Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

Why is Apple customers' appetite for its products insatiable?

Besides new phones, Apple is expected to significantly upgrade its Apple TV set-top box, which has barely changed since it went on sale in March 2012. The key difference in the new one, expected to cost about $149, will be voice-activated searching (using Siri) and control across multiple sources of content such as Netflix and iTunes, plus the App Store allied to a motion-sensitive controller, rather like Nintendo’s Wii.

The changes look timely, if not overdue. Apple TV is outsold by challengers including Amazon and Google, according to market research firm Parks Associates. Amazon’s Fire TV set-top box already has a voice-controlled interface, and Google’s Chromecast plug-in stick can be used to ‘cast’ content directly from a computer or phone to the TV. But there is plenty of room for growth, as only 20% of US households with broadband have a streaming device, the report found.

The refreshed Apple TV could also add the capability to play games and other apps. With gaming already a huge pursuit on smartphones, the prospect of it on a TV is exciting to iPhone developers, who for years have been wishing for a new Apple platform for apps. 

From the article "Why is Apple customers' appetite for its products insatiable?" by Charles Arthur.

Previously In The News

HBO Now And Starz Enter Top 5 In Ranking Of U.S. SVOD Services

In an update today of its ranking of subscription OTT services in the U.S., Parks Associates said HBO Now and Starz have entered the top five, trailing only streaming giants Netflix, Amazon and Hulu....

mHealth Still Missing the Comfort Zone for Chronic Care Patients

A report from digital health analyst Parks Associates indicates 27 percent of those surveyed with a chronic condition want a mobile health device that tracks their condition – yet significant numbers...

Apple Plans Global Launch For Its TV Subscription Service: Report

The tech giant is racing to catch up to the dominant streaming players. Amazon Prime Video is in 200 countries while Netflix is in more than 190 countries. Apple also has a smaller share of the str...

Password Sharing, Piracy Will Cost Streaming Companies $12.5B By 2024 – Report

New research by streaming tracker Parks Associates predicts the amount of revenue lost to piracy and password sharing will increase 38% to $12.5 billion over the next five years. While it is seldom...