Tag Archives: sne

MWC: Apple Rivals Prep Waterproofing, Dual-Cam, Force Touch Display

Apple ’s ( AAPL ) rivals aim to get a jump on the upcoming iPhone 7 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, strutting out new smartphones with some of the features that have been linked to Apple’s plans. “We find the improvements in rival smartphones — better display, slimmer camera modules, dual cameras, waterproofing, more (memory) and high-speed charging — a preview of the fall iPhone 7 launch,” Jeffrey Kvaal, a Nomura Securities analyst, said in a research report. The  iPhone 7 has been rumored to feature waterproofing for the first time. Apple does not officially take part at the MWC, but the company casts “a lengthy shadow” nonetheless, Kvaal added. Samsung on Sunday rolled out the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. The handsets boast sleek designs with advanced camera features, water resistance and external memory. Sony ’s ( SNE ) Xperia X Performance also features waterproofing. At Citigroup, analyst Jim Suva wrote:  “While Apple does not participate in MWC, there was no lack of apps, software, and hardware support for the iPhone.  We were surprised that even Apple’s largest competitors commented that Apple is likely working on some very innovative and easy to use future enhancements. Thus the rush to launch competing products before Apple’s big September launch.” According to another Citigroup report, based on observations at the MWC, dual cameras also are becoming a standard feature. LG’s G5 and the ZTE Axon Elite are expected to feature dual cameras as well as new devices from Huawei and Xiaomi, says Citigroup. Apple’s rivals, though, are still playing catch-up in fingerprint security technology, such as its  pressure-sensitive “Force Touch” display, which uses technology known as “haptic feedback.” Citigroup forecasts that 19% of smartphones will use haptic technology in 2016 and 25% in 2017.

Exclusive Details On Facebook-Owned Oculus’ New Game Engine Deal

Loading the player… Oculus founder Palmer Luckey announced a deal at this week’s virtual reality Vision Summit with Unity, a 3D game engine used to create a vast amount of VR content. Unity has partnerships with Alphabet ( GOOGL )-owned Google, Facebook ( FB ), Sony ( SNE ) and Microsoft ( MSFT ) among others. That means the Unity platform is compatible with Google Cardboard, Facebook’s Oculus Rift, Sony’s PlayStation VR and Microsoft’s HoloLens. IBD sat down with Unity CEO John Riccitiello, former chief executive at Electronic Arts ( EA ), to learn more about the new pact with Oculus.

Rovi Soars On Q4 Earnings; Focus Shifts To Comcast, Dish Renewals

Rovi ( ROVI ) stock jumped as much as 19% Friday to an 11-month high, following the company’s fourth-quarter earnings late Thursday that beat estimates, as revenue growth reversed four straight quarters of deceleration. The focus now shifts to first-quarter performance and Rovi’s ability to renew licensing agreements with Comcast ( CMCSA ) and Dish Network ( DISH ). Rovi provides technology for interactive TV program guides licensed by AT&T ( T ), Comcast, Time Warner Cable ( TWC ), Dish and others, used for interactive TV guides and video-on-demand services. It also provides advertising services, including Big Data analytics that provides TV-audience insights and ad campaign management in various entertainment sectors. It posted Q4 revenue of $149.5 million, up 11% year over year and topping the consensus estimate of $130.7 million. It was the first time in five quarters that Rovi revenue accelerated. It reported earnings per share minus items of 65 cents, smashing estimates of 37 cents. That reversed four straight quarters of slower EPS growth. Rovi stock was up 14%, near 20.50, in afternoon trading in the stock market today . During Q4, Rovi renewed a technology licensing agreement with AT&T, which now includes the DirecTV footprint, for a seven-year term, in addition to a renewed licensing agreement with Sony ( SNE ). “In 2016, Rovi is focused on successfully renewing our IP Licenses with Comcast and Dish and on building our product portfolio,” Rovi CEO Tom Carson said in  the earnings release . “We believe achieving these goals will help drive stockholder value for years to come.” While Rovi said it expects to successfully renew agreements with Comcast and Dish, its revenue and EPS from those agreements are not included in current estimates. Excluding revenue from Comcast and Dish, Rovi anticipates 2016 revenue of $490 million to $520 million and EPS less items of $1.35 to $1.65. Andy Hargreaves, analyst at Pacific Crest Securities, said the renewals with Comcast and Dish remain likely but are far from certain. “Rovi is in the latter stages of negotiations with Comcast and Dish, as the current deals expire over the next two months,” Hargreaves wrote in a research note. “Rovi’s history suggests it is more likely than not to complete the deals successfully, but a delayed negotiation or even a lawsuit remains highly possible, either of which could drive significant stock volatility.”