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Category: Electronics

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Electronics news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Panasonic to double wiring device production in Vietnam plant

    Panasonic to double wiring device production in Vietnam plant

    A new factory in Binh Duong Province is slated to begin operation in October this year. Panasonic Corporation will double its production capacity of wiring devices and circuit breaker in Vietnam by 2020 in an attempt to fulfill robust demand in the country and for export to neighboring markets.

    The Japanese electronics manufacturer will build a new factory next to the existing facility now operated by Panasonic Eco Solutions Vietnam Co in the southern province of Binh Duong, about 40 km (25 miles) north of Ho Chi Minh City, the newspaper said.

    The expansion is estimated to cost one billion yen, or $9 million.

    Company officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

    The new 6,000 square-meter plant is scheduled to come into operation by late October, doubling Panasonic Vietnam’s capacity by 2020, citing a company directive on the expansion.

    The electronic giant has also planned to acquire an area covering about 18,000 square meters adjacent to its existing factory premises in preparation for future expansion, said the newspaper.

    Output from the new factory would go to the domestic market as well as other Southeast Asian countries.

    The Binh Duong plant began production in late 2014. Besides, Panasonic has four other factories and one research and development center in Vietnam.

    The Japan External Trade Organization’s 2016 business confidence survey showed that nearly 70 percent of Japanese companies plan to expand their Vietnam operations, up from 64 percent in the previous year.

    As of February 2017, Japan is Vietnam’s second largest foreign investor, with projects totaling $42.49 billion, based on data by Vietnam’s government.

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  • China’s iVOOMi set to enter Indian smartphone market

    China’s iVOOMi set to enter Indian smartphone market

    Chinese electronic major iVoomi is all set to enter the Indian market with the launch of mid- to low-range of smartphones, the company said on Monday.

    To begin with, the company will unveil iV505 (priced at Rs 3,999) as its first smartphone in the country this month.

    “We are committed to establish iVOOMi in the Indian market with our innovative products loaded with highly valued SmartMe OS (Customised OS) and features at an affordable price,” said Bradley Yan, Global Business Head, iVoomi, in a statement.

    The smartphone comes with Jio-ready 4G-VoLTE SIM cards on both the slots, flash charge technology and Android Marshmallow 6.0.

    The brand has also planned to launch four smartphone models in India ranging from Rs 4,000 to Rs 10,000.

    The company has a broader plan for Indian market and intent to establish its research and development and manufacturing unit in India by 2019, the statement said.

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  • SK Planet and Samsung sign for online partnership

    SK Planet and Samsung sign for online partnership

    Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia and Oceania has signed a memorandum of understanding with global platform innovator SK Planet on an eCommerce partnership in Southeast Asia.

    Signed in Singapore, the deal aims to promote Samsung’s brand presence and provide increased convenience and access to the Korean company’s products in Southeast Asia through online shopping sites 11street Malaysia, 11street Thailand and Elevenia in Indonesia.

    This follows Samsung and SK Planet collaborating in the South Korean domestic market.

    During the past four years, SK Planet has grown in overseas markets by leveraging its expertise from 11street Korea. SK Planet has launched its eCommerce platform into new markets every year, beginning in 2013 with Turkey’s N11.com, where it became market leader in two and a half years, followed by Elevenia in Indonesia, 11street Malaysia and, this month, 11street Thailand.

    “Our official launch was a great success with more than 3000 partners, customers and media joining,” says 11street Thailand CEO Hong Cheol Jeon. ‘This collaboration with Samsung will help to strengthen our partnership in Thailand and enhance our customers’ online shopping experience.”

    Samsung has an official shop-in-shop page on 11street, complemented by delivery and installation by authorised distributors. The page lets consumers search, browse and buy Samsung products easily, as well as access online-only products, pre-sale offerings and promotional discounts.

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  • A new era for Nokia smartphones

    A new era for Nokia smartphones

    HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, today unveiled a new generation of Nokia smartphones, setting a new standard in design, quality and user experience throughout the range. The highly anticipated global portfolio features three new smartphones – the new Nokia 6, delivering performance and immersive entertainment in a premium and extremely robust design; Nokia 5, an elegant smartphone that fits perfectly in your hand; and Nokia 3, which delivers an unprecedented quality at an affordable price point. The new range of Nokia smartphones all run Android™ Nougat and offer a pure, secure and up to date experience and will all feature Google Assistant. Today also sees the return of a modern classic – the iconic Nokia 3310, reborn with a modern twist on design.

    The family of products announced demonstrate a belief that every consumer should have access to premium quality, not just those with high end flagship devices. Combined with a thoughtful design philosophy that focuses on improving the smartphone experience at every level, each technical component has been carefully considered and integrated into the phone design to have the biggest benefit on consumers’ daily lives. Drawing on the hallmarks of the Nokia phone heritage of quality, simplicity and reliability, the range is designed for a new generation of fans.

    With a commitment to deliver pure Android, users can expect a simple, clean and clutter free experience. Featuring the latest Google services, as well as monthly security updates, Nokia smartphones are safe, secure and up-to-date. The new Nokia smartphones feature Google’s most recent innovation, the Google Assistant, building further on a great Android experience. Our teams have worked together to ensure the Google Assistant is integrated, allowing for conversations with the Google Assistant to take place easily on Nokia smartphones.

    It was also announced that the world-renowned game Snake will be snaking its way back into people’s hearts with a new version available to play on Messenger, part of Facebook’s Instant Games cross platform experience. The new free Snake game is designed to be played with groups of friends making it even more playable than the first time around. 

     

    The new Nokia range of Android smartphones unveiled today ahead of Mobile World Congress includes:

     

    Nokia 6 is going global – combining superior craftsmanship and distinctive design with immersive audio and an impressive bright and colourful 5.5” full HD screen, the Nokia 6 delivers a truly premium smartphone experience. The unibody of the Nokia 6 is crafted from a single block of 6000 series aluminium. The smart audio amplifier with dual speakers allow consumers to experience a deeper bass and unmatched clarity, whilst Dolby Atmos® sound delivers a powerfully moving entertainment experience. Available in four colours – Matte Black, Silver, Tempered Blue and Copper – the Nokia 6 will retail at an average global retail price of €229.

    Nokia 6 Arte Black Limited Edition – celebrating the worldwide Nokia 6 portfolio is the Nokia 6 Arte Black Limited Edition. With 64GB storage and 4GB RAM, this special edition combines the best features of the Nokia 6 family in a stunning black high gloss package and will retail at an average global retail price of €299.

    Nokia 5 – a sleek and compact smartphone that nestles in your hand. The Nokia 5 has been precision engineered out of a single block of 6000 series aluminium to create a perfect pillowed body that flows seamlessly into the sculpted Corning® Gorilla® Glass laminated 5.2” IPS HD display. Powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 430 mobile platform and the Qualcomm® Adreno™ 505 graphics processor, the Nokia 5 brings robust structural integrity, attention to detail and the quality of a high-end flagship to everyone. Available in four colours – Matte Black, Silver, Tempered Blue and Copper – the Nokia 5 will retail at an average global retail price of €189.

    Nokia 3 – a stunning new smartphone designed to deliver an outstanding experience with unprecedented value.  With a precision machined aluminium frame forged out of a single piece of aluminium, a sculpted Corning® Gorilla® Glass laminated 5” display and seamlessly integrated 8MP wide aperture cameras (front and back), the Nokia 3 packs a truly premium quality smartphone experience into its compact and elegant form. Available in four distinctive colours – Silver White, Matte Black, Tempered Blue and Copper White – the Nokia 3 will retail at an average global retail price of €139.

    Also announced today were:

    Nokia 3310 – a modern classic reborn. Thin, light and incredibly durable, the Nokia 3310 is a head turning modern twist on one of the best-selling feature phones of all time. Boasting an incredible 22-hour talk-time and month long stand-by, the Nokia 3310’s fresh, colourful, modern design brings it bang up to date. The Nokia 3310 is available in four distinctive colours – Warm Red and Yellow, both with a gloss finish, and Dark Blue and Grey both with a matte finish. The Nokia 3310 will retail at an average global retail price of €49.

    Accessories – also introduced was a portfolio of Nokia accessories that follows iconic design philosophy. As perfect companions to these smartphones, the full Nokia accessories portfolio includes a range of headsets, portable and Bluetooth speakers, in-car chargers, cases and screen protectors.

    Arto Nummela, CEO of HMD Global, said:

    “Nokia has been one of the most iconic and recognisable phone brands globally for decades. In the short time since HMD was launched into the market, the positive reception we’ve had has been overwhelming; it seems everyone shares our excitement for this next chapter. Today’s consumers are more discerning and demanding than ever before and for us they will always come first. Our efforts in bringing together world class manufacturers, operating systems and technology partners sees us proudly unveiling our first global portfolio of smartphones with a Nokia soul, delivering the very best experience to everyone.”

    Florian Seiche, President of HMD Global, said:

    “Strategic and meaningful partnerships are essential to our success, both for the products and manufacturing. Equally we are committed to building the right kind of partnerships at a market level so we can reach and service all of our fans. The encouragement, support and excitement we have felt from the operators and retailers we’ve met globally so far has been humbling. The excitement and anticipation for our first global family of smartphones has been tremendous, and we’re delighted to offer fans the ability to register their interest for the new range at nokia.com/phones.”

    Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer of HMD Global, said:

    “Nokia phones stir real emotions; people know them for their beautiful design and craftsmanship, together with a built-to-last quality that you can rely on.  Our new portfolio combines these classic Nokia hallmarks with a best-in-class Android performance and a new level of craftsmanship. For the Nokia 3310 we just couldn’t resist. We wanted to reward loyal Nokia phone fans and make a statement that rich heritage, innovation and modern design can go hand-in-hand.  Fundamentally, it is about making sure that right across our portfolio we are delivering this pure Nokia experience.”

    “We also believe that everyone deserves access to the premium quality and attention to detail that is usually reserved only for flagship devices. With our new range of Nokia smartphones, we aim to democratise technology and bring this experience to everyone.”

    Pekka Rantala, Chief Marketing Officer of HMD Global, said:

    “Consumers today are seeking relationships with brands that they can trust. The Nokia brand has over 150 years of heritage giving it an authentic, differentiating experience which we are proud to introduce to a new generation of fans.  Our new Android Nokia smartphone portfolio, together with the return of the iconic Nokia 3310, is a real statement of our ambition and commitment to honouring the hallmarks of a true Nokia phone experience.”

    Brad Rodrigues, interim President of Nokia Technologies, said:

    “What HMD has created is remarkable. We’re excited to see the launch of a new family of smartphones, built to the standards that Nokia is known for. We believe that their strong design and quality will appeal to Nokia fans around the world, and the return of the Nokia 3310 has us smiling too!”

    Enrico Salvatori, SVP and President, Qualcomm EMEA said:

    We are pleased to have collaborated with HMD on the Nokia 6 and Nokia 5 and look forward to working closely with them on future devices. The Nokia brand has a rich heritage in advancing mobile technology and to see new Nokia smartphones on sale is a welcome sight.  Both devices are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 mobile platform which offers a rich feature set for smartphones: integrated X6 LTE, cutting-edge camera technology with dual-Image signal processors, next-generation Qualcomm Adreno 505 GPU all means Snapdragon 430 supports fast downloads and uploads, stunning graphics and photos with battery life to spare.”

    The new portfolio of Nokia smartphones and feature phones is on display at Mobile World Congress.  Local availability will be announced in markets in Q2, 2017. To get hands-on with the full range of Nokia phones, visit HMD at the Nokia stand (Hall 3, stand 3A).

  • Image leak suggests new Samsung phone ‘made in Vietnam’

    Image leak suggests new Samsung phone ‘made in Vietnam’

    A leaked picture would suggest Samsung’s latest smartphone, the Galaxy S8+, is being manufactured in Vietnam, despite last year’s Galaxy Note 7 saga.

    The picture shows the back panel of a phone tagged with “Made in Vietnam” below the “Galaxy S8 6” branding.

    The number “6” has been interpreted by people familiar with the matter as the 6 GB RAM variant of the Samsung Galaxy S8.

    Samsung is expected to officially unveil its next flagship devices, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, on March 29 in New York. The phones will go on sale on April 21.

    Other leaked images of purported technical specifications have fueled rumors of a 5.8 inch and 6.2 inch display, backed by a 3000 mAh battery or 3500 mAh battery.

    Samsung’s production in Vietnam incurred a loss of $122.6 million in the third quarter of last year after it was forced to recall 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7s globally following battery explosions.

    The recall affected production at its two plants in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen, which produce a combined 35 percent of all smartphones that Samsung supplies to the global market.

    However, that did not affect Samsung’s dominant position in Vietnam’s export sector last year. The company earned $39.9 billion in revenue from shipping electronics, up 10 percent against 2015 and contributing 23 percent to Vietnam’s total export revenue.

    Samsung Vietnam said no jobs had been cut due to the Galaxy Note 7 incident. The company is targeting an export growth rate of between 7 and 10 percent this year.

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  • What exactly is wrong with China’s ‘Apple’ Xiaomi?

    What exactly is wrong with China’s ‘Apple’ Xiaomi?

    Although it crossed $1 billion in revenue in 2016 within the first two years of its operations in India, Xiaomi — once touted as the “Apple” of China — has slipped to fourth spot back home as the demand for its smartphones declined 22 per cent annually — eventually taking it to seventh spot in the global smartphone ranking with a 16 per cent drop in sales.

    The decline came even as Hugo Barra, Xiaomi’s high-profile head of international operations, left the company in January and joined Facebook to lead its virtual reality (VR) project.

    According to the experts, the key reason for this decline is Xiaomi’s rivals racing ahead with key features, better innovations, bigger marketing budgets and wider online and offline distribution channels.

    “Until 2016, Xiaomi relied only on online channels for smartphone sales which contributes approximately 30 per cent of the total smartphones sales in China, leaving a huge chunk of the market untapped. Its competitors invested heavily in building strong offline channels, expanding their reach to tier-2 and tier-3 cities and moving ahead of Xiaomi,” Shobhit Srivastava, Research Analyst, Mobile Devices and Ecosystems at market research firm Counterpoint Research, told IANS.

    Another reason for Xiaomi’s slipping growth is the rising average selling price (ASP) of the maturing China smartphone market, experts noted.

    “Bulk of the sales in China is coming from upgrades where Huawei, OPPO and Vivo are gaining market share while Xiaomi remains in the below-$150 category. Xiaomi also lacks in research and development unlike its Chinese counterparts which are vertically integrated,” Srivastava added.

    An email sent to the company for its reaction to the decline in global smartphone sales didn’t elicit any response.

    Xiaomi’s main markets have been China and India which combined get more than 95 per cent shipment share. While performance in India improved in 2016, the company lost market share in China resulting in the decline of overall global smartphone ranking.

    Huawei, Oppo and Vivo have emerged as clear winners with Oppo and Vivo registering significant growth in China.

    Shipping 44.9 million iPhones to China, even Apple has beaten Xiaomi that shipped 41.5 million smartphones in 2016, market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) revealed earlier this month.

    According to IDC’s “Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker” report, Apple dropped from 58.4 million iPhones in 2015 and Xiaomi from 64 million Mi phones — drops of 23 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively.

    Amid the global gloom, it is the Indian smartphone market that has helped Xiaomi gain profits.

    “They (Xiaomi) have already established their presence in India with a revenue of more than $1 billion in 2016 in the country. They will keep going as they have a strong management team,” Jaideep Mehta, Managing Director, IDC South Asia, told IANS.

    “On Barra, I would say that a senior executive has just moved on. Of Course, he will be missed, but the company is bigger than one individual,” he added.

    Coincidently, Xiaomi is not going to showcase any product at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry’s largest event, in Barcelona, Spain, later this month. There are reports that Xiaomi doesn’t have new devices to showcase during the MWC show.

    This indicates there is something wrong somewhere and the company needs to plug the problem fast before its global presence plunges further.

    “To recover and sustain growth, Xiaomi will have to focus on building strong offline channels as it will open up a significant market for the company. It needs to concentrate more on its R&D and come up with a device in the higher-mid end segment for the increasing Chinese middle-class population with higher disposable incomes,” Srivastava emphasised.

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  • When wearable devices in China becomes the star

    When wearable devices in China becomes the star

    While 43 per cent of urban Chinese consumers would buy wearable devices for themselves, the figure rises to 48 per cent for the 20- to 24-years age bracket, says London-based research firm Mintel.

    Yet 32 per cent of the consumers it surveyed agree it is fashionable to use wearable devices in China, dropping to 27 per cent of those 20 to 24. Today, 52 per cent of urban Chinese consumers have a smart wristband and 42 per cent own a smartwatch. Furthermore, 69 per cent of smartwatch owners have also bought smart wristbands.

    Mintel’s research shows that smart wristbands are growing in popularity in China. Sales of the wristbands over the past two years are estimated to have grown by 109 per cent, while smartwatch sales dropped by 37 per cent. Overall, the total volume sales of smart wristbands and smartwatches is estimated to have grown by 66.8 per cent last year.

    “The wearable devices market is facing a challenge to sustain growth,” says Mintel senior technology analyst Terra Xu. “This is because of the lack of breakthrough products and the wide ownership of smartphones.”

    Pricing key

    As a result, innovation and low entry prices are becoming key to wearable devices in China, he says.
    Of Mintel’s survey respondents, 53 per cent say they find health-monitoring ability attractive, while half of them are interested in being able to track family members.

    Also, 45 per cent of urban males are more interested in connecting wearables to other devices such as smartphones and cameras, compared to 39 per cent of females. Of consumers between 20 and 24 years, 46 per cent are most attracted by wearables that can receive location-based information, while 45 per cent of those aged 40-49 years are more interested in satellite navigation.

    Mintel says high interest is being shown in virtual-reality (VR) applications. Its research shows that 97 per cent of urban Chinese consumers are “very” or “somewhat” interested in at least one type of VR application, with movies being the prime choice for 45 per cent of both genders.

    While males are more interested in playing VR games (39 per cent) and virtual test rides (31 per cent), females are attracted by VR applications that help with online shopping, such as viewing and buying goods in virtual shops (35 per cent) and children’s entertainment such as interactive videos or games (25 per cent).

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  • Chinese vendors dominate local smartphone market

    Chinese vendors dominate local smartphone market

    Top Chinese smartphone vendors are taking up a larger share of their domestic smartphone market, cornering 57% of sales in 2016, IDC estimates. This is up from 46% in 2015.

    The research firm said this shows the growing local acceptance of Chinese vendors in their home countries with the improvement in product features and better marketing messages seen in the past year.

    “Increased dependence on mobile apps has led consumers to seek phone upgrades, thus helping drive the large growth in the fourth quarter. In lower-tiered cities, there was similar demand from consumers, which OPPO and Vivo met by aggressively pushing mid-range smartphones in these cities,” commented Tay Xiaohan, senior market analyst with IDC Asia-Pacific’s Client Devices team.

    A key trend that stood out in 2016, according to IDC, was the slowing growth of the online channel in China.

    “There is no longer a single channel that is seeing exponential growth for smartphones, unlike previous years. Most brands are now using a combination of channels to increase their shipments,” IDC noted.

    Xiaomi, previously focused on online channels, has opened more Mi Home stores to drive offline growth. Apple has also been aggressive in increasing its offline retail presence. Some vendors outside the top five vendor list in 2016, such as Gionee, also saw good growth in 2016 due to its expansion in the offline channel in the lower tiered cities.

    To differentiate itself from OPPO and Vivo – which predominantly target a younger audience – Gionee has been targeting professionals and executives, and hence found a niche market for itself to stand out against its two competitors.

    IDC also observed that for the first time Apple saw a year-over-year decline in the China market. The new iPhone 7 did not create as much of a frenzy compared to the past.

    Despite the decline, IDC does not believe Chinese vendors have actually eaten away Apple’s market share. Most Apple users are expected to be holding out for the new iPhone that will be launched this year, and that will help the brand to see growth in 2017. Apple’s 10-year anniversary iPhone will also likely attract some of the high-end Android users in China to convert to an iPhone.

    In 2017, IDC expects top vendors to continue to taking up a larger share of the market while smaller brands will begin consolidation. Chinese vendors will continue to focus on their international expansion plans. At present, out of the top three Chinese vendors in China, Huawei is the most successful with half of its shipments coming from markets outside of China in the fourth quarter of 2016.

    “We expect these vendors to increase their shipments in the international market, with India as a key target for these top Chinese vendors,” IDC said. “Similarly, Chinese vendors will be aggressive with other new technologies such as flexible screens, augmented reality, and other new areas.”

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  • AMD Ryzen processor box art revealed by Thai retailer

    AMD Ryzen processor box art revealed by Thai retailer

    Another day, another AMD Ryzen leak / rumour / news morsel… or two. Particularly interesting today we see what is claimed to be an AMD Ryzen box art matrix from Thailand. The web images don’t only show the products which will be soon on sale but the prices, in Thai Baht naturally. In a similar vein a Belgian online retailer has let slip its prices for the AMD Ryzen 7 range of CPUs.

    Looking at the single box art close-up we have available, above, via WCCFTech, the box design is rather simple and mainly black. Just because these have appeared on a Thai retailer site doesn’t mean they are representative of what AMD will ship either. It’s hard to know if the retailer images are overcompressed or just shoddily put together as placeholders, maybe by the retailer itself.

    Perhaps more important than the box images, if they are genuine, is another price indication at this time. Looking over the nine CPUs and prices in Thai Baht we see a price range from the Ryzen 7 1800X at 18,790 Baht (£430), down to the Ryzen 3 110 at 4,890 Baht (£112). Its possible to click through the above image matrix on the Thai retail site and get more details. You can find a full set of these pictures in the source article, one is included below for reference.

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  • Garmin sets up regional HQ in Singapore with eye on SEA

    Garmin sets up regional HQ in Singapore with eye on SEA

    Global manufacturer of fitness products Garmin has selected Singapore as its regional headquarters as part of the brand’s strategic plan to strengthen its presence in the region.

    Garmin’s consumer products have been sold in Singapore through distributors since the early 1990s. The company has a strong foundation in engineering products for aviation and marine since 1989.

    With the opening of its Singapore headquarters, Garmin will now directly manage sales and marketing of its consumer business devices in South-East Asia and India region.

    Leading Garmin’s Singapore business is its managing director for South Asia/ India region, Engelhard Al Sundoro, who will manage Garmin’s consumer business in six Southeast Asian (SEA) countries that include Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.

    “Outside of US, China and Taiwan, it is a natural step for the brand to strengthen our presence in SEA with Singapore as our headquarters as consumers here tend to be early adopters of technology,” said Al Sundoro.

    Garmin had recently announced its partnership with EZ-Link to launch a special version of its vivosmart HR activity tracker with built-in NFC contactless payment capability. This would allow commuters to use their fitness band to pay for their train, bus, cab rides and even purchase items at selected retail stores in Singapore.

    “As a company, we need to be an enduring brand that consistently innovates. In order to do that, it is essential for us to be closer to our customers to understand what they need. Even as a global brand, Garmin sees each market differently as the customer needs in each region is diverse,” he added.

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  • Apple’s In-Store Story, Android Pay Goes Wearable And Samsung Open For Business In Thailand

    Apple’s In-Store Story, Android Pay Goes Wearable And Samsung Open For Business In Thailand

    Samsung’s global march added another stopping point this week, as Thailand became the latest nation to come online for Samsung Pay. That announcement comes as most of the global payments-watching community was watching Samsung Pay’s imminent foray into India.

    Speaking of watching — and watches

    After four months of waiting, Android Pay has finally made the leap onto an Android Wear-powered smartwatch — thanks to a bit of as assist from LG. It’s not Android Pay’s first foray onto a wearable, but it is the first time Android Pay will be open for business on a smartwatch not made by Samsung.

    Apple’s move this week is about merchants. New research suggests that Apple Pay has gone from being accepted at 16 percent of U.S. merchants to 36 percent of U.S. merchants — which said report notes is good enough to make it the most favored form of in-store mobile payment among American merchants.

    So how’d all the territory grabbing come out this week – and who gained the most ground? Well…

    Samsung Pay In Thailand

    Samsung Pay is not entirely new to Thailand — the service has been rolling out slowly under the radar since a November soft launch with about 100 retail partners — but as of Tuesday, Samsung Pay was out in full for any Thai customer interested in taking it for a smartphone spin.

    And, it should be noted, Samsung has great expectations for the Thai market and has set a goal of attracting 1 million users to the platform by the end of the year.

    “Thailand is the ninth country in 10 markets globally with which we have established our mobile payment presence, and the third country in Asia-Pacific apart from Singapore and Australia,” said Elle Kim, vice-president for the payment business group at Samsung Electronics.

    Kim noted that Thailand presents a natural opportunity for a mobile payments platform — given the government’s national e-payment scheme and the widespread use of smartphones and e-commerce.

    At launch, to use the service, customers must use a Visa or Mastercard issued by one of the nation’s six largest banks: Bangkok Bank, KTC Credit Card, Citibank, Siam Commercial Bank, Kasikornbank and Krungsri Consumer.

    Those six collectively cover about 70 percent of the cards issued in Thailand — Samsung has confirmed that by the end of the year it hopes to have upped that to covering 90 percent of the nation’s card holders.

    And it is a 90 percent that Samsung will compete for unopposed, since neither Apple nor Android Pay have any immediate plans to take on the Thai market. As of right now, mobile payment transaction value in Thailand is estimated to reach US$4 million in 2017. That figure is forecast to reach $36 million by 2021.

    Samsung is also widely expected to announce an expansion into India for Samsung Pay by the end of the quarter — with more international expansion slated for 2017.

    Android Pay And Android Wear – Better Together?

    After a very public announcement of Wear 2.0 last October that included Android Pay — the updated and enhanced version of Android OS for wearables — the world sort of had to wait a while to see it in action, since there was no wearable on the market sporting the feature.

    That changed this week with a pair of new watches from LG that marked a collaborative design effort with Google: the Watch Sport and the Watch Style.

    The big change involves making the watch a device capable of standing apart from a smartphone — a true computer for the wrist.

    And while that extends to many of the Wear’s various features, it is drawing praise particularly in relationship to the Android Pay support now available on the wearable.

    Unique to this version of wearable-based payment, however, is its level of independence. Android Pay runs as a standalone app on the watch — a connected smartphone is not necessary to pay for stuff (though a phone pairing is necessary to set up Android Pay on the watch for the first time). Android Pay on a watch does not actually even need an internet connection for a limited number of transactions (though to fully complete the transaction the watch must eventually go online).

    Android Pay is not entirely new to wristbased devices — Samsung’s smartwatches support it — but as of this week, Android Pay supported by Android’s wearable OS is now on the market for the first time — though not the last.

    Google has announced that many more Wear 2.0 watches will be out in the market by the end of the year — presumably to satisfy a consumer demand that will make itself apparent any day now.

    Apple’s Adding Merchants

    According to new published data from Boston Retail Partners, Apple Pay has garnered the largest percentage of U.S. merchants supporting mobile in-store payments, with 36 percent of said merchants accepting the 2.5 year old mobile payments app. The study further suggested that an additional 22 percent of retailers will accept Apple Pay in the next 12 months and 11 percent on top of that plan to do so within the next one to three years.

    Apple’s lead is notable — but also highly explainable by time. Apple Pay is the granddaddy of in-store mobile payments apps, so it’s had more time to add merchants to its roster. But as we’ve noted, being present at the POS is only half the battle for Apple Pay — consumers still have to chose to use it. So far, by our numbers here at PYMNTS, they aren’t — at least 19 out of every 20 who can.

    Which, as it turns out, maybe the lesson this week. More is good — more devices, more ground and more merchants — but only if at the end those things net more customers — and more transactions.

    We’ll keep you posted on how more turns into market share for transactions. By the way, we’ll be releasing totally new data on mobile payments adoption – based on what consumers actually do at the point of sale when they are paying for what they bought – at Innovation Project 2017. This new study will measure adoption for the major in-store “Pays” – Apple, Android, Samsung, and Walmart (at Walmart only, of course).

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  • Xiaomi targets 10bn yuan revenue from 1000 new offline stores

    Xiaomi targets 10bn yuan revenue from 1000 new offline stores

    Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has pinned its hopes on offline sales with a plan to open 1,000 brick-and-mortar stores over the next three years, targeting 10 billion yuan in revenue from this channel, its founder and chief executive Lei Jun said on Wednesday.

    Xiaomi aims to boost the number of its physical stores, called Mi Home, to 200 this year from 51 at the end of last year, Lei said at a forum in Yabuli in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang.

    “I am confident that each of the offline stores can achieve sales of 10 million yuan [per month],” he said. That means Mi Home retail stores are expected to contribute 2 billion yuan (HK$3.39 billion) in sales per month.

    Lei said 2016 was a tough year for Xiaomi as he was “confused” about how to expand into more innovative sales channel from just e-commerce.

    Traditionally, running brick-and-mortar stores will inflate costs and erode profits, making it hard to offer high quality and inexpensive products to customers, Lei said. The toughest part is therefore to build new stores with high efficiency to control costs, he said.

    One of the challenges for Xiaomi is that we need to make essential adjustments after rapid growth

    Lei Jun, Xiaomi founder and CEO

    “Unlike other chain stores, Mi Home stores are all self-operated by Xiaomi. At the end of last year, our 51 stores were able to achieve sales per square metre of 260,000 yuan,” he said.

    Lei told his staff last month that Xiaomi has targeted 100 billion yuan in revenue this year, which was subsequently described by market watchers as unrealistic, with many sceptical it was achievable.

    However, Lei said he is confident that Xiaomi can meet the target.

    “Considering Xiaomi’s foundation, this small target is not too difficult to achieve. I am more concerned about how to make our foundation more solid,” he said. “One of the challenges for Xiaomi is that we need to make essential adjustments after rapid growth.”

    Despite China’s continuous growth in e-commerce, companies have been putting increased efforts into expanding offline channels, or integrating their online and offline businesses.

    E-commerce giant Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma Yun has said that e-commerce had become a “traditional business” which would soon disappear. A new retail model which integrates online and offline, as well as logistics and data across a single value chain, would be the next trend, said Ma, who first raised this idea in October last year. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.

    This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as:

    Xiaomi targets 10b yuan in offline sales

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  • Xiaomi Goes All-In On Retail to Revive China Smartphone Sales

    Xiaomi Goes All-In On Retail to Revive China Smartphone Sales

    After pioneering online flash sales in China to reach the top of the smartphone market, Xiaomi Corp. is turning to old-fashioned retail to arrest its slide. The phonemaker will roll out a chain of about 1,000 brick-and-mortar stores under the Mi Home banner over the next three years, as co-founder Lei Jun mimics a strategy that’s helped the Oppo and Vivo brands leapfrog Xiaomi to the top of China’s smartphone market. The new target accelerates plans outlined just last month to open 200 stores in 2017.

    Xiaomi, which was valued at about $45 billion in 2014, is resorting to traditional selling techniques to make inroads into the next generation of smartphone buyers who eschew buying online. While Oppo and Vivo use a network of resellers to reach consumers in rural areas and smaller Chinese cities, Lei’s strategy would be more akin to Apple Inc.’s, with plans to own and operate its own signature outlets.

    “This is Xiaomi’s biggest problem: how we can overcome the obstacles of our business model,” Lei said in a video clip from a business forum posted by national broadcaster CCTV. “Our model can no longer be online, it has to be new retail.”

    “We have a chance to do 60 to 70 billion yuan in business” from those stores, Lei said without specifying a timeframe.

    Xiaomi is overhauling its approach to try and regain its perch atop the world’s largest smartphone arena. While it’s expanding globally — particularly in India — plugging all manner of household appliances and deepening research into artificial intelligence and online finance, the company still gets much of its revenue from its first hit product.

    Oppo and Vivo’s retail strategy has helped them take two of the top three spots in the Chinese market, providing rebates and incentives for the shop owners that dominate sales in far-flung provinces to push their products.

    That has driven down Xiaomi’s share of the home market. Oppo’s smartphone shipments more than doubled to 78.4 million units last year as it took top spot with a 16.8 percent share, according to IDC data. Huawei Technologies Co. and Vivo both rose at a double-digit pace to rank second and third. Xiaomi’s shipments slumped 23 percent and had just 8.9 percent after topping the market two years earlier.

    Savvy use of social media and flash online promotions, where a limited number of devices are available for a short period, helped build buzz around a company that has drawn comparisons to Apple for the fervor of its fans. But that doesn’t work so well in rural areas, where more than 600 million people live and new buyers want advice and demonstrations.

    Having its own network could also help Xiaomi push a wider variety of products.

    While the company is best known for phones, it’s invested in dozens of startups and now offers air purifiers, drones, speakers, TV set-top boxes and robot vacuum cleaners. Its Mi Home outlets resemble Apple stores with their white walls and spare space, but on display is the wider range of appliances that Xiaomi’s invested in over the years. It operates about 50 locations across China currently.

    Apple has about 40 stores across mainland China, most of which are in large cities, but its iPhones are also sold through about 40,000 locations such as outlets controlled by wireless carriers and spots within electronics chains.

    Xiaomi’s not just relying on offline retail to jazz up its phone sales. The company is close to using its own “Pinecone” processors and could introduce the chipset within a month, the Wall Street Journal has reported. In so doing, it would join Apple, Samsung Electronics Co. and Huawei in employing their own processors, which can heighten the user experience by making hardware and software work together more efficiently.

  • Allphones Australia closing 18 stores as it undergoes administration

    Allphones Australia closing 18 stores as it undergoes administration

    Allphones closed its 18 stores on Monday after it has gone into administration. The decision took place after its new owner, Canadian company Glentel, has failed to improve the company’s status after a turnaround project. There are 66 stores that will continue to operate while PBB looks for someone who will take over the rest of the store network.

    “Despite financial support from the shareholder and significant efforts to deliver a successful turnaround, the shareholders are unable to continue funding the group’s losses. The Board of each entity (there are nine in total) has been left with no option other than to place each entity in the Allphones Group into Voluntary Administration this morning,” PPB Advisory said in a statement. Retaining an agreement to resell Vodafone services to help Allphones recover has failed that the company now entered into administration.

    There were 69 employees affected by the store closure. Phil Carter of PBB Advisory said that they were undertaking an urgent review of Allphones. They aim to ensure that the employees impacted were fully supported. However, the future of its employees was still uncertain.

    The company aimed to stabilise the current operations and store network. Carter said that their immediate priority was to work with the company’s key stakeholders, franchisees, licensees and staff to keep the store’s trading on a business as usual basis. Allphones group was acquired in May 2016 and it has employed 440 people. It owns 25 stores while seven were operated by franchisees. Allphones’ other stores were licensed to other parties.

    In 2013, the company has lost its contract to run 45 Virgin Mobile-branded stores in the country. It has suffered $25 million impairment due to the lost of contract.  In the same year, Allphones also ceased selling all Optus consumer products including mobile, broadband products and fixed telephony. Optus decided to end the contract to overhaul its retail strategy in improving customer relation. During this period, Allphones strengthen its partnership with Vodafone and expanded into the Philippines.

    “We’re contracted to do up to 250 Allphones stores in the Philippines for a telco,” CEO Shaun Colligan told in 2013 . “And the crux of that was this digital solution. You’re taking a quantum leap for those guys where retail has gone from being a very transactional prepaid environment and we’re helping to move them to a post-paid contractual environment.” The company currently has more than 60 outlets in the Philippines.

    Its naming rights sponsorhip of Sydney Olympic Park’s Superdome, now Qudos Bank Arena, has ended in 2016. The company’s first shopfront opened in 1989 in South Australia.

  • Apple beats Xiaomi in China; Oppo takes lead

    Apple beats Xiaomi in China; Oppo takes lead

    Apple has finally halted the dream run of Xiaomi in China, the largest smartphone market in the world, edging the Chinese phone giant from the fourth slot by shipping nearly 45 million iPhones to the Communist nation, a report by market research firm IDC said.

    OPPO, Huawei, and Vivo lead other smartphone brands in China in 2016, latest International Data Corporation (IDC) Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker report said.

    “Xiaomi was China’s hottest phone brand in 2014 and 2015, but it couldn’t maintain the momentum in 2016,” tech news portal CNET quoted IDC data as saying.

    Shipping 41.5 million smartphones, Xiaomi once known as ‘the Apple of China’ was the No. 5 brand in China last year. Apple, which took the fourth slot shipped 44.9 million iPhones to China (vs.58.4 million in 2015), the world’s largest phone market, it said.

    “The big winner was Oppo, which shipped 78.4 million phones more than double the 35.4 million it shipped in 2015. Huawei came in at second, shipping 76 million phones, while Vivo managed to almost double its shipments, going from 35 million in 2015 to 69 million last year,” it said.

    “2016 was the first time ever that Apple saw a YoY decline in the Chinese market. Even though the new black coloured iPhones caught the attention of consumers, overall, the new launches did not create as much of a frenzy compared to the past,” the IDC report said.

    “Despite the decline, IDC does not believe Chinese vendors have actually eaten away Apple’s market share. Most Apple users are expected to be holding out for the new iPhone that will be launched this year, and that will help the brand to see a growth in 2017.”

    “Apple’s 10-year anniversary iPhone will also likely attract some of the high-end Android users in China to convert to an iPhone,” it said.

    Chinese market grew by 9 per cent last year.

    “Most brands are now using a combination of channels to increase their shipments. Xiaomi, previously focused on online channels, has opened more Mi Home stores to drive offline growth. Apple has also been aggressive in increasing its offline retail presence,” it said.

    The top three Chinese brands grabbed a total of 48 per cent of the Chinese market last year.

    Jin Di, a research manager with IDC China, said another reason behind the success of Chinese brands was their willingness to share profits with distribution partners.

    Apple dropped from third in 2015 to fourth in 2016, as shipments to China plunged 23.2 per cent to 44.9 million units.

    Xiaomi was top in 2015, but fell to the bottom of the top-five vendors, with a 36 per cent plunge in sales in China.

    Total smartphone shipment volume in China rose 8.7 per cent to 467.3 million handsets last year.

    The IDC forecast that the volume in 2017 will continue to grow as consumers replace old phones, but that the growth will be slower than 2016.

    Worldwide, the top five smartphone vendors in terms of shipments last year were Samsung, Apple, Huawei, OPPO and Vivo.

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