Samsung has some ambitious plans for the future
This year has been a very powerful year for the mobile sector, but 2013 may be even more so, at least that is what Samsung is predicting. The mobile technology giant has big plans for 2013, many of which have yet to be unveiled. Over the past year, Samsung has made significant strides in establishing its dominance in the mobile space, especially with the recent launch of the Galaxy S III. In 2013, Samsung will be working to distance itself from what it considers to be its most significant competitor: Apple.
Samsung rivalry with Apple expected to heat up in 2013
Samsung and Apple have been entrenched in a volatile rivalry that has spanned years. Earlier this year, the two companies finalized a lawsuit, the results of which took both Samsung and Apple down a peg in the eyes of consumers and investors. Samsung has managed to fortify itself against Apple in recent months, and part of this involves increasing its production of mobile devices. In 2013, Samsung will ramp up production by 20%, with plans to ship at least 510 million new mobile devices over the next year.
Company plans to ship at least 390 million smart phones
Approximately 390 of these mobile devices are expected to be smart phones. A portion of these will be equipped with NFC technology, which is also included in the Galaxy S III. This technology has been well received by consumers because of its ability to facilitate wireless data sharing. The technology is also widely used in the mobile commerce space, where it can make payments from a mobile device possible.
Apple will not be going down without a fight
Samsung predicts that the demand for smart phones may diminish over the next 12 months as the market becomes over-saturated. Despite this potential problem, the company has plans to continue developing and shipping devices that are meant to provide consumers with a viable alternative to Apple products. Apple itself has very ambitious plans for 2013 and the two companies are expected to continue butting heads as they vie for dominance in the mobile space.
Taxi drivers are discovering that smartphones may be the opportunity they’ve been waiting for.
Though digital wallets may be struggling and mobile payments in stores might not be taking off at the rate that was anticipated, taxi drivers are seeing the true potential in the technology for adding practical convenience and a new way to pay for the ride.
Cabbies are seeing the benefits in this technology both for themselves and their customers.
It is still rare for taxi drivers to be able to process transactions with credit cards, which means that many of them find themselves missing opportunities to make money every day. They find themselves having to send customers away when they cannot accept their preferred method of paying for the fare. Many complain of animosity from the lost customers, due to the limited options.
However, with mobile payments, this could entirely reverse the problem in a practical way.
There have been two major developments in providing mobile payments options to taxi cab passengers. The first is through an actual physical device that can connect to the driver’s smartphone or tablet. The second is through mobile apps to which both the driver and the passenger have subscribed.
In the first case, a device – often known as a dongle – is attached to the smartphone or table of the taxi driver. This allows mobile payments to be accepted by using the device to swipe credit cards. This is a highly convenient service that is offered by a number of different providers to small businesses and services such as cabs.
The idea has become so popular that there are some cab companies that will be distributing the dongles to all of their drivers so that they will have mobile payments available throughout. The advantage is that the service is quick and easy to use and doesn’t require the passenger to have a either a smartphone or an app installed on their own device to make it work.
However, some people are uncomfortable with making mobile payments on the devices of someone they don’t know. In those circumstances, apps are often available that allow them to not only book the car, but also make the payment for the ride through their own device, using a credit card.
In both cases the mobile payments typically come with a per transaction fee that will usually be in the range of 2 to 3 percent.
