Netbook Nation #15: Mobile World Congress 2010 Awards Show

Mirasol Display Technology at Mobile World Congress

163 million smartbooks expected to ship in 2015

ABI Research expects 163 million smartbooks will ship worldwide in 2015 which if you stop and think about it, in an insane growth rate seeing as the very first models only appeared in 2008.

According to ABI Research senior analyst Jeff Orr, “ABI Research defines a smartbook as a low-powered device running a mobile operating system that is always connected, either via Wi-Fi or using cellular or mobile broadband. Smartbooks can take many different shapes. They are a subset of mobile Internet devices (MIDS) and netbooks, and address the same potential users, usage, pricing, and market needs. The difference is that they don’t use x86 processors.”

Qualcomm and Freescale have been the largest promoters of the smartbook concept. Chipmakers like Nvidia are producing ARM-based processors are going to be major players in the space. As we have seen at CES we are seeing the first generation of devices coming to market from Lenovo, Sharp and even Apple, as the iPad is technically a smartbook according to ABI. There is an interesting definition, if the iPad is a smartbook, then tablets are also being rolled into this number. Personally I would differentiate between the two segments. What the smartbook numbers are without tablets would be interesting to predict as well.

Jeff Orr continues to warn vendors about potential pitfalls in marketing this new segment. “The idea of ‘a smartbook’ doesn’t resonate with anybody thinking of buying such a device,” said Orr. “Vendors should avoid creating a separate market category with a new name, instead accepting that they are competing in an established category. Consumers hear about netbooks as alternatives to notebooks and MIDs as alternatives to mobile phones, and can understand that. We believe the best opportunity in this ultra-mobile device market lies in new form-factors.”

Another very important consideration in consumer adoption of new products is price – both of devices and of the connectivity that is such an essential feature. ABI Research believes it will be important for vendors to bring entry-level smartbook prices to US$200 or less.

Source Digitimes

BYD Snaptop tablet with keyboard Fully Functional! (video)

Qualcomm Snapdragon-based touchscreen tablet with removable cordless QWERTY keyboard and touchscreen first appreared as a mock up at the Qualcomm press event in London last November. At Mobile World Congress the Snaptop is now fully functional. With this touch screen beauty you get a flip-out kick-stand and a wireless Bluetooth keyboard which docks into the back of the tablet for storage and portability. Check out the hands on Video below from SlashGear.

Thanks Slashgear

Qualcomm Smartbook line up at Mobile World Congress 2010

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