From
the beginning of CES , smart home and smart devices such as wearable technology
sector has become a hot topic . As a technology industry giant, Google (
microblogging ) from the beginning of last year have continued to acquire a
range of intelligent hardware and robotics company , great action . In
contrast, Apple is still focused on the iPhone and iPad, why ? Since 2012 ,
Google, Sony and Samsung and other giant company has launched its own
intelligent hardware products, like Nest, Smarthings, Pebble, Fitbit and
Withings and other entrepreneurial companies compete launched its own smart
home products and wearable devices. In this wave of smart home and intelligent
hardware , Apple is still waiting for the right time.
Current
intelligent hardware market is still small , not worth the apple to enter :
For
Apple billions of dollars in annual revenue this enterprise is concerned, only
concerned about the scale of tens or even one hundred billion U.S. dollars in
the market ; present intelligent hardware and smart home market is still in its
early stages, nowhere near the scale of smart phones , tablets and PC markets.
For
example, Control4, listed companies in 2013 in terms of the current market
value less than $ 500 million in 2012 revenue is only about $ 100 million . If
the sum Nest, Control4, Withings, Fitbit, Pebble and a series of intelligent
hardware startups valuation estimate has not yet reached $ 10 billion .
So
Apple is not currently into intelligent hardware and smart home market is not
surprising. Instead, Apple showing great interest in the automotive market
Apple's
energy is limited, still focus on its core products :
According
to Apple January 28 morning released the 2014 first quarter financial results ,
iPhone revenue ( $ 32.4 billion ) accounted for total revenue ( $ 57.6 billion
) of 56%. Exposure to cash flow so to force the product , Apple should put in
more effort to ensure its leadership in intelligent machines and other
advantages of the product.
With
the mature form of intelligent machines , Apple increased pressure in terms of
innovation , need to put more effort and money to ensure the leading position
in product innovation. In this context , a number of acquisitions to integrate
Apple into the iPhone 's technology companies, such as speech recognition
company Siri, chip design company Intrinsity, 3D sensor company Primesense,
processor and fingerprint Company Passif Semiconductor Company AuthenTec.
Apple
is not the best Internet companies :
Apple
is an excellent combination of hardware and software companies, but not a great
Internet company . Flex is absolutely world-class experience for Apple , but
Apple has yet to find the internet service feeling , with Google, Facebook and
others have not a small gap .
Apple
itself has recognized the shortcomings in this regard in recent years, mergers
and acquisitions will be a series of mergers and acquisitions in some excellent
Internet startups . For example, Apple in recent years has acquired five maps
ISP , trying to catch up with Google Maps service . In addition, in recent
years, Apple has acquired social data company Topsy, personal search companies
Cue, mobile data compression company AlgoTrim, application notes and video
recommendation service companies Catch Matcha.
It
can be predicted that Apple will continue to make up its ability to provide
Internet services in the above deficiencies through acquisitions, narrowing the
gap with companies such as Google and Facebook will integrate its own core
Internet services to iOS systems go.
Apple
also need a healthy ecosystem , rather than doing everything yourself :
For
Apple, iOS system built on APP Store is at the core of its ecosystem , Apple
will attach great importance to maintain the APP Store ecosystem , will not
easily be made to stimulate and harm developer behavior.
Of
course , a relatively large market potential for smart watches and smart auto
market , Apple has some action ; while for intelligent hardware is still early
, wearable devices and smart home products, Apple will be more patent and
technical reserves, will not easily introduction of end products. It is
reported that , in the smart watch , Apple already has hundreds of people in a
day and night of R & D is expected to be released within 1-2 years .
Most
of these attempts achieved only one purpose: to control home appliances become
intelligent . But the real vision of the smart home , it is the removal of '
manipulation ' of this step, make home appliances, household products people
can read , automatic identification of each person different usage habits.
"Whether it has the advantages of a traditional hardware appliance
industry , or are force " cloud " big data BAT club side in the field
of intelligent home is still in the same starting line.
