Briefly: Foxconn retail, Samsung struggles, Microsoft ponders Office for App Stores

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Cybermart, a retail subsidiary of Apple partner Foxconn, is planning an aggressive expansion in Greater China after winning distribution rights for Apple products, according to a new report. Samsung was unable to capitalize on its iPad and iPhone challengers, posting its lowest quarterly profit in six quarters. Finally, a Microsoft spokesperson said the company was "looking into" a Mac App Store version of its Office productivity suite.



Cybermart



Cybermart International, a member of the Foxconn Group, recently obtained status as a "first-grade distributor" for Apple in the Greater China area, Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes reported Friday.



The retail chain, which currently has 34 outlets around China, is planning a massive expansion of up to 500 Apple licensed retail shops, which will reportedly offer on-site repair services, in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, said chairman Steve Chang. The first such store will open in Tianjin on April 1, 2011, with 7-8 more new stores to follow in 2011.



Foxconn, one of Apple's largest manufacturers, recently came under criticism after a series of worker suicides.



According to Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook, China has been Apple's "top priority" for several years. "We put enormous energy into China. And the results of that have been absolutely staggering." The iPhone maker revealed last week that revenue from China had quadrupled year over year. Apple's four retail stores in mainland China were the highest traffic and highest revenue locations for the company.



Samsung



With modest smartphone and tablet sales unable to cover weak sales of chips and flatscreens, South Korean electronics giant Samsung missed analysts' expectations when it reported the weakest quarterly profit in six quarters on Friday.



Samsung reported 3.0 trillion won ($2.7 billion) in operating profit for the December quarter, well below consensus expectations of 3.4 trillion won. Nearly half of the company's profit came from Samsung's telecom division, Reuters reports.



With 10 million Google Android-based Galaxy S smartphones sold since June and sales of 2 million Galaxy tablets last quarter, Samsung has seen a measure of success in the mobile space, but has been unable to translate units sold into the record profits that Apple has racked up in recent quarters.



With the recently announced Galaxy Player, Samsung is attempting to match Apple's three flagship iOS products: the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, with competing Android versions. The 7-inch Galaxy Tab, though billed as the iPad's first "real" competitor, has been characterized as "a little bit of a disappointment."



Microsoft Office



Microsoft is considering bringing its Office suite to the Mac App Store, a spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal's Ina Fried.



?It?s something we are looking at,? said Microsoft?s Amanda Lefebvre. ?It?s something we haven?t ruled out,? she said. ?We just have to see how that relates to our business.?



According to the report, Microsoft may also be planning to bring Office to the iPhone, as the company recently released its OneNote note-taking program on the iOS App Store. ?You can absolutely expect Office to expand its presence across other platforms,? said Microsoft senior director Jason Bunge in a recent interview.



When Apple launched the Mac App Store early this month, software giants Microsoft and Adobe were conspicuously missing from the digital storefront. With almost no competition from other major software vendors, Apple's own applications have consistently been the highest grossing on the Mac App Store, bringing in millions of dollars of revenue for the Mac maker.



Microsoft, however, has begun offering a free 30 day trial of Office for Mac on its website, something that can't be done through the Mac App Store.



The Windows maker announced mixed quarterly results Thursday, as sales of PCs have slowed and Windows Phone 7 has failed to take off.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 64
    "With the recently announced Galaxy Player, Samsung is attempting to match Apple's three flagship iOS products: the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, with competing Android versions."



    Samsung is attempting three "flagship" launch products without the glue that links them. Apple's iOS products are the stars that rotate around the sun that is iTunes.
  • Reply 2 of 64
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post




    lowest quarterly profit in six years



    ...



    weakest quarterly profit in six quarters.

    .





    Your headline says "six years" but the article says "six quarters". I'm guessing the article is correct and the headline ain't?
  • Reply 3 of 64
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    I don’t expect MS to be a fast mover into the Mac App Store. There are just too many hurdles for them to cross with their Office products for that happen. Perhaps after a couple years after the Mac App Store has grown phenomenally well and undeniable stats of developers selling more product with less stolen product resulting in a positive net gain, but I can’t imagine MS to plan for such an eventuality this far ahead. I would expect them to copy the Mac App Store for Windows long before that happens.
  • Reply 4 of 64
    Office:iOS? Hell yeah. 2011 is a huge improvement over 2008 and I'd love to see it arrive on iOS, although I don't take the iPod touch seriously. Office coming over would highly cement iOS adoption in enterprises.
  • Reply 5 of 64
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by delreyjones View Post


    Your headline says "six years" but the article says "six quarters". I'm guessing the article is correct and the headline ain't?



    Ah. Thanks for catching that.
  • Reply 6 of 64
    I'd rather not. It's a backward step to default to Office formats to trade files with everyone. Besides that, Notes Plus is ten times better than OneNote.
  • Reply 7 of 64
    You know what's funny?

    Microsoft leaving money on the table by not offering "Office for iOS". They could use it.
  • Reply 8 of 64
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Microsoft is in a difficult position, and we might as well acknowledge it. If they do more for Office Mac, it makes it easier to convert from Windows to OS X. Really, if they don't bother, then they get the Windows sale and the Office sale.



    If they do the same for iOS, it makes it less likely someone will get a WP7 device. It's difficult all right. I wouldn't want to be the one at MS who has to come up with the numbers showing why one decision or another is better for them.



    As for Samsung. They've been doing very well in phones. They came from all the way in the back of the pack years ago when i bought their i300 color Palmphone, to the second largest cell phone maker in the world. Likely, they will take over the number one spot from Nokia late this year, or early next.



    I just feel sorry for all those Tab users when they find they won't be able to upgrade to Honeycomb later this year, if what we're hearing about Google's hardware specs for it are true.
  • Reply 9 of 64
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    I would buy Word and Outlook from the App Store. I didn't know MS already had OneNote on the iOS App Store so at least they're not totally allergic to the idea of app stores.



    Some other Mac apps I would like to see on the App Store are UltraEdit and Sandvox.



    I also hope the App Store breathes new life in to the Mac game porting market, such as Aspyr and Feral used to make their living on before they diversified. The harm that Boot Camp did to Mac ports could be reversed by the sheer convenience of MAS.
  • Reply 10 of 64
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ghostface147 View Post


    Office:iOS? Hell yeah. 2011 is a huge improvement over 2008 and I'd love to see it arrive on iOS, although I don't take the iPod touch seriously. Office coming over would highly cement iOS adoption in enterprises.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    Microsoft is in a difficult position, and we might as well acknowledge it. If they do more for Office Mac, it makes it easier to convert from Windows to OS X. Really, if they don't bother, then they get the Windows sale and the Office sale.



    If they do the same for iOS, it makes it less likely someone will get a WP7 device. It's difficult all right. I wouldn't want to be the one at MS who has to come up with the numbers showing why one decision or another is better for them.



    As for Samsung. They've been doing very well in phones. They came from all the way in the back of the pack years ago when i bought their i300 color Palmphone, to the second largest cell phone maker in the world. Likely, they will take over the number one spot from Nokia late this year, or early next.



    I just feel sorry for all those Tab users when they find they won't be able to upgrade to Honeycomb later this year, if what we're hearing about Google's hardware specs for it are true.



    Here I sit in front of a nice fire.. In non-NYC, non-Boston...



    Seriously the only chance for Office is to ASAP release an iOS version... Then an Android version...



    ... And maybe, a year from now a WP7 version...





    Otherwise, the parade has marched by...
  • Reply 11 of 64
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


    Here I sit in front of a nice fire.. In non-NYC, non-Boston...



    Seriously the only chance for Office is to ASAP release an iOS version... Then an Android version...



    ... And maybe, a year from now a WP7 version...





    Otherwise, the parade has marched by...



    I think they have time on this. It's not like PC's are going away anytime soon, and Office take-up did very well this quarter. The problem for them is do they encourage iOs and Android sales, or try to hold them back? I don't think they can hold them back, because they have nothing to do it with. By the time they do, it could be over for them there.



    But, Office os the gorilla in the room. I don't see something else doing better
  • Reply 12 of 64
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Thank you for not using "Far East".
  • Reply 13 of 64
    Guess which apps I won't be downloading.

    M$ garbage on the Mac or iOS app stores, is nothing sacrilege ?
  • Reply 14 of 64
    It gets old reading these things. Apple are the only company working for themselves. Microsoft are trying, but they are stuck on ancient business practices and don't make their own hardware.



    Apple will eat the competition until the competition realise that they must bring something unique to the table. Another Android phone, as nice as the hardware can be will just be another Android phone. It's like a gaming computer - obviously Windows, obviously expensive, and glitzy. There is nothing left to bespeak quality when the hardware is just a backdrop to a piece of software that you neither own nor really contribute meaningfully to.



    As for Samsung - losing bits of the phone business hardly hurts them at all. Again, they are the largest conglomerate in the world with fingers in many countries governments. There is nothing that could harm them in the electronics sector as that isn't their largest sector at all.
  • Reply 15 of 64
    macrulezmacrulez Posts: 2,455member
    deleted
  • Reply 16 of 64
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacRulez View Post






    Yep.



    Why not add in people who like cherries and giraffes with neck pain? Obviously, the competition to Apple is the smart phone market. Apple have the only unique product out there that is doing well. RIM are roughing it out and WebOS has unfortunately not yet made a great splash.



    Adding Windows from what decade, from what year, from how the hell is that related to anything is pretty banana kick, but whatever - this is the internet.
  • Reply 17 of 64
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by White Rabbit View Post


    Guess which apps I won't be downloading.

    M$ garbage on the Mac or iOS app stores, is nothing sacrilege ?



    Office is fine. The Mac Business unit does a good job.
  • Reply 18 of 64
    The longer MS takes to release Office for the iPad the tougher their competition will get, especially when users get use to using alternative apps.
  • Reply 19 of 64
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    I think they have time on this. It's not like PC's are going away anytime soon, and Office take-up did very well this quarter. The problem for them is do they encourage iOs and Android sales, or try to hold them back? I don't think they can hold them back, because they have nothing to do it with. By the time they do, it could be over for them there.



    But, Office is the gorilla in the room. I don't see something else doing better



    I think I agree with Dick. This is a whole new platform taking off. Being in the marketplace in the beginning is really important.



    For instance I'm a writer so I haven't had my iPad out of my hands since I bought it and I use Pages (even though it's not really that great), because right now, it's the only word processor you can get for iPad. Now I'm in Canada, so we didn't even get the iPad up here until recently, but after using Pages day in and day out for all that time, Word for iOS would have to be a very good product to get me to switch. In the US, there are people that have been using it every day for a year already.



    If MS doesn't get Office for iOS out the door within the next year, there will be folks that have used iOS for up to two years without ever needing Office. People who have already switched to other methods and tools. They are essentially leaving Apple to play by themselves in the iOS market place, unchallenged.



    I think all Microsoft can really expect out of their name and reputation here, is that people will definitely "take a look" at what they offer (when or if they offer it), even if they wait another year. The power of the name will get them that far, but if the product itself isn't really good, and doesn't show up rather sooner than later, they won't have a hope. It's a golden opportunity for MS really, but I have the suspicion they are going to blow it. iOS software is almost the opposite "style" of software to that Microsoft is used to producing. While they specialise in bloated "everything but the kitchen sink" suites, iOS is all about focussed tasks and minimalism.



    I wouldn't be surprised to see them put something out for iOS, but I would be very, very surprised if it was good. Microsoft has never shown any talent at all for this kind of programming. The last product I remember MS making that was as clear, focussed and easy to use as an iOS app, is MS Word 5.0 for DOS.
  • Reply 20 of 64
    zoetmbzoetmb Posts: 2,654member
    Personally, I don't understand the psychology of "if a major app is not available on the app store, I won't buy it". If you need MS-Office or Photoshop, then you need it and there are some advantages of having that physical CD installation disc.



    Frankly, I see the app store as helping to market the less obvious and more niche-oriented software apps, especially those that don't get inventoried in physical stores anymore (including the Apple stores) because retail doesn't carry very deep lines of software anymore.
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