Tag Archives: goog

Sony store closures likely good news for Best Buy

Sony’s (SNE) plan to close 20 of its 31 U.S. retail stores is likely good news for consumer electronics retailer Best Buy (BBY). Consumers looking to buy Sony televisions, digital cameras, audio equipment and other gadgets will turn to independent retailers like Best Buy in the affected markets. In addition, Best Buy has been setting aside floor space for manufacturers looking to run product showcases and could do so for Sony. On Thursday, Best Buy reported that it had opened 1,400 Samsung and 600 Microsoft (MSFT) Windows stores-within-a-store as of Feb. 1. It also operates Apple (AAPL) product showcases in its stores. During the holiday season, Google (GOOG) set up display tablets and end caps in 750 large-format Best Buy stores to show off Android tablets, Chromebook notebooks and Chromecast streaming video players. On a conference call with analysts Thursday, Best Buy CEO hinted at more opportunities for product showcases…

Samsung controls 65% of the Android device market

Nearly two-thirds of all Google (GOOG) Android-based devices in use today were made by Samsung Electronics, according to a research report released Friday. Mobile and Web app analytics firm Localytics said 65% of Android devices in use now are from Samsung, with almost half being the South Korean company’s Galaxy S series of smartphones. The report includes smartphones, phablets and tablets. The report says 30% of Android devices in use are Samsung Galaxy S series smartphones. The 2-year-old Galaxy S3 is the most popular Android devices, making up 15% of such devices in use. Last year’s Galaxy S4 was second, with 10% market share. After Samsung, the top makers of Android devices in use in February are LG (7%), HTC (6%), Sony (SNE) (5%) and Motorola (4%). Google owns the Motorola handset business, but is selling it to Lenovo. In November, Samsung had 63% of the global Android device market, Localytics said. Samsung has sold more than 200 million Galaxy S series smartphones since the line was launched in 2010. Its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5 , is set for release on April 11.  

Google Analyst Boosts Price Target On Motorola Deal

A Google (GOOG) analyst on Friday raised his price target to 1,400, citing the search giant’s decision to sell mobile phone maker Motorola Mobility. Google stock traded up a fraction, near 1,222, in midday trading in the stock market today. Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Graham boosted his target from 1,370, praising the $2.9 billion deal to sell the Motorola unit to Chinese PC-maker Lenovo. Announced in January, that deal is expected to close