We take a weekly look at mobile and tech stories from around the world. Headlines include… EU readies Meta antitrust fine, Samsung ditches its stock Messages app to boost RCS adoption, Korean Banks to Roll Out Mobile ID Services This Year and more…
EU readies Meta antitrust fine
Mobile World Live
The European Union (EU) is reportedly planning to impose an antitrust fine on Meta Platforms due to the integration of its Marketplace classified ads with the Facebook social media network. This fine follows allegations made by the European Commission (EC) in 2022, which accused Meta of gaining an unfair advantage through this bundling. Additionally, the EC has accused Meta of abusing its dominant market position by imposing unfair trading conditions on competing online classified advertising services that use Facebook and Instagram for advertising.
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Samsung ditches its stock Messages app to boost RCS adoption
Telecoms Tech News
Samsung has decided to switch from its stock messaging app to Google Messages on some of its latest devices to accelerate the adoption of Rich Communication Services (RCS). This change was observed in phones running One UI 6.1.1, where Samsung Messages was not pre-installed in certain countries. Samsung explained that this decision is part of a collaborative effort with Google to establish Google Messages as the default messaging platform for the Android ecosystem. This collaboration aims to enhance the adoption of RCS and provide Galaxy users with a more robust and engaging mobile messaging experience.
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Cellular IoT market hits $15B in 2023, poised for growth with 5G
IoT News
The cellular IoT market saw substantial growth in 2023, with mobile operators globally earning $15 billion from 3.56 billion cellular IoT connections. According to IoT Analytics’ Global Cellular IoT Connectivity Tracker & Forecast, mobile operator IoT revenue has increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16% since 2010, with expectations of accelerating to over 18% CAGR through 2030. In 2023, mobile operators’ IoT revenue growth outpaced that of software vendors and hyperscalers, highlighting the increasing importance of cellular connectivity for IoT devices. Despite a 10% year-over-year decline in cellular IoT module vendor revenue, this was attributed to inventory management efforts rather than decreased demand.
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Korean Banks to Roll Out Mobile ID Services This Year
Find Biometrics
Commercial banks in South Korea are planning to introduce digital identification cards on their mobile apps within the year to expand services into non-banking sectors. This initiative, reported by The Korea Times, is part of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s project to enable private companies to offer services connected to the public sector. The digital ID service supports the banking industry’s efforts to leverage digital technology for growth, particularly outside traditional banking. With this service, users of banking apps will not need to carry physical IDs for personal verification at polling stations, government offices, hospitals, and other locations.
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Does a game being ‘mobile-first’ limit the amount a developer can charge on console?
Games Industry Biz
Recent high-profile game releases have shown that mobile platforms can match the quality of home console editions. For instance, “Genshin Impact,” a highly popular action-adventure game with gacha elements, launched simultaneously for Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, and PC in September 2020, and for PlayStation 5 a year later. This trend of simultaneous releases across mobile, console, and PC is growing due to the increasing parity in device performance. Additionally, companies like Netflix are investing in mobile gaming, integrating new titles directly into their apps. Upcoming games like “Tales of the Shire” are set to launch on Netflix on day one, following the example of “Paper Trail,” which recently released simultaneously on Netflix and other platforms. This approach underscores the growing capability and importance of mobile gaming in the industry.
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One third of UK adults now use mobile contactless payments
UK Finance
In 2023, the UK saw 48.1 billion payments, up from 45.7 billion in 2022. Consumers made 85% (41 billion) of these payments, while businesses made 15% (7.1 billion). Recent trends show an increase in the number of transactions per consumer, each with lower individual amounts. This is attributed to more frequent shopping trips, hybrid working models, the use of multiple bank accounts, and the rise of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services, reflecting a shift in consumer spending behavior.
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Big hitters commit to competitive AI principles
Mobile World Live
Regulators from the UK, US, and EU have signed a joint agreement to promote AI safety and competitiveness. The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), European Commission (EC), US Department of Justice (DOJ), and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) agreed on principles focusing on powerful foundation models and their potential risks to competition and users. The agreement highlights the need to control key inputs in AI system development and to monitor the possibility of dominant AI companies expanding their influence in AI-related markets. The agencies pledged to use their regulatory powers to mitigate these risks.
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