Let's face it, Smartphone Hardware Manufacturers Are Dead, Long Live The Google-like Solution Providers!

Two and a half years ago I declared in my mobile computing wars series that Google would commoditized the mobile computing space, thereby turning the industry on its head dramatically changing business models and margin outlooks. Curiously enough, despite rampant evidence that I've been nothing but correct, investors, pundits and even leading industry participants still don't get it. CNBC ran the following article this morning... Chinese Smartphone Users Snub Apple for Local Brands Sales of smartphones in China are outpacing sales in the U.S., and yet many Chinese shoppers are choosing cheaper, local brands, which now have more than 50 percent market share. The Financial Times reports. What CNBC failed to realize was that the primary beneficiary of all of this is Google, who benefits from volume in handset and tablet sales, not margin. I made this point clear in my paid r...