Gene MunsterT-Mobile Enters 5G Race, but We’re Still Two Years AwayOn June 28th, T-Mobile will be the 4th US carrier to “launch” 5G in the US with 6 initial cities. While encouraging, we’re still in the buildup phase, likely two years away from the average consumer using 5G. To put…Read more Technology
Andrew MurphyThe Pros and Cons of Toy TechnologiesToys facilitate the imagination. They replicate and blend some elements of reality and some elements of fiction, equipping us to pretend. We’ve been considering the benefits of toys that incorporate novel technologies, from playful robots to LEGO sets with augmented…Read more Apple, Augmented Reality , Philosophy
Doug ClintonGreat Startups Start With a ProblemProblems are the guiding light for founders to build solutions around. Problems are also the guiding light for investors to decide whether a company is a good investment. When we started investing in early-stage companies, we were taught that founders,…Read more Philosophy, Problems , Startup
Gene Munster, Will ThompsonSmart Speaker Macro-Model UpdateWe’re updating our estimates for stand-alone smart speakers and tuning our model based on more historical sales figures. Bottom line: this market remains in high growth mode. We estimate more than one-third of all US households will have a smart…Read more Amazon, Apple , Artificial Intelligence , Google
Gene MunsterApple TV Moves Forward Inside Third-Party DisplaysIn May, Samsung was the first manufacturer to ship TVs with Apple TV integration. Vizio, Sony, and LG have also signed on to this effort and are expected to release TVs later this year. Our takeaways: Four years ago, our…Read more Apple
Andrew Murphy, Gene MunsterAmazon Is Investing to Extend Its LeadAmazon reported strong Q1 results with revenue in-line with consensus of $59.7B and EPS of $7.09, well ahead of consensus at $4.72. Don’t let the Q1 earnings beat mislead you — Amazon is investing in long-term growth. Exhibit A: Amazon’s…Read more Amazon, Retail
Gene MunsterAT&T’s 5GE Is Largely Marketing HypeAT&T recently rolled out a limited 5G Evolution (5GE) network in Minneapolis in combination with its sponsorship of the Final Four. We tested the network and found only modest improvements in network speeds. Given AT&T’s 5GE marketing hype, we’re disappointed…Read more Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality , Autonomous Vehicles
Gene Munster, Will ThompsonWhy Amazon’s AirPods Competitor Won’t CompeteBloomberg recently reported that Amazon is planning an Alexa-based rival to Apple’s AirPods in an attempt to get Alexa out of the home and into the world. Thus far, Amazon’s device efforts have been muted because they don’t own an…Read more Amazon, Apple , Artificial Intelligence
Gene MunsterAmazon Alexa vs. Google Assistant: A Developer’s ComparisonWe have done extensive research on which smart speaker is best. The ability to understand users, correctly answer their questions, and deliver responses in natural sounding speech is usually summed up by one word: intelligence. The IQ of the assistant…Read more Amazon, Artificial Intelligence , Google
Gene Munster, Pat BocchicchioVR Pain Management MiraclesWhen we and much of the virtual reality (VR) industry talks about the future of VR, topics typically circle around how the immersive technology can reinvent what it means to experience the digital world. We talk about how to make…Read more Virtual Reality