Next-generation products could provide a lift for Broadcom’s (BRCM) wireless business in the second half of 2014, analysts say, with the chipmaker also expected to gain from its push into high-speed communications networks. Broadcom stock rose Friday after the chipmaker late Thursday reported Q4 revenue and EPS narrowly ahead of lowered analyst expectations amid slowing growth for smartphone makers Samsung and Apple (AAPL). Broadcom’s Q4 profit
Google’s (GOOG) Android operating system continues to dominate the smartphone market, but much of its growth is coming from modified, or “forked,” versions of the free-to-use, open-source software. The trend is significant for Google (GOOG) because those forked versions of Android do not offer Google’s services, which impacts Google’s ability to monetize the Android ecosystem, says ABI Research analyst Nick Spencer. In a report Wednesday, ABI said Android was used in 77% of smartphones shipped worldwide in the fourth quarter. But of those 221.5 million Android handsets, 32% used forked versions. A year earlier, forked Android, also called Android Open Source Project (AOSP), versions made up 20% of the total. In Q3, AOSP accounted for 27% of Android handsets shipped. AOSP handset shipments rose 137% in Q4 2013 vs. Q4 2012, compared with 29% growth for Android, ABI reported. In its report, ABI suggests Google could be losing control of the Android ecosystem. Much of the growth in forked Android phones is coming from China, India and adjacent markets, ABI said. Apple (AAPL) is a distant No. 2 in smartphone market share, garnering 18% in Q4. That’s up from 15% in Q3, thanks to the release of the iPhone 5S, ABI says. But its share is down from 23% in Q4 2012, as growth has shifted to emerging markets. “Apple continues to avoid a low-cost smartphone product to target these markets, focusing instead on its traditional premium segment, where growth is harder to achieve due to fast-approaching market saturation,” Spencer said.
Apple (AAPL) still has a solid lead in the global tablet market, but it’s losing steam as rival Samsung comes on strong. Meanwhile, Amazon.com (AMZN) lost ground in the holiday quarter, as its Kindle tablet shipments fell year over year. Market research firm IDC reported Wednesday that Apple had 33.8% share of the worldwide tablet market in the fourth quarter. That’s down from 38.2% in Q4 2012. It increased its iPad tablet shipments by 13.5% year over year, which is less than half the industry growth rate of 28.2%, IDC said. Apple shipped 26 million tablets in Q4. Samsung came in second place with 14.5 million tablet shipments, or 18.8% market share, in Q4. It increased shipments of its Galaxy tablets by 85.9% year over year, IDC reported. Amazon shipped 5.8 million Kindle tablets in Q4, or 7.6% market share. It was the only top five tablet maker…