102 May 20, 2013 www.twice.

com
case, tap-to-pair functionality will help NFC be-
come a household term.
DiCarlo: Our NFC-enabled smartphones are
paired with our TecTile programmable NFC tags
to enable people to complete tasks and change
settings by tapping their device against a TecTile.
The potential for NFC will grow as more products
are preloaded with NFC technology and consum-
ers become more comfortable sharing content,
information and even payment across this wire-
less medium.
Rasinski: Users want technology that opti-
mizes their lives, and they want it to be conve-
nient. While its been around for a while, we are
just now beginning to see how NFC can be inte-
grated into the home, whether it is using an LG
Optimus G Pro to activate an appliance with a
preset setting or enabling new ways for enjoying
entertainment, as the connected home becomes
more common, so will NFC use.
TWICE: How will wireless charging fare in
2013?
Lam: Wireless charging will continue to ex-
pand into the market place, and we believe end
users will appreciate it once they are exposed to
the convenience of using it.
Walls: Consumers will gravitate to wireless
charging ... slowly. Research suggests that its
nice to have but not a must have. Driving to a
lower price point and bundling will help its cause.
Cistulli: In 2013, carriers and OEMs will come
closer to formulating or agreeing upon an indus-
try standard. Concurrently, attention will be set on
the outcome of current trials among handset mak-
ers and retailers. Whether PMA, Qi or A4WP pre-
vail as the standard, our plans are to include wire-
less charging integration technologies into our
current product roadmap as an optional feature.
DiCarlo: Wireless charging is still in its initial
phase of consumer adoption, and Samsung is in-
vesting in engineering a variety of charging stan-
dards to offer our customers the widest amount
of choice and the best user experience.
Rasinski: Wireless charging has been around
for a while now but is finally starting to see adop-
tion as the technology becomes available on more
devices. Last year, we launched the Spectrum 2
and worked with Google on Nexus 4, both wireless
charging devices. This year, we have introduced LG
Optimus G Pro and Lucid2 by LG, both of which
have the potential for wireless charging capabilities
when equipped with a wireless charging back plate.
Forecast For Key
Features, Services
(continued from page 100)
TWICE: Will phablets (smartphones with large
screens) take share from 7-inch tablets? What are
the use cases for phablets vs. 7-inch tablets?
Lam: We do see phablets that are 5.5 inches and
above taking some share from 7-inch tablets. One of the
original ideas behind the phablet is to allow end users to
carry fewer devices (e.g., smartphone and tablet). Most
of the use cases from 7-inch tablet can be also be sup-
ported in a phablet. The obvious advantage of a phablet
is the ability to support cellular voice service.
Walls: For the time being, the market size is relatively
small for smartphones greater than 5.5 inches. There-
fore the threat to 7-inch tablets isnt large. Although
phablets and smaller-sized tablets have some overlap
in terms of consumer type and use cases, there are
more than enough distinctions to differentiate each
device in the market for the near term. However, there
will be an inflection point when technology allows for
smartphone displays to be expanded or contracted as
required. Over time, smaller components lead to thin-
ner devices, which can be paired with more than one
thin flexible display. Imagine the possibilities.
In the future, the question will be whether we need
a phone and a tablet? History is pretty clear in that
technology has a way of evolving and converging. Its
pretty safe to say that consumers would prefer not
to carry a PC, a tablet and a smartphone. At some
point, the smartphone will have the necessary DNA
to do everything. Before saying no, just imagine a
smartphone with two 5-inch flexible OLED displays.
One display is used regularly on
the phone, the second display
slides/folds out to create a 10-
inch display. Now you have a
tablet. Perhaps were closer to
this than most people realize.
DiCarlo: The Galaxy Note
and Galaxy Tab families were
created to address different consumer needs as part
of our comprehensive product portfolio. Samsung
Mobile created the phablet trend with the introduc-
tion of the Galaxy Note and extended this trend with
the introduction of the Galaxy Note II. The Galaxy
Note family offers a big enough screen to work pro-
ductively and comes with the S Pen to further en-
hance productivity. The Galaxy Tab family offers a
bigger screen for both entertainment and productivity
while maintaining its portability but doesnt have the
S Pen or calling features. These different families of
devices offer different capabilities that appeal to dif-
ferent consumer needs. One size doesnt fit all, but a
comprehensive product portfolio that offers choice in
size, connectivity, utility and price can.
Rasinski: Whether its a smartphone, a camera or
at tablet, many consumers carry three, sometimes four
devices at a time. Devices like our LG Optimus G Pro
solve that issue by combining an expansive 1080p
FullHD IPS screen for more pixels and real estate,
while maintaining a pocketable form factor, all without
sacrificing camera quality or smartphone capabilities.
TWICE: Will tablets with screen sizes of less than
the iPads 9.7 inches account for the majority of tab-
let unit shipments in the U.S. anytime soon?
Lam: We do expect smaller-size tablets to outsell
the bigger-size tablets in the U.S. Smaller tablets of-
fer the similar level of experience with better mobil-
ity due to its size advantage and a lower price point.
Bigger-size tablets will still have its place in the tablet
space for the content-heavy type of end users.
Cistulli: Not necessarily. Many consumers will pur-
chase both as each category becomes more afford-
able and their feature sets better understood. Screen
size is largely determined by the customers needs,
and the same customer can have use cases for each.
A tablet can handle advanced programs and detail-
oriented tasks that require more screen time, such
as reading books, capturing meeting notes, watch-
ing videos or shopping. A larger smartphone is great
for shopping lists, quick Internet searches and tasks
that dont require much more than 15 minutes of time.
We have seen a correlation between screen size and
ARPU larger screens having higher ARPU.
DiCarlo: Samsung Mobile works to create a com-
prehensive product portfolio that gives consumers a
choice in size, connectivity, utility and price because
one size doesnt fit all. Consumers value choice be-
cause theyre looking to address
different needs with different
devices but still want a seam-
less experience between these
devices. Some consumers
place priority on size for porta-
bility while others place priority
on features for productivity.
Rasinski: The mobile device is now at the center
of everyday life. People use their devices to commu-
nicate with friends and family as well as co-workers.
They share photos that can only be captured and
shared in the moment. They need multitasking capa-
bilities to help them save time and the ability to en-
joy the finest HD content available online. Because it
is pocketable while retaining some of the tablet-like
functionality, LG Optimus G Pro users can have all of
that functionality at home or on-the-go.
TWICE: Will cellular-embedded tablets remain a
small share of tablet sales in 2013?
Lam: Cellular tablets will continue to have a rela-
tively small market share in 2013. More subscribers
are using the mobile hotspot feature included in the
data plan with their smartphone to enable Wi-Fi teth-
ering to tablets. This is especially true for subscribers
with a tight budget.
Walls: Until shared data plans that are reasonably
priced become more of a force, Wi-Fi-only tablets will
continue to see the majority of volume.
Cistulli: We believe that WAN-based tablets will
grow in market share as LTE systems become more
prevalent and end users realize that high bandwidth,
anytime, anywhere, becomes a requirement for seam-
less communication.
Alcatel One Touch is sensitive to the price model
that WAN-based tablets present to carriers to sub-
sidize or not. To this end, we believe that a modular,
plug-in system is a smart choice for the consumer
and is critical to the success of WAN-based tablets.
DiCarlo: There is a demand for connected tablets,
so we make sure theyre available just like there is a
demand for Wi-Fi.
Room In Market For Both Phablets & Tablets
Wireless
Just imagine a smart-
phone with two 5-inch
flexible OLED dis-
plays. One display is
used regularly on the
phone. The second
display slides/folds
out to create a 10-inch display. Now
you have a tablet. Chris Walls,
Huawei
NFC is gaining
more momentum,
and we do believe
that it will become
a mainstream fea-
ture in the future as
more applications
outside of mobile payment will
find ways to adapt to NFC to make
it more appealing and useful to
end users. Waiman Lam, ZTE
Special Report Special Report
twi1311p098p100p102.indd 102 5/16/2013 3:33:07PM
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