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

Parks Associates Study Finds 30% of Security Dealers Sold DIY Systems in 2023

Parks Associates research finds security dealers are branching out into new areas to bolster revenues and add applications that require or enrich professional installation and monitoring. The firm’s 1...

Analysis: Viewers crave streaming simplicity not more fragmentation

Parks Associates reveals that only 5% of U.S. households rely solely on traditional pay TV. Instead, smart TV apps have emerged as the new living room entertainment hub. From the article, "Analysis...

IRobot faces a murky future amid rising Roomba competitors

The company is still “number one,” said Elizabeth Parks, president of market research firm Parks Associates in Dallas. But it’s a shaky number one. Parks estimates that iRobot had nearly two-thirds of...

Energy, security, automation: Converging into peace of mind

Parks Associates latest research shows 70% of US internet households report spending $100 or more per month on their electricity and 62% think the electricity costs are too high, an increase of eight...