The promise of 5G wireless connectivity as the backbone of the “4th Industrial Revolution” has brought predictions of how the global economy will be changed both positively and negativity. Social impact aside here are some quick thoughts on how I think some tech leaders today will evolve.
Apple
Remember when everyone was touting the revolution of wearables with Google Glass, etc.? Well, Apple is the clear winner so far with AirPods and Watches. 5G will make it imperative that they continue to iterate on these two categories as the iPhone will become less important, unless you are streaming video. More apps will integrate Siri in a meaningful way “Siri get me a Lyft”, “Siri order a salmon bowl from Digg Inn”, etc. Siri can also be used in China, which isn’t the case for Google Assistant.
It would be interesting for them to create some sort of TV SDK beyond an app store for Apple TV, similar to what they have done with HomeKit or CarPlay for 3rd party hardware partners to make it easier to stream video to all of your TVs without buying Apple TV hardware for every set in the house. Roku has done a fantastic job with this strategy to extend reach beyond hardware. Maybe this will come for Apple with whatever they are developing in the TV streaming space.
Amazon
Alexa will be the cornerstone of their connection to the consumer in the 5G era. How they extend the primary consumer engagement point beyond speakers into wearables will be interesting to watch as they are totally dependent on 3rd party hardware manufacturers for headphones, etc. that haven’t broken through in a big way. They are rumored to have a plethora of Alexa connected devices coming out this year – including a microwave and car specific device. Their early lead in speakers has been challenged by recently by Google’s aggressive pricing in the US market so they will need to find new platforms to connect the consumer with Alexa.
Their first foray into hardware wearables, Google Glass, didn’t gain widespread consumer acceptance and Android partners like Samsung haven’t been able to crack the space to compete with Apple as they have in the phone category. I think the current iteration of Google Assistant is superior to Alexa or Siri so it will be imperative that they get the gear side of the business fixed. They are showing promise in connected speakers by taking share from Amazon with aggressive pricing.
Facebook is late to the voice computing but they were also late to mobile when 4G rolled out and they thrived. Things have changed mightily for them over the last two years with consumer trust at an all time low and the intimacy of voice controlled experiences could put them at a big competitive disadvantage. They are developing speech recognition under the name Aloha and have a smart speaker in the works.
They also could win in cloud powered VR that eliminates the need for the cumbersome hardware with Oculus which has been a bust since being acquired in 2014.
Netflix/Disney
Netflix has a huge lead in direct to consumer SVOD but with Disney’s marketing capability and best in industry library and IP I predict that they will have a US subscriber base as large as Netflix in 24 months following launch in 2019 (a big caveat will be getting the UX right which is why they acquired BAMTech). The battle for new subscribers will then shift to preventing churn in the US market and global expansion with China being the golden goose where Disney currently has a competitive advantage.
Comcast/Verizon/AT&T
Hi-speed internet, cable and wireless packages will finally blur and merge enabling true cord cutting and they will need differentiate with gated offerings of exclusive content to stream directly to TVs and phones. This imperative has been the driving force behind the M&A frenzy to build scale and a library of valuable IP along with the data that comes with the direct connection to the audience.
Rob Sheard 