，售價超出兩倍多。

蘋果平板電腦市場份額下降

雖然Ellipsis 7具體對iPad的銷售影響不大，但兩者的極端定價差異，依然對蘋果公司的平板電腦業(yè)務(wù)有所動搖 。在最近幾個季度，iPad的需求已顯著放緩，甚至說是倒退，因?yàn)橄M(fèi)者可能會選擇更便宜的平板電腦，而不是定位高端的蘋果產(chǎn)品。

蘋果曾擁有90％以上的平板電腦產(chǎn)品市場份額?，F(xiàn)在，根據(jù)IDC的統(tǒng)計(jì)數(shù)據(jù)顯示，其市場份額少于30％。假以時日，蘋果的平板電腦市場份額將下降到個位數(shù)，并聯(lián)Mac的PC市場份額。

三星依然主導(dǎo)平板市場份額

隨著蘋果平板電腦市場份額的下降，三星的業(yè)務(wù)延伸空間越來越大。根據(jù)IDC的數(shù)據(jù)顯示，在第三季度三星平板出貨量約占平板總出貨量的1/5，營收同比增123％。

與智能手機(jī)一樣，三星一直遵循在不同的價格點(diǎn)提供眾多產(chǎn)品的策略。例如，三星 Galaxy Note 10.1實(shí)際上比蘋果iPad Air 更昂貴，但三星同時為考慮價位的消費(fèi)者提供了一些更便宜的機(jī)型選擇，如Galaxy Tab 7.0 (Wi-Fi版)售價180美元。

就目前來看，三星平板電腦依然保持 Android 霸主地位的主要障礙。蘋果iPad 有專屬Apple Store，大部分Android平板電腦擁有成熟版本Android手機(jī)應(yīng)用程序。然而，三星已獨(dú)家與TwitterAndroid手機(jī)應(yīng)用合作，為三星平板電腦應(yīng)用程序開發(fā)一套獨(dú)有的開發(fā)者大會。

Verizon不可能很快主宰平板電腦市場

鑒于 Verizon龐大的用戶群，和Ellipsis 7低廉的價格定位，平板電腦市場發(fā)展依舊活躍。但投資者不應(yīng)期望Verizon公司借鑒蘋果或三星銷售策略。2012年，分析師Chetan Sharma預(yù)計(jì)，在美國銷售的平板電腦，90％具有Wi-Fi連接功能；但2013年，他預(yù)測僅有5％的設(shè)備 能實(shí)現(xiàn)無線網(wǎng)絡(luò)連接。對于大多數(shù)消費(fèi)者來說，購買具備LTE功能的平板電腦是沒有任何意義的。相比而言，購買便宜的Wi-Fi 版本平板，同時還可以連接到手機(jī)進(jìn)行數(shù)據(jù)連接更具有性價比。(元器件交易網(wǎng)龍燕 譯)

外媒原文：

Last week, Verizon Wireless started selling its own tablet, the 7-inch Ellipsis 7. The device, which is exclusive to Verizon, uses the Android operating system and boasts LTE connectivity.

As the nation's largest carrier, Verizon could steal some tablet sales from Apple and Samsung . Still, investors shouldn't get too concerned just yet.

Verizon enters the device business

It's unlikely that Verizon is making the Ellipsis 7 itself. More probable is that it is partnering with a company such as Foxconn to manufacture the device. Regardless, it's a Verizon-branded device, and the carrier will likely use its sales force to push the tablet on subscribers. Verizon gives the Ellipsis top billing on its website and is offering a $100 discount on the tablet when subscribers sign a two-year contract.

Verizon sells several models of Apple's iPad and half a dozen different Samsung tablets, but the Ellipsis 7 is by far the cheapest tablet the carrier offers. Price-conscious consumers may be more likely to opt for Verizon's product over a Samsung or Apple device.

But buyers seeking quality are likely to stay away. Even though it's fairly cheap -- just $250, or $150 on contract -- the Ellipsis 7 is relatively underpowered. Compared to Apple's iPad Mini with Retina display, the Ellipsis has a much slower processor, lower-resolution display, and a far worse camera. Of course, the iPad Mini costs more than twice as much -- $429 with a two-year contract.

Apple's tablet business has slowed

While I don't think the Ellipsis specifically will weigh on iPad sales, that extreme difference in pricing is symptomatic of the precarious state of Apple's tablet business. In recent quarters, iPad demand has slowed significantly, or even declined, as consumers may be opting for cheaper tablets in place of Apple's premium products.

Apple once had more than 90% of the tablet market. Now, according to IDC, it has less than 30%. In time, I predict that Apple's share of the tablet market will fall into the single digits, paralleling the Mac's share of the PC market.[!--empirenews.page--]

Apple shareholders shouldn't necessarily be troubled by this trend. Despite having just a sliver of the PC market, Apple makes more from its Macs than the top five PC vendors combined, according to analyst Horace Dediu. Nevertheless, the iPad business may never be as big as some investors may have hoped.

Samsung's market share dominance is extending into the tablet space

As Apple's share of the tablet market declines, Samsung's business is growing. In the third quarter, Samsung shipped about one-fifth of all tablets, according to IDC, a gain of 123% from the prior year.

As with smartphones, Samsung has followed the strategy of offering a multitude of tablets at different price points. Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1, for example, is actually more expensive than Apple's competing iPad Air, but for consumers on a budget Samsung offers several cheaper models. The Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 is just $180 with Wi-Fi, and it has similar specs to Verizon's Ellipsis 7.

For now, the Android ecosystem may remain the primary impediment to Samsung's tablet dominance. Apple's iPad has a plethora of apps made for it specifically, while most Android tablet apps are simply blown-up versions of Android phone apps. Samsung, however, has taken things into its own hands, partnering with Twitter for a Samsung-exclusive tablet app, and going after developers with its own developers conference.

Don't expect Verizon to dominate the tablet market anytime soon

Given Verizon's large base of subscribers, and the Ellipsis' cheap price point, it would shock me if the tablet was a total failure. But investors shouldn't expect Verizon to take a meaningful amount of sales from Apple or Samsung, at least not anytime soon. Ultimately, most consumers just don't buy tablets through their wireless provider. Last year, analyst Chetan Sharma estimated that 90% of tablets sold in the U.S. are Wi-Fi-only, and earlier this year analyst Craig Moffett reported that only 5% of the devices are connected to a wireless network. For most consumers, buying an LTE-capable tablet just doesn't make sense. It's cheaper to buy the Wi-Fi version, and to tether the device to their phone if they need Internet on the go.

Maybe Verizon's move into hardware could help reverse this trend, but I doubt it.

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