Mobile Internet Devices Coming to a Location Near You
Smart Phones to Dominate MID Device Segments
Mobile Internet Devices (MID), a class of equipment providing wireless Internet access and distinguished by next-generation chipsets, are on their way to spawning new services and solutions, building around their wireless connectivity to enhance applications in personal computing, communications, navigation and gaming, according to iSuppli Corp.
The market for MIDs does not just lie in one big multipurpose compute platform, but instead encompasses various device segments, including Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPCs), netbooks, smart phones, portable navigation devices, e-book readers, portable media/MP3 players and handheld gaming devices.
Not every device in these categories is automatically considered to be a MID, however. For a device to be considered as MID-class, a number of criteria have to be satisfied, including:
1.Integrated connectivity for Wireless Local Area Network (WLANs), Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMANs) or 3G-or-higher Worldwide Wide Area Networks (WWANs)
2.A maximum 8-inch display
3.Instant-on capability
4.An always-connectable capability
A full day’s worth of battery life under typical usage scenarios
Each MID device segment enjoys varying levels of penetration in the market, with smart phones leading the way, followed by e-book readers, and to a lesser extent, UMPCs and gaming devices.
While a device must meet all criteria to be truly labeled “MID-class,” business and usage scenarios dictate what minimum level of capability is required to still ensure commercial success and viability of a product. A detailed analysis of the target application for a given device is required when analyzing the MID market. For this reason, iSuppli recommends and has developed a forecasting and analysis methodology that allows for each device type to be analyzed at each intermediate level of capability.
Smart Phones
Among the MID devices included in the forecast period from 2008 to 2012, smart phones are projected to dominate the segment. iSuppli estimates that about 60 percent of all smart phones now are considered MID-class devices, but that figure will rise to cover 100 percent of smart phones by 2012. A key gating factor is the inclusion of WLAN or 3G connectivity, and applications like video downloads, gaming and full Internet browsing will proliferate when smart phones attain not just 2G speeds, but high-speed downlink and uplink capabilities.
E-Book Readers
Despite their relatively recent arrival on the scene, e-book readers already have achieved 35 percent MID penetration as of 2008, which will then rise to 76 percent by 2012. The high penetration primarily is driven by the success of Amazon’s Kindle, with 100 percent WWAN penetration; and of Sony’s counterpart, the Sony Reader, which has 25 percent WLAN penetration. Kindle, for instance, integrates ubiquitous wireless connectivity within the e-book reader to deliver real-time news, on-the-go media purchasing and even e-mail applications.
Ultra-Mobile PCs and Netbooks
A mere 2 percent of all UMPCs can be considered to be MID-class as of 2008, but the figure is expected to grow to 28 percent by 2012. Key gating factors include continued improvements to instant-on capabilities and battery-life performance.
In the case of netbooks, which are not true MIDs, iSuppli considered them in its research because they provide a low-cost alternative to UMPCs when netbooks are used in a more portable use-case scenario. Key factors excluding most netbooks from being considered as MIDs include screen size, instant-on capabilities and battery life. However, battery-life performance in some netbooks will reach MID performance levels during the forecast period.
Gaming devices, PMP/MP3 Players and PNDs
For gaming devices, only 2.8 percent can be considered MID-class by 2011 if the full set of criteria is brought to bear, with the rate increasing markedly to 15.1 percent the year after. However, if the requirement for ubiquitous coverage is relaxed to cover only WLAN, then the percentage of gaming devices that can be considered MID-class shoots up to 98.6 percent in 2008, with the figure rising to 100 percent by 2011.
In the case of Portable Media Players (PMP)/MP3 players, no significant volume shipments occurred as of 2008. Only 3 percent of the devices will be MID-class by 2012, but a potential upside to this market exists if manufacturers increase the amount of WWAN support for the players, which are capable of delivering rich multimedia content and experience.
Among Portable Navigation Devices (PNDs), a mere 0.22 percent currently are MID-class-capable, with the number growing to 10 percent by 2012. The one criterion driving PNDs for MID functionality is the rate of wireless connectivity, primarily through WWAN. Once enabled, PNDs allow the implementation of solutions such as real-time traffic, rerouting, remote map and database updates, location-aware advertising and purchasing of services such as fast-food orders and gas purchases. PNDs are also unique among MID devices in that they have the automobile as a power source and are, therefore, not limited by battery-life constraints.
Processing vs. Power Consumption: Which Will Take the Lead?
MID-class devices employ two architectures: X86 based, traditionally used in compute platforms by companies like Intel and AMD; and ARM based, typically used in mobile-phone solutions by companies such as Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, ST-Ericsson and Infineon.
As one might expect, processing capability and power consumption are usually offsetting parameters traded off for the other in the design process. However, for MID-class devices, market requirements dictate that both parameters be optimized for maximum performance. The boosting of processing capability is primarily driven by hardware architecture modifications that can be advanced independently of system design of the host device. In comparison, power-consumption performance is dependent on often proprietary and patent-controlled algorithms that take into account system-level design and usage scenarios of the host device.
As a result, MID-class devices featuring ARM-based architectures could enjoy a slight time-to-market advantage over their X86-based counterparts, and companies focused on increasing the power efficiency—versus the processing capability—of core chipsets can more quickly address MID-class device requirements. That being said, design wins in MID-class devices are currently being hotly contested by both camps, with each bringing its own compelling value proposition. iSuppli expects the landscape to further take shape in 2009 as partnerships and development projects start to align. Stay tuned.
Mobile Internet Devices (MID), a class of equipment providing wireless Internet access and distinguished by next-generation chipsets, are on their way to spawning new services and solutions, building around their wireless connectivity to enhance applications in personal computing, communications, navigation and gaming, according to iSuppli Corp.
The market for MIDs does not just lie in one big multipurpose compute platform, but instead encompasses various device segments, including Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPCs), netbooks, smart phones, portable navigation devices, e-book readers, portable media/MP3 players and handheld gaming devices.
Not every device in these categories is automatically considered to be a MID, however. For a device to be considered as MID-class, a number of criteria have to be satisfied, including:
1.Integrated connectivity for Wireless Local Area Network (WLANs), Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMANs) or 3G-or-higher Worldwide Wide Area Networks (WWANs)
2.A maximum 8-inch display
3.Instant-on capability
4.An always-connectable capability
A full day’s worth of battery life under typical usage scenarios
Each MID device segment enjoys varying levels of penetration in the market, with smart phones leading the way, followed by e-book readers, and to a lesser extent, UMPCs and gaming devices.
While a device must meet all criteria to be truly labeled “MID-class,” business and usage scenarios dictate what minimum level of capability is required to still ensure commercial success and viability of a product. A detailed analysis of the target application for a given device is required when analyzing the MID market. For this reason, iSuppli recommends and has developed a forecasting and analysis methodology that allows for each device type to be analyzed at each intermediate level of capability.
Smart Phones
Among the MID devices included in the forecast period from 2008 to 2012, smart phones are projected to dominate the segment. iSuppli estimates that about 60 percent of all smart phones now are considered MID-class devices, but that figure will rise to cover 100 percent of smart phones by 2012. A key gating factor is the inclusion of WLAN or 3G connectivity, and applications like video downloads, gaming and full Internet browsing will proliferate when smart phones attain not just 2G speeds, but high-speed downlink and uplink capabilities.
E-Book Readers
Despite their relatively recent arrival on the scene, e-book readers already have achieved 35 percent MID penetration as of 2008, which will then rise to 76 percent by 2012. The high penetration primarily is driven by the success of Amazon’s Kindle, with 100 percent WWAN penetration; and of Sony’s counterpart, the Sony Reader, which has 25 percent WLAN penetration. Kindle, for instance, integrates ubiquitous wireless connectivity within the e-book reader to deliver real-time news, on-the-go media purchasing and even e-mail applications.
Ultra-Mobile PCs and Netbooks
A mere 2 percent of all UMPCs can be considered to be MID-class as of 2008, but the figure is expected to grow to 28 percent by 2012. Key gating factors include continued improvements to instant-on capabilities and battery-life performance.
In the case of netbooks, which are not true MIDs, iSuppli considered them in its research because they provide a low-cost alternative to UMPCs when netbooks are used in a more portable use-case scenario. Key factors excluding most netbooks from being considered as MIDs include screen size, instant-on capabilities and battery life. However, battery-life performance in some netbooks will reach MID performance levels during the forecast period.
Gaming devices, PMP/MP3 Players and PNDs
For gaming devices, only 2.8 percent can be considered MID-class by 2011 if the full set of criteria is brought to bear, with the rate increasing markedly to 15.1 percent the year after. However, if the requirement for ubiquitous coverage is relaxed to cover only WLAN, then the percentage of gaming devices that can be considered MID-class shoots up to 98.6 percent in 2008, with the figure rising to 100 percent by 2011.
In the case of Portable Media Players (PMP)/MP3 players, no significant volume shipments occurred as of 2008. Only 3 percent of the devices will be MID-class by 2012, but a potential upside to this market exists if manufacturers increase the amount of WWAN support for the players, which are capable of delivering rich multimedia content and experience.
Among Portable Navigation Devices (PNDs), a mere 0.22 percent currently are MID-class-capable, with the number growing to 10 percent by 2012. The one criterion driving PNDs for MID functionality is the rate of wireless connectivity, primarily through WWAN. Once enabled, PNDs allow the implementation of solutions such as real-time traffic, rerouting, remote map and database updates, location-aware advertising and purchasing of services such as fast-food orders and gas purchases. PNDs are also unique among MID devices in that they have the automobile as a power source and are, therefore, not limited by battery-life constraints.
Processing vs. Power Consumption: Which Will Take the Lead?
MID-class devices employ two architectures: X86 based, traditionally used in compute platforms by companies like Intel and AMD; and ARM based, typically used in mobile-phone solutions by companies such as Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, ST-Ericsson and Infineon.
As one might expect, processing capability and power consumption are usually offsetting parameters traded off for the other in the design process. However, for MID-class devices, market requirements dictate that both parameters be optimized for maximum performance. The boosting of processing capability is primarily driven by hardware architecture modifications that can be advanced independently of system design of the host device. In comparison, power-consumption performance is dependent on often proprietary and patent-controlled algorithms that take into account system-level design and usage scenarios of the host device.
As a result, MID-class devices featuring ARM-based architectures could enjoy a slight time-to-market advantage over their X86-based counterparts, and companies focused on increasing the power efficiency—versus the processing capability—of core chipsets can more quickly address MID-class device requirements. That being said, design wins in MID-class devices are currently being hotly contested by both camps, with each bringing its own compelling value proposition. iSuppli expects the landscape to further take shape in 2009 as partnerships and development projects start to align. Stay tuned.
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