Seems consistent to expectations of slightly weaker 3Q2014 - overall, monthly bookings and billings figures in 2014 continue to trend well above 2013 levels.
(vested)
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North American Semiconductor Equipment Industry Posts August 2014 Book-to-Bill Ratio of 1.04
SAN JOSE, Calif. — September 18, 2014 — North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.35 billion in orders worldwide in August 2014 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.04, according to the August EMDS Book-to-Bill Report published today by SEMI. A book-to-bill of 1.04 means that $104 worth of orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month.
The three-month average of worldwide bookings in August 2014 was $1.35 billion. The bookings figure is 5.0 percent lower than the final July 2014 level of $1.42 billion, and is 26.5 percent higher than the August 2013 order level of $1.06 billion.
The three-month average of worldwide billings in August 2014 was $1.29 billion. The billings figure is 2.0 percent lower than the final July 2014 level of $1.32 billion, and is 19.5 percent higher than the August 2013 billings level of $1.08 billion.
“The SEMI Book-to-Bill ratio has been at or above parity for 11 consecutive months, and both current month bookings and billings continue to trend well above 2013 levels,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI. “Strong equipment spending growth for the year is observed across the fab and test and assembly segments.”
The SEMI book-to-bill is a ratio of three-month moving averages of worldwide bookings and billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers. Billings and bookings figures are in millions of U.S. dollars.
Billings (3-mo. avg)
Bookings (3-mo. avg)
Book-to-Bill
January 2014
1,233.2 ( 27.0% HIGHER than January 2013 billing of USD 0.968 billion )
1,280.3 ( 19.0% HIGHER than January 2013 booking of USD 1.08 billion )
1.04
February 2014
1,288.3 (32% HIGHER than February 2013 billing of USD 0.9747 billion )
1,295.4 (21.0% HIGHER than February 2013 booking of USD 1.07 billion )
1.01
March 2014
1,225.5 (23.7% HIGHER than March 2013 billing of USD 0.991 billion)
1,297.7 (18% HIGHER than March 2013 booking of USD 1.10 billion)
1.06
April (2014)
1,403.2 (28.7% HIGHER than April 2013 billing of USD 1.09 billion)
1,443.0 (23.3% HIGHER than April 2013 booking of USD 1.17 billion)
1.03
May 2014
1,407.8 (15.4% HIGHER than May 2013 billing of USD 1.22 billion)
1,407.0 ( 6.6% HIGHER than May 2013 booking of USD 1.32 billion)
1.00
June 2014
1,327.5 (9.7% HIGHER than June 2013 billing of USD 1.21 billion)
1,455.0 (9.4% HIGHER than June 2013 booking of USD 1.33 billion)
1.10
July 2014 (Final)
1,319.1 (9.9% HIGHER than July 2013 billing of USD 1.20 billion)
1,417.1 (17.1% HIGHER than July 2013 booking of USD 1.21 billion)
1.07
Aug 2014 (prelim)
1,293.3 (19.5% HIGHER than August 2013 billing of USD 1.08 billion)
1,346.2 (26.5% HIGHER than August 2013 booking of USD 1.06 billion)
1.04
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STAMFORD, Conn., September 17, 2014
Gartner Says Worldwide Smartwatch and Wristband Market Is Poised for Take Off
By 2015, Android-Based Smartwatches Will Average $150 as Chinese OEMs and ODMs Capture the Consumer Mass Market in China and Internationally
As smartphone vendors and component suppliers continue to expand into the wearables market, Gartner, Inc. predicts that by 2016 smartwatches will comprise about 40 percent of consumer wristworn devices. Gartner said that nine out of the top 10 smartphone vendors have entered the wearables market to date or are about to ship a first product, while a year ago only two vendors were in that space.
"Apple has finally unveiled its Apple Watch, which we expect to trigger more consumer interest once it starts shipping in 2015," said Angela McIntyre, research director at Gartner. "Apple introduced three smartwatch models that will sell at a wide price range, with the lowest starting at $349. As with the iPhone, Apple's high-price strategy for the Watch will limit its market share; yet, with its attention to design and the user interface, we believe this product will attract many users."
"The Sony Smartwatch products and the Samsung Gear were early products that received much attention in the press but less enthusiasm from consumers due to their unclear value proposition and flawed design," said Annette Zimmermann, research director at Gartner. "In 2014 we are seeing a few more positive developments in terms of design and user experience (UX) and we therefore expect consumers to show more interest in these products in the second half of the year."
Ms. Zimmermann said that the latest smartwatches show much improvement in design compared with earlier smartwatches as well as providing an idea of the features that Android Wear brings to the user, including voice search, turn-by-turn navigation, contextual reminders and taking notes via voice input — basically a Google Now experience on a smaller screen.
A recent consumer study conducted by Gartner at the beginning of the third quarter of 2014 gave some indication of the current installed base of fitness wearables and dedicated sports watches. The results showed that fitness wristbands and "other fitness trackers" combined are already represented in more U.S. households than sports watches. Sports watches, such as dedicated running watches, have been around for many years, but such products are not for everyone and hence do not have mass market appeal. Gartner expects this trend to continue in the next few years as fitness wearables proliferate.
There is still a lot of room for growth and the trend around the "quantified self" will drive adoption of these devices over the next few years. However, despite the growing interest from the market, there are several hurdles that still need to be overcome and that vendors need to consider in their products.
In recent tests, different models of smartwatches and fitness wristbands reduced the battery life of the connected smartphone. Depending on the product and the phone this was in the range of two to eight hours of reduced usage time. Having the smartphone run for only half a day until it needs a new charge is not ideal and this is likely to put off most users who use smartphones without an exchangeable battery.
Of the devices that were tested, the battery life could last up to five or six days. However, as consumers add more devices to their households the number of gadgets that need to be charged is expected to reach a point where it becomes a burden for the consumer. Here the discussion arises again of the trade-off between design and usability — a more efficient battery would likely not allow for a light and sleek design — and yet a desirable feature for a smartwatch would be a battery that lasts for several months.
"We are currently seeing two opposing trends in the market with regards to form factor evolution. On the one hand there are vendors offering smart wrist-wearables in a familiar watch-like form factor," said Ms. Zimmermann. "On the other hand in the past six to nine months, we have seen vendors launching products that resemble the early fitness wristbands, but come with displays that add significant functionality, including message and call alerts. These cross-over products are generally marketed as fitness devices, but with the strong slant toward the communication aspect."
In addition to the established vendors, original design manufacturers (ODMs) and semiconductor vendors in China are ready to take on the next generation of consumer. There are a growing number of local Chinese vendors that have launched fitness wrist bands, putting pressure on established players such as Fitbit and Jawbone. Although these vendors currently have a primarily local market focus they will eventually turn to international expansion.
"Products and offerings among Chinese vendors are similar to those of other vendors with a variety of form factors, operating systems, connectivity and sensor options," said Ms. McIntyre. "International expansion will start to accelerate in 2015 and in this context we expect several Chinese vendors to build on Android Wear in parallel to create more appeal. Certainly, they are faced with the same hurdles regarding design as all international vendors, but we also expect them to leverage one thing that has been to their constant advantage in the smartphone and tablet market: the cost advantage of the Chinese supply chain ecosystem. Chinese vendors might well be able to bring Android Wear based smartwatches to very affordable price points below $150 with decent designs and sensors — driving mass market adoption."
http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2848817