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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.

  • Apple Granted 4 Design Patents in Hong Kong

    Apple Granted 4 Design Patents in Hong Kong

    Apple was granted four design patents yesterday in Hong Kong China covering the Apple Watch Sport’s retail packaging & a connector with an on-off switch at the top as noted in our cover graphic.

    Unlike “patent applications,” design patents published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and/or any other Patent Office, don’t reveal pertinent information about a particular design. All we are given is a series of simple photos and/or line-art graphics of what was actually registered. The first design patent is a case in point. It’s a design patent for a ‘connector’ – but it’s not one that’s familiar. Without patent details, there’s no way to verify with certainty what the connector is for. .

    Design Patent: Connector

    Apple was granted a design patent in Hong Kong yesterday for a connector that is unidentified. If any reader is able to identify this connector, then please make note of it in our comment section below and we’ll update this report accordingly.

    2AF 55 CONNECTOR DESIGN PATENT

    Update 5:40 a.m.: Several comments suggested that the connector design was associated with the hidden data port. After going back to the design patent and conducting a more focused search online for this, I came a across a design for a charging strap as noted in the graphic below. It’s an accessory not made by Apple.

    Going back to the design patent there was a second part of the design, the male connector as presented below that’s to mate with the female connector as noted noted above. If this design is associated with the Apple Watch, then will Apple introduce this with the Apple Watch 2 design or are they licensing this design to accessory makers? Time will tell, but for now, it appears that our fan base may have had it right in suggesting the connector was for the hidden data port. Thanks to all who sent in comments on this in a timely manner. Cheers.

    2.88 AF 55 CONNECTOR

    3AF 55 CONNECTOR GRANTED DESIGN

    Design Patent: Apple Watch Sport Retail Packaging

    Apple was granted three design patents yesterday in Hong Kong numbered 1502174.6M001 to .6M003 covering the retail packaging for the Apple Watch Sport as noted below.

    4af 55 apple watch sport retail packaging

    5af 55 apple watch sport granted patent

    6AF 55

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  • Challenger’s net profit in 2015 up 22%, plans to open new online store in April

    Challenger’s net profit in 2015 up 22%, plans to open new online store in April

    IT products and services provider Challenger will establish a new online store to maintain its relevance in the retail market.

    Known as Hachi.sg, the portal, which will be unveiled in April 2016, will boast more products, an improved shopper interface and an online sales platform, Challenger said in a statement on Tuesday (Feb 16).

    Chief executive Mr Loo Leong Thye said: “Our strong network of offline stores will complement the online business so our customers can enjoy a true shop-anywhere, offline-to-online and vice versa experience.”

    On Tuesday, the SGX Mainboard-listed technology company also announced net earnings of $18.3 million in 2015, a 22 per cent increase from the $15 million profit recorded the year before.

    The IT retailer attributed the higher net profits to higher government grants received and lower operating expenses from the closure of its Malaysia retail operations.

    In the final quarter of 2015, net profit also increased by 50 per cent, $7.5 million more than the previous year.

    Meanwhile, earnings per share rose by 1.01 cents, from 4.28 cents in 2014 to 5.29 cents in 2015.

    However, it recorded a one per cent dip in revenue over the year from $355.1 million in 2014 to $352.2 million, due to lower contribution from retail revenue in Singapore.

    Looking at the year ahead, Mr Loo observed that 2016 will continue to be a challenging year for the retail industry.

    “Weak market sentiment from last year will spill over into 2016. Hence, retailers like us have to keep innovating to retain existing customers and attract new ones. On top of that, we will continue to focus on other hygiene factors like keeping operating costs low with better cost management and increasing productivity,” he said.

    Mr Loo added that Challenger is looking to build up to a stronger position by investing resources and manpower for the next three to five years towards its online business.

    Currently, Challenger has a total of 48 stores in Singapore. But it revealed last December that it would be closing its flagship megastore in Funan DigitaLife Mall, after it was announced that the mall will shut down this year for redevelopment.

     

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  • Heavy Rain To Release On March 1st For PS4, Retail Version Confirmed In EU And Asia

    Heavy Rain To Release On March 1st For PS4, Retail Version Confirmed In EU And Asia

    Quantic Dreams has announced the release date of Heavy Rain for the PlayStation 4. According to a press release, the game will launch on March 1st for the PlayStation 4 in North America and March 2nd for Europe and Asia.

    Heavy Rain was originally released for the PlayStation 3 and it was confirmed for the PlayStation 4 along with Beyond Two Souls last year. These games will be released in a bundle for retail in Asia and Europe but will be sold digitally in North Ameirca.

    If you were interested in picking up a copy of Heavy Rain in North America, you can get it on March 1st, although it is digital only release there. For Asia, Quantic Dream is releasing the game with Beyond Two Souls in a bundle on March 2nd. Europe and UK will also get similar bundle on March 2nd and 4th respectively.

    Heavy Rain is a mystery thriller that was released to critical acclaim exclusively for the PlayStation 3 back in 2010. The game was developed by Quantic Dream, who followed it with their next game: Beyond Two Souls. Both of these are finally getting released for the PS4.

    If you already own Beyond Two Souls digitally, you can get Heavy Rain for a discounted price once it launches on March 1st.

    Quantic Dream are currently working on a brand new project for PS4 called Detroit: Become Human. It was revealed at Gamescom 2015 and will be released exclusively for the PS4 sometime in future.

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  • Ratan Tata backs retail tech startup SnapBizz

    Ratan Tata backs retail tech startup SnapBizz

    Tata Sons’ chairman emeritus Ratan Tata has invested an undisclosed amount of funding in retail technology startup SnapBizz Cloudtech Pvt Ltd.

    Earlier last month, the startup, which provides an Android-based connectivity platform to local offline grocers, raised $7.2 million (around Rs 48.7 crore) from Jungle Ventures, Taurus Value Creation and other VC firms, to expand across key cities in India.

    Before that, the Singapore-headquartered firm, which has an office in Bangalore, received a seed funding of $1.7 million from Qualcomm, Jungle Ventures, National Research Foundation of Singapore, Taurus Value creation and Blume Ventures.

    This is the eighth investment in 2016 for Tata, one of India’s most active angel investors last year. This year, Tata has also invested in tea etailer Tea Box, coupons site CashKaro, baby products e-commerce site FirstCry, startup analytics firm Tracxn, animal lovers’ portal DogSpot, Invictus Oncology and Moglix. He has backed 29 startups since retiring as Tata Group’s chief.

    “A visionary of Tata’s stature showing confidence in SnapBizz is certainly a big boost for our business idea and will continue to accelerate the digital revolution in India’s kirana stores,” said Prem Kumar, CEO and founder, SnapBizz, in a statement.

    Founded in 2013 by Prem Kumar and Yashwant Prakash, SnapBizz aims to develop a mobile technology platform to connect the various stakeholders of a fragmented retail market ecosystem. SnapBizz’s Android-based, cloud-connected solution in the form of a tablet, barcode scanner, printer and a consumer-facing LED display enables merchants to manage their billing inventory and customer engagement.

    SnapBizz currently works with over a thousand kirana stores across Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore and aims to expand its footprint across tier 1 and 2 cities.

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  • LG Claims No Layoff Plan in Indonesia

    LG Claims No Layoff Plan in Indonesia

    President Director of PT LG Electronics Indonesia Jaeyoung Lee has confirmed that there is no plan for layoff (PHK) at its two factories in Indonesia. “The economy is stabilizing and has shown signs of improvements and we will survive,” he said on Tuesday evening during the 2016 LG InnoFest Asia, at Grand Hyatt Hotel, Seoul.

    Lee’s statement was made in response to the decision of two Japanese electronic manufacturers, Panasonic and Toshiba who recently have been restructuring and merging their factories in Indonesia. “We have other strategies, one of them is by strengthening our brand and entering non-conventional markets, such as ultra premium market.”

    Lee is also optimistic that, to date, the company is still dominating the domestic market of electronic sales. “LG Indonesia’s contribution to global market is around 4-5 percent. It’s substantial,” he said.

    In Indonesia, LG produced refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioner, televisions and audio-video devices as well as monitors. “Products from the factory are exported,” Lee noted.

    Toto, one of the sales representatives of LG products in Medan, is optimistic that the phenomena occurred in Panasonic and Toshiba would not happen in LG. “See, we can hold an event [LG InnoFest] of this magnitude,” he said to Tempo.

    Toto added that, LG’s step to make innovation by launching new products which targets ultra premium consumers also shows that the company’s performance is good. “The logic is that layoffs would not happen if the company is still performing.”

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  • Motornation.tv launches its VOD Website & Roku Channel powered by Muvi Studio

    Motornation.tv launches its VOD Website & Roku Channel powered by Muvi Studio

    Muvi Studio, a popular cloud-based Video Streaming Platform by New York-based tech company Muvi LLC, announced the launch of Motornation.tv (https://www.motornation.tv), a new Multi-Screen VOD service. It is available across on Web and also on Roku (https://channelstore.roku.com/details/82006/motornation.tv) powered by its Video Streaming Platform – Muvi StudioMuvi Studio.

    Motornation.tv is a free and premium subscription-based (SVOD) streaming TV network that specializes in Traditional Hot Rod, Kustom, Motorcycle, Instructional, Culture and Classic Films as well as Original Series. Motornation has some of the best films and film makers coming together to produce the best in the Hot Rod, Kustom, and Motorcycle world. They pride themselves in bringing the nation great,out well produced independent films as well as original content.

    Motornation.tv stands for and comes from the people that actually are involved in this Partnering with Muvi and using Muvi StudioMuvi Studio has allowed Motornation.tv to launch their Video-on-Demand (VOD) Website and Roku Channel in less than a month’s time, without having any coding knowledge or hiring any IT or Technology Technical Teams, thus allowing them to purely focus purely on content and business strategy.

    “Muvi Studio is a single platform solution for the video industry when it comes to Video Streaming (Live or on-demand) and provide an out-of-the-box experience as well as end-to-end solution for launching Multi-Screen Platforms in record time” – explains Viraj Mehta, Head – International Business, Muvi LLC

    Muvi StudioMuvi Studio is a one-stop user friendly solution that handles everything from provisioning of the IT Infrastructure like Servers and CDN, to front end applications like Website, Mobile and TV Apps at a click of a button. This makes sure thatso that the content owners do not need to worry about any IT and Technology hassles and focus purely

    About Muvi LLC & Muvi Studio

    Muvi is a New York based Technology Company behind the popular cloud based Video Streaming Platform – Muvi Studio which caters to video content owners, and enables them to launch their own-branded Multi-Screen Video Streaming Platform (Live Streaming and Video-on-demand) across web, mobile and TV at a click of a button instantly, without any coding knowledge or IT teams. Muvi Studio includes everything required to launch a VOD platform from IT Infrastructure to Online Video Player and front end apps like website and

    Visit https://studio.muvi.com www.studio.muvi.com for more information.

  • Apple Retail Stores Headed To India Soon

    Apple Retail Stores Headed To India Soon

    Apple is working to open retail stores in India, now the world’s second-largest smartphone market. Although Apple has eyed the country for a while now, the company’s plans point to a quick and rapid expansion to help its iPhone sales.

    Apple is working to open its first retail stores in India, a country of 1.3 billion people that’s grown into the world’s second-largest smartphone market, behind China, and one that can help keep new customers coming to the iPhone.

    To get that process started, Apple submitted an application to receive government approval to open its first stores there, though it didn’t get the “format” quite right and has resubmitted the application, according to a Feb. 7 report from Bloomberg Business. An unnamed source told the publication that it’s not clear how many stores Apple aims to open, or in what time frame the application may be approved.

    During Apple’s Jan. 26 earning call with analysts, CEO Tim Cook pointed to India as an “incredibly exciting” market for growth and an example of Apple’s ability to find investment opportunities during times of economic uncertainty.

    “Some of the most important breakthrough products in Apple’s history were born as a result of investing through the downturn,” Cook said during the call. “We’ve also seen these times as opportunities to invest in new markets, just as we’re doing now in areas such as India.”

    As of the close of Apple’s quarter, 66% of its revenue was generated outside of the US. Despite economic softness, Cook said that Apple saw its best results ever in Greater China, with revenue growing 14% over last year and 47% sequentially.

    It currently has 28 stores in China and plans to have 40 by this summer.

    Highlighting the potential that India represents, Cook noted that while the median age in China is around 36 or 37, in India it’s 27.

    “Almost half the people in India are below 25,” Cook noted. “So I see the demographics there also being incredibly great for a consumer brand and for people that really want the best products.”

    Sales of iPhones in India grew 76% during the quarter.

    During the calendar third quarter of 2015, one in three smartphones shipped in India was 4G enabled, an almost threefold increase over the previous quarter

    Nearly half of the smartphones sold there during the quarter had 5-inch-plus displays and prices below $200. With sub-$150 LTE devices, Samsung currently dominates India’s budding smartphone market, with a 24% share, followed by Micromax, an Indian brand, with a 16.7% share.

    Apple’s marketshare, by comparison, is around 2%, which analysts attribute, in part, to Indian consumers’ lack of an in-store experience and the relative high prices of the iPhone.

    Following Apple’s last earnings call, Jackdaw Research analyst Jan Dawson explained that while Apple continues to diversify its revenue streams, the size of its iPhone base “becomes ever more important to its revenue growth.”

    While Apple introduced the Apple Watch, Apple TV, Apple Music, and the iPad Pro in 2015 to spur growth and profitability, Dawson wrote, “almost all of these new products and services are tied to the iPhone in some way, and benefit greatly from the installed base of a half billion iPhone users.”

    While the iPhone itself will contribute less to Apple’s overall performance going forward, Dawson added, “it’s going to become ever more central to Apple’s future growth.”

    IDC analyst Kiran Kumar expects smartphone marketshare in India to finally outstrip feature phones in 2016, and for the country to see a “healthy double-digit growth rate” over the next few years.

    From the research of Counterpoint, “India smartphone user base grew to 220 million users by the end of 2015, surpassing [the United States] for the first time ever.”

     

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  • Samsung’s 18.4-inch Galaxy View taps rise of OTT content

    Samsung’s 18.4-inch Galaxy View taps rise of OTT content

    With global demand rising for online video streaming on over-the-top (OTT) devices, Samsung Electronics expects consumers to welcome its new 18.4-inch tablet as a new means to consume streaming content – especially users in Hong Kong.

    “Hong Kong people are moving from broadcast and cable television to on-demand video services,” Paulona Cheung, associate director of Samsung Hong Kong’s telecoms business, said on Wednesday.

    “Hybrid devices like our new Galaxy View are more suitable in this changing market,” she added at a product launch event Wednesday, referring to gadgets that fall somewhere between a tablet and television.

    The device will go on sale in the city from January 29 with a retail price of HK$4,598 (US$587), the company said. It went on sale in the United States in November.

    It weighs 2.7kg, three times that of Apple’s newest MacBook laptops. This could make it cumbersome for travelling, but certainly light enough to traipse around the home or office with.

    “Portable devices have small screens, and big-screen TV limits where and how we watch video,” said Alfred Tsang, one of Samsung’s product managers.

    “The Galaxy View eliminates these problems.”

    It could also find a special place in the hearts of Hongkongers given their relatively cramped living conditions.

    “Hong Kong is so small and many families do not have room for a big-screen TV or additional TV for different family members,” said Cheung.

    Samsung is not the first tech titan to make super-sized hybrid tabs. US personal computer maker Dell and Taiwan’s ASUS have also both done so.

    But “those all-in-one computers are for sophisticated users”, said Cheung.

    “The Galaxy View aims to satisfy the entertainment needs of average users.”

    Local and global streaming services are expanding quickly in Hong Kong.

    Viu, an online streaming service owned by Hong Kong’s telecom giant PCCW, started streaming free TV dramas and animations through its website and mobile app last October.

    Moreover, China’s Letv entered Hong Kong in 2014. It snapped up the broadcasting rights for English Premiere League football matches as well as the popular US drama House of Cards in 2015.

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  • Apple Inc Set to Infiltrate India with Famed Retail Outlets

    Apple Inc Set to Infiltrate India with Famed Retail Outlets

    Imagine being in the hustle and bustle of everyday Mumbai traffic, and spotting an Apple Store across the street. This is about to get real, as Apple Inc. is on course to open its first single-brand retail outlet in India. Sources told Bloomberg that applications for retail business are already under process, with no approval date finalized as of yet. In his recent town hall meeting, CEO Tim Cook personally confirmed that the tech giant is going to open Apple Stores in India.

    Such a deal is believed to exempt Apple from local regulations, according to which, single-brand stores need to assemble products comprising 30% of locally-manufactured components. Currently, the company sells its iPhones, iPads, and other devices in the country via third-party distributors. The company’s push into India has been part of Mr. Cook’s turnaround strategy, as he aims to target the 1.3 billion Indian citizens and exploit the inherent growth potential in the country.

    This target market may be even more lucrative than China, as India’s population is relatively younger and has relatively low smartphone penetration. The country possesses a vast 4G connectivity network, unlike other emerging markets; this presents a lucrative opportunity for Apple, as it would be able to promote its latest gadgets in the region. Last year, India surpassed the US as the second-largest smartphone market, in terms of global unique active users.

    Apple reported a 38% year-over-year (YoY) sales increase in India in its latest quarterly earnings; the company sold over 800,000 units in the region during the quarter ended December 31, 2015. Sales in other emerging markets had shown stagnant growth for the same period, while China experienced a comparatively lower growth rate than India at 14%. Sales volume for the iPhone alone experienced 76% growth in India, compared to 45% in the Middle East, South Korea, and Africa, 18% in China, and 20% in Europe. Moreover, the India’s population has a median age of 27 years, as opposed to China, where the median age is 37 years.

    Such high-growth numbers indicate that now may be the perfect time for Apple to open its famed single-brand retail stores in India. Apple Stores are known for their distinctive setup, excellent customer experience, and strong brand association, which is known to deliver superior products. Such a setup is likely to attract the country’s youth, who helped raise India’s smartphone sales by 23% to 220 million in 2015.

    A major roadblock to Apple’s business, however, comes in the shape of local smartphone makers and other cheaper brands, as the country has a relatively lower income-scale than most of Apple’s other markets. But the tech giant has so far successfully weaved past this issue by enforcing aggressive price cuts on some of its older devices, such as the iPhone 5s. Even the iPhone 6s/6s Plus models were sold under various discount packages, and this pricing flexibility helped increase product availability across all third-party distributors.

    With the company reporting stagnant growth in global smartphone sales in its earnings release, due to increasing consumer product upgrade lifecycles, India may just be the bailout it seeks. The company aims to turn around faltering handset sales with the new iPhone 7. Establishing stores in major population centers such as Delhi and Mumbai can help it attain greater traction when the smartphone launches.

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  • Drones manufacturer DJI to open flagship retail store in Korea

    Drones manufacturer DJI to open flagship retail store in Korea

    DJI, a manufacturer unmanned aerial vehicle technology, is set to open a flagship store in Seoul’s Hongdae district in March.

    Frank Wang, DJI Founder and CEO, said the location was chosen as Hongdae is a vibrant district that combines urban arts, indie music and pop culture.

    DJI korea inside

    “DJI is also creating a cool new culture for aerial enthusiasts, allowing people to experience and see the world from a new perspective,” he said.

    The five-story, 870-square-meter store will feature a full range of DJI’s consumer products, including the Phantom 3 series, the Inspire 1 and Spreading Wings series, Matrice 100, Guidance, the Ronin handheld three-axis camera gimbal line, as well as the company’s latest integrated stabilized 4K handheld camera, the Osmo.

    The store will have a lounge area for visitors to relax and enjoy aerial footage and content from around the world; a customer experience zone where DJI pilots will perform demos for different products; and customer support.

    The Seoul store is DJI’s second foray into retail after the December opening of its OCT Harbour shop near the company’s headquarters in Shenzhen, China.

  • Oppo, Vivo snap at Apple’s heels in China

    Oppo, Vivo snap at Apple’s heels in China

    Beyond China few may have heard of Oppo or Vivo, but these local handset vendors are rising up the rankings in the world’s largest smartphone market, using local marketing savvy and strong retail networks in lower-tier cities.

    Industry experts say these cities — there are more than 600 of them and some are bigger than many European capitals — are the next smartphone battlefield as China’s major cities are saturated.

    International brands such as Apple and Samsung Electronics have mostly not yet reached this part of the market — which accounts for more than 56% of China’s overall consumption, according to Beijing All China Marketing Research.

    In an economy growing at its slowest pace in a quarter of a century, buyers in these smaller cities – with populations of up to 3 million – tend towards cheaper phones, which is good news for Guangzhou-based Oppo and Vivo, as well as Meizu Technology Co, an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

    “Oppo and Vivo have already overtaken Samsung and ZTE Corp in China, and are working to chase down the big three of Huawei, Xiaomi and Apple in 2016,” said Strategy Analytics analyst Neil Mawston.

    Selfies, gimmicks
    To be sure, these lower-priced newcomers lack the firepower of the premium brands, and operate on razor-thin margins or at losses. They need mass volume sales to keep going, the industry experts said.

    Oppo sold 10.8 million smartphones, giving it a 9% market share and a top-5 ranking, in the fourth quarter of last year, according to Strategy Analytics — even as the overall China market slipped 4%.

    Oppo’s R7 smartphone, priced at 1,999 yuan ($304), touts itself as a “selfie expert”, with a bigger screen than the iPhone 6s and competitive camera resolution.

    Vivo ranked fourth with 10% market share, below Apple’s 13%.

    The growth among these younger vendors comes as Apple, Xiaomi and others struggle to maintain momentum in a market swamped with smartphones and fading economic growth.

    Analysts say the newcomers run eye-catching marketing gimmicks, including sponsorship with local TV shows, and have extensive retail networks in lower-tier cities.

    “There’s only so much the international firms can do when it comes to localized marketing in China,” said Nicole Peng at Canalys. “For foreign companies like Samsung, their marketing strategies don’t really cater to the Chinese consumer.”

    Sixth-ranked Samsung declined to comment.

    Apple last week forecast a first revenue drop in 13 years and posted the slowest-ever increase in iPhone shipments as the Chinese market showed signs of weakening.

    Challenges ahead
    China has nine of the world’s top-12 smartphone brands, with nearly a quarter of the market share, according to CounterPoint Research, but turning that into volume sales beyond China will be a challenge.

    Overseas, Chinese brands lack strong distribution networks and can run into intellectual property issues. Oppo is already in several Asian and Middle East markets, while Vivo is in Malaysia and India.

    And at home, Chinese device buyers are notoriously fickle, switching between brands in a cut-throat market. Regular price wars have seen ZTE and Lenovo Group frequently swap places in the sales rankings.

    “The lines between ‘high-end’ and ‘low-end’ devices is blurring, which leaves price as the sole differentiator for most mass market buyers,” said Sameer Singh, an analyst who blogs at Tech-Thoughts.net.

    “Brand image tends to be a lagging indicator of customer experience, i.e. as the latter improves, so does word-of-mouth and consequently brand image. I think that’s what we’re seeing with Chinese brands today.”

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  • Apple’s Tim Cook confirms intent to set up retail stores in India

    Apple’s Tim Cook confirms intent to set up retail stores in India

    Weeks after we revealed that Apple has applied to the government to set up its fabled stores in India, its chief executive officer Tim Cook has confirmed the same, signaling India’s elevation in the Cupertino-based smartphone maker’s consciousness as one of its key growth markets.

    In a townhall meeting with Apple employees held at Infinite Loop headquarters in Cupertino in the days following the first quarter earnings, Cook said that Apple was in “early preparations” to bring its retail stores to India, according to report by 9to5Mac, which tracks developments at Apple very closely.

    Cook singled out India as “one of Apple’s most important growth areas for the next decade”, underlining its importance given its favourable demographics and surging smartphone sales.

    Apple’s top boss also said India unlike many emerging markets had 4G mobile services and it which therefore “gives Apple the opportunity to push its latest devices to regions like India”.

    Cook also fielded audience questions, attempting to reduce concerns related to the company’s iPhone dependence, and discussed porting more Apple services to Android and releasing cheaper iPhones to appease growing markets.

    India is the world’s fastest growing smartphone market, having surpassed the US in 2015 as the second largest by unique active users worldwide. This would make a strong case for Apple’s famed retail stores, distinct for its look, feel and customer experience, to come up as the brand enjoys a very strong aspiration value, especially among the youth.

    Apple has applied for the single brand retail license, which once granted, will allow it to open its own stores here. Currently, Apple sells its iPhone, iPad, Mac and other products through third-party resellers in the country. But with the government easing up foreign investment rules on single brands and relaxing mandatory local procurement conditions for high-tech companies, the doors are now open for Apple to make a direct foray.

    Apple posted its best ever quarterly sales in India recently, with volumes crossing 800,000 units for the three month period to end-December 2015. During this period, sales in developed markets faltered. Revenue in India surged 38%, albeit on a smaller base, compared with 11% growth in overall emerging markets and 14% in Greater China, its second-largest market after the US.

    iPhone sales volumes grew 76% in India compared with 45% in Korea, the Middle East and Africa, 20% in several western European countries and 18% in mainland China, in the October-December quarter.

    “During hard times like now, it provides an opportunity to invest in newer markets such as India where there are long-term prospects,” Cook said during the first quarter earnings last month, acknowledging the potential of the Indian market.

    “India is quickly becoming the fastest-growing BRIC nation, the third-largest smartphone market behind China and the US, and the median age of the population is 27 compared to 36-37 in China,” he added.

    Apple has been making aggressive price cuts on older devices such as iPhone 5s and even cut prices on iPhone 6s and 6s Plus models after consumers were deterred by the high cost of new models. It’s also increasing availability, including online besides giving greater flexibility to retailers and distributors on pricing.

  • Which is the best Home & Electronics retailer in Singapore?

    Which is the best Home & Electronics retailer in Singapore?

    Furniture, home appliances and electronics. These are just some must-haves in every home but where’s the best place in Singapore to get them? AsiaOne wants you to tell us where is the best to go.

    AsiaOne People’s Choice Awards 2016 is constantly seeking to honour the best brands, services and products in Singapore. This year, five new categories including Best Home & Electronics Retailer were added to reflect changing consumer trends in Singapore.

    Members of the public have helped to shortlist a number of companies and nominees Best Denki, Challenger Singapore, Courts, Crate and Barrel, Gain City, Harvey Norman, IKEA Singapore and Mustafa Centre are seeking for your votes to be named the winner in the first Best Home & Electronics Retailer category.

    Top retail players from overseas

    High-end lifestyle brand Crate and Barrel is a retail chain offering a variety of stylish furniture, kitchenware and other home essentials.

    Started in Chicago by Gordon and Carole Segal in 1962, the company grew into an international brand with outlets in the United States and Canada, a far cry from its humble beginnings with just one employee and not even having a cash register, according to its website.

    The brand opened its five-storey flagship store at Orchard Gateway in April 2014, drawing customers in with its exquisite furniture and quirky kitchen gadgets. Their first Singapore outlet opened the previous year at ION Orchard.

    With a focus on furniture and home interior design, IKEA is another tough international competitor to beat under this category.

    The Swedish store has two massive outlets in Singapore and is a popular place for families to go to on weekends, thanks to its array of delicious and affordable food selection.

    The one-stop furniture shop aims to fulfil all your housing needs from sofas, work tables, mattresses, bed frames, decorative mirrors to even kitchen wares and plants. Even if you’re not looking for anything in particular, you just might end up with a useful kitchen tool, a set of new bedsheets and a basket full of Swedish biscuits and candies.

    IKEA is an establishment that also excites shoppers with their annual catalogues which are filled with colour photographs and home decor ideas.

    Local brands stake a claim on home ground

    Not to be beat, home-grown brands Challenger Singapore, Gain City and Mustafa Centre with their affordable pricing, friendly services and wide selection of goods, can seduce readers for their votes.

    If you need anything IT-related, Challenger may probably be the first place you will think of.

    At its outlets in town and in the heartlands, you can talk to store consultants and figure out which product best suits your needs at your own pace.

    Other than selling hardware, the shops also have an inventory of products you might not expect to find like lamps, cameras, mobile phones, audio speakers and toys.

    You might be familiar with Gain City, as advertisements featuring their latest promotions are regularly carried in newspapers .

    Starting out as a company for commercial and residential air-conditioning needs in 1981, the business grew to become a retail giant incorporating electronics products and lifestyle goods.

    If you’re looking furnish a new home, a visit to their Sungei Kadut outlet might be a good place to start . But take heed, this new outlet is a whopping 11 storeys high and can be daunting for the uninitiated.

    Cheap and good is what comes to mind when we talk about home-grown Mustafa Centre. Started in 1973, the company began as a humble 900 sq ft shop and expanded to what it is today – a 150,000 sq ft space offering shoppers 24 hours of retail therapy.

    Unbeknownst to many, Mustafa at one point even sold cars which were parallel-imported, according to its website. Today, the company which is housed in a multi-storey building with its own supermarket, also offers foreign exchange and travel services.

    Which is your favourite place for all your home and electronics shopping needs? Let us know through your votes in the AsiaOne People’s Choice Awards!

    Cast your votes here and stand a chance to win $200 vouchers, an Apple Watch, a Dyson Pure Cool Purifier or a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 in one of our weekly lucky draws.

    Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held in April 2016.

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  • Apple turns to India as Chinese market weakens

    Apple turns to India as Chinese market weakens

    As red-hot sales in China show signs of cooling, Apple Inc executives are touting India’s growing appetite for iPhones.

    In an earnings call in which the company reported meager iPhone growth and forecast its first revenue drop in 13 years, the Indian market stood out as a rare bright spot for Apple.

    Sales of the company’s flagship smartphone climbed 76% in the country from the year-ago quarter, Apple CFO Luca Maestri said on the call.

    And Apple CEO Tim Cook suggested more growth is on the horizon, noting the median age in India is just 27.

    “I see the demographics there also being incredibly great for a consumer brand, and for people that really want the best product,” Cook said. “We have been putting increasingly more energy in India.”

    Growth in India is a tantalizing prospect as Apple grapples with the economic downturn in China, its second largest market. While revenue in Greater China rose 14% in the last quarter, Apple is beginning to see a shift in the economy, particularly in Hong Kong, Maestri told Reuters in an interview.

    India cannot immediately offset Apple’s woes in China, said analyst Neil Shah of Counterpoint Technology Market Research. The company averaged only about 450,000 smartphone shipments per quarter in India in 2015, compared with more than 15 million per quarter in China, Shah said.

    What’s more, nearly 70% of smartphones sell for less than $150, leaving just a sliver of the market for Apple’s high-end phones. The company’s smartphone market share stands at less than 2%, Shah said.

    But the Indian market seems to be turning in Apple’s favor. With 4G coverage spreading, Indian consumers will likely be more open to investing in smartphones, Shah said.

    Young consumers are already willing to spend heavily on the device at the center of their digital lives. As in China, Apple products are coveted status symbols.

    “The love for the iPhone is there,” said Carolina Milanesi, chief of research and head of US business at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, a consumer research firm.

    Apple’s next task is expanding distribution in India, where its products are sold through third-party resellers. The company has filed an application with India’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion to open its own stores, an Indian official told Reuters earlier this month.

  • Apple China bracing for fall

    Apple China bracing for fall

    Even as it announces record revenues and net profit, Apple says it has sold fewer iPhones in the first quarter and is bracing for a fall in sales in its critical Chinese market.

    “It’s becoming more apparent that there are some signs of economic softness,” says CFO Luca Maestri. “We are starting to see something that we have not seen before.”

    He admits the tech giant is working in a “very difficult macroeconomic environment” and projects a further slide in iPhone sales for the second quarter, reports the International Business Times. Apple’s projected revenues indicate the company’s sales are about to fall for the first time in 13 years.

    Apple’s sales stumble was masked by the record corporate quarterly profit. Conlumino analyst Neil Saunders takes a close look at the latest Apple report in our international section.

    Apple sold 74.8 million iPhones in the first quarter, ending December 26, which is the first full quarter of sales of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. The 0.4 per cent growth in shipments was the lowest since the product’s launch in 2007.

    Maestri says that although Apple China revenue rose by 14 per cent in the quarter, the company is starting to see a shift in the economy, particularly in Hong Kong.

    Apple had record figures in the first quarter for both net profit ($18.36 billion, up from $18.02 billion) and revenue (up 1.7 per cent to $75.87 billion). Greater China accounted for 24.2 per cent of the total revenue, more than all of Europe combined.

    An indication of Apple’s popularity in China can perhaps be gauged by the dwindling number of fake Apple stores in the southern city of Shenzhen, some of which have been taken over by unauthorised outlets for local phone brands.

    In a street of gadget stores, copycat Apple outlets were not uncommon, complete with the latest iPhone models and accessories and uniformed staff. Only four months there were more than 30, but about a third of these have gone, reports Reuters. Instead of iPhones, some of these shops are now selling Huawei, Meizu, Oppo and Xiaomi phones.

    In fact, the iPhone has become a “street cellphone” – a Chinese term that means a widely available and popular product that lacks novelty value.

    “Using an iPhone is hardly something you can show off to people now,” a Shenzhen retailer told Reuters.

    In the US, iPhones are still popular, and 60 per cent of people who had an iPhone before the launch of the iPhone 6 have yet to upgrade, says the company.

    Meanwhile, the Indian market stands out as a rare bright spot for Apple with a growing demand for iPhones, reports The Indian Express.

    Sales of the company’s flagship smartphone climbed 76 per cent in India from the year-ago quarter, according to Luca Maestri.

    Apple CEO Tim Cook has suggested more growth lies ahead with median age in India being 27 years.

    “I see the demographics there also being incredibly great for a consumer brand,” he says. “We have been putting increasingly more energy in India.”

    India cannot immediately offset Apple’s woes in China, says analyst Neil Shah of Counterpoint Technology Market Research. Apple averaged about 450,000 smartphone shipments a quarter in India last year, compared with more than 15 million a quarter in China.

    Also, nearly 70 per cent of smartphones sell for less than $150, leaving  a slim market for Apple’s high-end phones. Its smartphone market share stands at less than 2 per cent, says Shah.

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