ABI Research expects shipments of mobile broadband-enabled consumer electronics to increase 55-fold between 2008 and 2014. This market – which includes eBook readers, mobile digital cameras and camcorders, personal media players (PMPs), personal navigation devices (PNDs), and mobile gaming devices – will see total shipments reach 58 million in 2014.
 
“While demand for products in the other categories is just starting to ramp up, consumers are already snapping up connected PNDs and eBook readers in numbers, and will continue to do so,” ABI Research Senior Analyst Jeff Orr said in a statement discussing the firm’s new report on the topic.
 
Some of these devices have featured Wi-Fi for some time. But, Orr continued: “When you embed a cellular or mobile broadband modem in a device, it becomes tied to a particular operator’s service billing. That changes the device vendors’ business model dramatically.”
 
In the case of eBook readers, the model in which the price of the connection is built into the price of the content seems to be acceptable to consumers. Paying each time you download a piece of content works for this supply chain. But, Orr said that other services could require different business models.
 
Some uptake of these devices can be attributed to vertical industries: think of vehicle fleets and taxis with connected PNDs, which are popular in Western Europe.
 
The various business models for delivering content and interactivity to these devices also hinge on one make-or-break factor: the cost of a data plan. Apart from eBook readers, Orr said that the mobile data connectivity models today “are poorly matched to the kinds of mobile CE devices available.”

The Daily

Subscribe
Thursday–April 25

TelevisaUnivision Confident in DTC Profitability

TelevisaUnivision continued to invest more into its ViX streaming product during 1Q24, but that commitment comes at a cost. The company saw operating expenses grow 16% YOY to $821 million driven by those

Read the Full Issue
The Skinny is delivered on Tuesday and focuses on the cable profession. You'll stay in the know on the headlines, topics and special issues you value most. Sign Up

Calendar

Jun 13
2024 American Broadband Congress Conference Registration is Open!
Jun 26
2024 FAXIES Awards Nominations Are Open!
Full Calendar

Jobs

Seeking an INDUSTRY JOB?
VIEW JOBS

Hiring? In conjunction with our sister brand, Cynopsis, we are offering hiring managers a deep pool of media-savvy, skilled candidates at a range of experience levels and sectors, The result will be an even more robust industry job board, to help both employers and job seekers.

Contact Rob Hudgins, [email protected], for more information.