Apple shows strong interest in wearable technology
Rumors concerning Apple’s development of wearable technology reached a fever pitch this week as Bloomberg reports suggest that a watch-like smart device could generate more revenue for the company than its line of iPads and its potential foray into the world of TVs. It is rumored that Apple has been working on a wearable device that speculators call the iWatch. This device is, essentially, a smartphone combined with a wristwatch, and while it may sound very simple, the device could have major implications for the company’s financial future.
Patents point to wearable technology from Apple
Apple has filed 79 patents concerning the development of wearable technologies. Some of these patents pertain specifically to devices worn on the wrist. Apple has shown strong interest in moving smart technology beyond the realm of cell phones and tablets, believing that wearable technologies may be attractive products for future consumers. Apple’s interest in the watch industry is not misplaced, as analysts from Citigroup suggest that the global watch industry will generate more than $60 billion in sales this year.
iWatch may be a promising opportunity
Analysts suggest that the iWatch represents a $6 billion opportunity for Apple. Moreover, the development of such a device could have major implications for the company’s future. When Apple released the iPod, it was considered something entirely new in the realm of consumer electronics. The iWatch may have a similar impact on the sector, returning Apple to the proverbial throne of mobile technology, which was recently taken over by Samsung.
Innovative steps must be taken to compete with Google and Samsung
Apple has not announced any definitive plans concerning the development of a wearable smart device. CEO Tim Cook has alluded to the company positioning itself to compete with both Samsung and Google more aggressively in the near future. The company has plans to take innovative steps in the realm of mobile technology in order to compete in the consumer electronics market, but whether the iWatch is anything more than rumor has yet to be seen.
Mobile games developers may benefit from new publishing platform
Chillingo, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts that publishes mobile games, has announced its partnership with Samsung this week. The two companies will work together to provide new tools to the mobile games developer community, helping them find the success they crave in a highly competitive industry. Samsung has been showing very strong interest in mobile games recently, backing several initiatives designed to provide better services to independent developers around the world. Electronic Arts also holds an acute interest in mobile games because of the vast potential that can be found throughout the burgeoning market.
Platform offers 100% revenue shares for mobile games developers
Together, Chillingo and Samsung will work to develop a new platform for mobile games developers that will offer them unparalleled revenue opportunities. This platform is called 100% Indie and acts as a community hub where developers can share they games, which are then made widely available to Samsung customers. The new platform will be opened to developers beginning March 4, and will offer them 100% of the revenue they generate through the mobile games that they sell through the platform for the first six months that they are active.
Independent developers receive strong support from consumers
The platform offers higher revenue opportunities for developers than any other platform of its kind in the world. Chillingo believes that the mobile games market is filled with promising developers that often struggle to find the success they need in order to be stable. Many developers are unable to compete with studios that have the backing of large publishers, such as Electronic Arts, but many consumers have fallen in love with the so called “indie” scene, where games are produced and published by their developers rather than through large corporations.
Chillingo expects to see success through new platform
After the first six months a game has been on the 100% India platform, the revenue share that developers have access to will drop. This drop will continue in modest fashion until March 2015, when it will come more in line with the revenue shares offered by other platforms. Chillingo believes that the platform will help expose consumers to very promising mobile games from new developers.
