When Apple announced the imminent arrival of its new iPhone last week I have to say I was a little bit underwhelmed by some of the specs at first, especially the display which I thought might push up over 367 pixels per inch (ppi). However, having analysed the display specs and device availability of 842 smartphones, I concluded that Apple is still way ahead of its main rivals when you look at average PPI weighted by shelf share... but not in every measure.

Our recent report, Apple in Danger of Falling Behind in Pixel Density Race, details the 40 available smartphones identified as having a display with >300ppi, as well as showing the maximum, minimum and average PPI for every smartphone brand on the database. Try our SpecTRAX service now or existing SpecTRAX clients can access the database here.

What does shelf share mean? First, we take a snapshot of 300 network operators and retailers in 42 countries around the world and look at their smartphone portfolios. Then for each brand, we calculate the average PPI. Using Apple as an example; most carriers and retailers last week had at least one iPhone 4S variant on their portfolios (with a 326ppi spec), many also had one or more iPhone 4 (also 326ppi) device, and some had the older iPhone 3G S 8GB with a 163ppi display. 

We have calculated Apple’s PPI in September 2012 as the average of each model’s PPI weighted by the number of appearances of each model on the shelves. Apple’s weighted average in September was 306ppi, based on much wider availability of its 326ppi iPhone 4/4S models than the 163ppi iPhone 3G/3G S models.

Samsung, meanwhile, has a much wider portfolio of smartphone models, with variations in display size and resolution giving a September 2012 spread from 121ppi to 316ppi, and a weighted average of only 210.5ppi. Of the other top ten smartphone vendors, Sony’s average is the closest to Apple’s, although still a fair way behind at 272ppi. 

Apple won’t have everything its own way though, and one of the challenges that Apple will face in the near future is its 12 month cycle between new models. While the iPhone 4/4S/5 gradually push the 3G S out of the way and bring the average Apple display spec close to 326ppi, other smartphone vendors will push ahead with higher resolutions and even greater pixel densities. Sony’s Xperia S and Fujitsu’s Regza T-01D are already at 342ppi and Toshiba is expected to reveal a 367ppi display on a smartphone soon. Sony, Fujitsu, Pantech, Sharp, LG, Huawei and Motorola all have at least one flagship model available with a pixel density greater than Apple’s 326ppi, so where will that leave Apple in 12 months’ time? Probably still at the top in terms of average PPI, but almost certainly lagging behind in terms of maximum PPI.

- Stuart Robinson

42 new smartphones were announced at MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2012 and their specifications are examined in detail in this complimentary report HERE->

ZTE announced 13 models followed by Samsung and LG with 5 each.  The analysis was carried out using SpecTRAX.

The highlights of smartphones announced at MWC are:

• Android dominated with the introduction of Ice Cream Sandwich and the continued presence of Gingerbread. Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS 7 and 7.5 (Tango and Mango) were on 2 handsets, and Symbian Belle was found on Nokia’s 808 Pureview – more on p.7 of the report.
• The average display size of these new smartphones was over 4 inches; larger displays are power hungry so battery power was increased in response.
• Huawei’s powerful and impressive Ascend portfolio is equipped with “retina displays” and quad core processors – full details are on p.3 of the report.  Quad core processors gave calculated effective clock speeds of up to 4.5GHz which surpasses even some newly announced tablets.
• Nokia’s 808 Pureview fitted with a 41MP camera revolutionised smartphone photography – more on p.5.

If you want to try the SpecTRAX databse for yourself, just click HERE.

Stephen Entwistle

So, yesterday we finally got to hear what Apple's latest tablet offering is all about. The "New iPad", which worringly seems to be the actual name for the device, boasts an impressive display resolution, new processor, LTE, 5MP camera, 1GB of RAM and iOS 5, but how does it measure up to some other lower-profile announcements from the competition?

The iPad 3, as I'm going to call it (if Apple doesn't give it a proper name then people are going to come up with names of their own), is powered by an Apple "A5X" processor with a dual-core CPU and a quad-core GPU. This is in contrast to several other tablets that have been announced recently based on NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3. 

The resolution of the iPad 3's display (2048 x 1536 pixels) has doubled along each axis from the iPad 2, resulting in 4 times as many pixels and a pixel density of 264 pixels per inch (ppi). Apple is reffering to the iPad 3 as having a "Retina Display", a term it coined when it announced the 326ppi on the iPhone 4. I agree that the iPhone 4 and 4S can be referred to as Retina Displays because the pixel density is so high that the human eye cannot distinguish individual pixels. Research from various institutions has shown that level to be at about 300ppi and above. So, although the display resolution of the iPad 3 is excellent, I have a problem with Apple calling it a Retina Display. It is stretching the definition to meet their marketing needs, in the same way that several US carriers have called their HSPA+ networks 4G. 

As far as the other hardware specs are concerned, 4G network connectivity is the key one for me. The iPad 3 comes in several versions, some with Wi-fi only and some with Wi-fi plus 4G. The 4G speed is reported to be an impressive 73Mbps on AT&T and Verizon networks. While the A5X apps processor is Apple's own technology, the 4G modem chip is likely to be from Qualcomm as it also supports CDMA.

For more analysis from Strategy Analytics on the iPad 3 launch , check Peter King's report and Jia Wu's interview with New England Cable News.

One final thought: our SpecTRAX database reveals that the iPad 3 is the 508th tablet model to have been announced in the last two years. I wonder how many of the 507 other models have been profitable! 

And now the spec comparison...

Stuart Robinson

We all know by now that only two flag ship Windows Phone 7 handsets were launched at CES 2012; the Nokia Lumia 900 and the HTC Titan II.

So how many Windows Phone 7 handsets are there now ?  Well prior to CES at the beginning of December 2011 we counted 33 variations of 28 Windows 7 models worldwide.  How do we know ?....the analysis was carried out using SpecTRAX, with over 13,000 handset models from 130 network operators in 29 countries. 

It's clear that for some time to come the number of different models of Windows Phone 7 handsets is not going to grow quickly.  With seemingly only two active vendors and the other previous vendors now in wait-and-see mode we certainly won't see the Android gold rush we saw in the past few years.   

This analysis is available to download HERE and quantifies and compares Windows 7 phone models and analyses their global and regional shelfshare track record.  This report also introduces the commercial power of PriceTRAX, a new web-based database of retail mobile phone, tablet, USB and dongle pricing information which is updated on a weekly basis.

This month’s report reveals that compared to other smartphone operating systems, in December 2011 Windows 7 phones outperformed their closest shelfshare rivals in terms of display size, camera resolution, processor speed and average battery capacity.  The Nokia 900 and the HTC Titan 2 are certainly continuing that high spec trend with the latter sporting a 4.7-inch display and a 16 megapixel camera.

If you want to try the SpecTRAX databse for yourself, just click HERE.

When it comes to screen sizes, Apple's lead at the top of the smartphone market is under challenge as other suppliers catch up and exceed that of the iPhone.

But has that natural limit to handset screen size already been reached by the market, dictated by convenience, ergonomics and portability?

You can read Stuart Robinson's* opinion on the above question together with comprehensive data of smartphone screen sizes by clicking on the title of his 9-page report: 'Size Matters: HTC and NEC Knock Apple Off Top Spot as Display Sizes Grow 8 percent year-on-year in Q1 2011'

This highly focused report with detailed conclusions and implications is supported by heavily-researched data from the smartphone portfolios of 130 network operators in 30 countries. That comprehensive data was supplied by Strategy Analytics' SpecTRAX mobile phone market analysis tool.

If you would like to investigate SpecTRAX further just click HERE

*Stuart Robinson is Director of Strategy Analytics' Handset Technology Component Service including SpecTRAX.

Example charts from this report:

Steve Entwistle

I’ve just got round to writing here about our global handset shelf share data collected in November. Shelf share is always a hot topic amongst handset vendors and network operators and we released an Insight report last month, created from statistics generated using our SpecTRAX market monitoring tool. The above analysis is based on data from our SpecTRAX database which holds intelligence on over 11,000 handsets globally available. You can try the database tool for yourself by registering HERE ->

• Research in Motion’s BlackBerry Bold2 9700 extended its lead at the top of our shelf share analysis for Q3 2010
• RIM’s Curve 2 8520 bounced back into second spot, recovering from being pushed down to third in Q2 2010 by Nokia’s E72.

Our shelf-share analysis tracks the handset portfolios of around 130 network operators in 29 countries. This quarter’s global top ten consists of only four brands: RIM BlackBerry, Samsung, Nokia and Apple.

• Apple’s 16 and 32GB versions of its iPhone 4 replaced the 3G S versions, taking fifth and sixth spots respectively, increasing their shelf share healthily from when they were launched at the end of Q2.
• Nokia has lost ground within the top ten over the past two quarters. The 5230 and 2330 classic both remained static while the number of operators offering the E72, N97 mini and 2730 classic has shrunk.

The full research paper can be downloaded from HERE -> Next week I should have the regional details for the shelf-share analysis which will show some interesting differences between some of the world’s main regions. Steve Entwistle Twitter: sentwistle1419

We have just completed last month’s cell phone market insight report with updates on product announcements, trends and global and regional handset shelf share. A snapshot of the primary findings is below but the entire paper can be downloaded free of charge from HERE --> During September 2010, 24 handset vendors announced another 79 new handsets between them.

• Seven of these 79 new handsets, including both Motorola’s Flipside and Milestone 2 as well as the HTC 7 Pro, featured the increasingly popular combination of a full QWERTY keyboard and a 3-inch+ capacitive touchscreen.
• RIM’s BlackBerry Bold 2 9700 extended its lead at the top of our shelf-share analysis for Q3 2010, appearing on the handset portfolios of more carriers than any other model.

More detailed analysis of some of these key trends will feature here on this blog in the next few weeks. The above analysis is based on data from our SpecTRAX database which holds intelligence on over 11,000 handsets globally available. You can try the database tool (shown below) for yourself by registering HERE --> Steve Entwistle

Hear insights from Stuart Robinson, Director of Strategy Analytics’ SpecTRAX service, who will talk about the important trends in recent global cellular handset model announcements. Join us on Thursday 9th September for a complimentary live online webinar. Topics covered by the webinar include:

• OS penetration; how many phones feature Android compared to LiMo, Windows and Symbian?
• Analysis of current spec trends; Bluetooth, touchscreen, QWERTY, form factor, screen & camera resolution….
• Shelf share analysis by region; which carriers offer the most Android phones?
• Typical specs of Android phone vs handsets running other operating systems

The webinar is targeted at existing clients of the SpecTRAX service as well as product planners, product marketers and portfolio managers across the industry. Attendance to the webinar is free however pre-registration is required. REGISTER –>>>            Date:                 Thursday 9th September 2010            Duration:           30 minutes, followed by 15 minutes Q&A            Time:                  2pm BST UK / 9am EDT Boston, repeated at 5pm PDT LA Once we have processed your registration, you will receive a confirmation email message with instructions on how to join the event. Feel free to forward this message to your colleagues who may be interested in this webinar.

The latest report from our SpecTRAX service reveals that Research in Motion (RIM) achieved high shelf share among mobile network operators during Q3 2009, with the BlackBerry Bold 9000 appearing on the product portfolios of more carriers than any other handset model, ousting the Nokia E71 from top spot. The BlackBerry BOLD 9000 appeared in the portfolios of 60 mobile network operators from the 145 that we track in 29 countries around the world. Also included in the report is a summary of the key specifications of the new handset announcements. Some of the highlights from September’s 59 new handset announcements include: · Average thickness of 15.16 mm, reversing the downward trend over the last few months; · Display size of 2.85 inches, boosted by some LG models, and setting a new all-time high this month; · Memory card slot inclusion in 95% of new phone models, another record high; · A Touchscreen in 58% of new models, yet another record high for one month. A further 47 new handset models were announced during September but have been excluded from this analysis due to a lack of detailed specifications. They will be included in future reports as and when specs become available. Read the full 12 page report here: BlackBerry Bold Knocks Nokia E71 off Carriers' Shelves Stuart Robinson Follow me on Twitter: @Stuart_Robinson