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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.

  • Galaxy Note9 invitation hints at revamped stylus

    Galaxy Note9 invitation hints at revamped stylus

    Samsung Electronics is scheduled to unveil its Galaxy Note9 phablet on Aug. 9 in New York, according to an invitation the company sent to media on Thursday.

    The unpacking event for the next flagship smartphone will take place at 11 a.m. local time on Aug. 9, or midnight on Aug. 10 in Korea, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The showcase will also be livestreamed on the Samsung website.

    Unlike previous years, Samsung opted not to include a catchphrase for the new model on the invitation – the Note8 missive came with the slogan “Do bigger things” – instead showing a magnified image of the button on the Note series’ signature S Pen stylus in gold on a blue background.

    The teaser video released with the invitation confirms that the button is on the S Pen, indicating that the new stylus will have enhanced features.

    Some early reports speculate that Samsung has added Bluetooth to the stylus, while other rumors guess that the pen will include a microphone to allow users to make phone calls. The button could be used for capturing images or video on the phone.

    According to a series of leaks, the Note9 has a 6.4-inch super AMOLED display – even bigger than the Note8’s 6.3 inches and S9+’s 6.2 inches. Aside from the increased size, there are few rumors suggesting any other dramatic changes to the phone itself, implying that the revamped S Pen could be the most revolutionary feature in the new device.

    The event for the Note9 comes about two weeks earlier than the Note8, which was first showcased on Aug. 23 last year and began shipping Sept. 21.

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  • Honor debuts in Vietnam with first offline store

    Honor debuts in Vietnam with first offline store

    Huawei sub-brand Honor Vietnam has opened its first physical store in the country after three years selling online and via distributors.

    Located on Nguyen Hue Street in downtown, the new store attracted hundreds of Honor’s fans from the early morning.

    Apart from products already on sale in the country, Honor introduced its newest lines, including the Honor MagicBook.

    Vietnam is a part of Honor’s overseas expansion in Asia Pacific, along with Europe and the Middle East.

    Zhao Ming, Honor president, said overseas sales have doubled during the past five months, and he expects them to rise further in the second half of the year.

    The brand entered the Philippines last month.

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  • Suning.com Listed on China’s 500 Most Valuable Brands with a Brand Value of 23 Billion RMB

    Suning.com Listed on China’s 500 Most Valuable Brands with a Brand Value of 23 Billion RMB

    Suning.com, a Fortune Global 500 company owned by Suning Holdings Group (“Suning”) was listed on the 15th China’s 500 Most Valuable Brands, with a brand value of 23 Billion RMB, ranked No.13 on the list and No.1 among the retail industry.

    The list of China’s 500 Most Valuable Brands is released by World Brand Lab, the leading independent consultancy of brand valuation and marketing strategy in the world. It evaluates brand value based on three dimensions: finance performance, customer impression and brand awareness. The total value generated by the 2018 listed brands is RMB 1.844 trillion. Due to its strong growth in revenue and brand awareness, Suning.com has achieved a brand value of RMB 23 billion, up 19% year-on-year.

    Suning.com saw a strong financial growth in 2017, obtained an operating revenue of RMB 187 billion, with a year-on-year increase of 24.67%. In the first quarter of 2018, Suning.com has achieved Omni-channel sales of RMB 69.33 billion, up 46.33% year-on-year.

    “Innovative technologies such as AI, Big-data and block-chain bring new opportunities to the growth of brand value,” commented by the chairman of World Brand Laboratory and Nobel laureate and economist, Robert Mundell.

    Suning put forward its ‘Smart Retail’ strategy in 2017, which revolves around Smart Sourcing, Smart Selling, Smart Services, Smart Logistics and Smart Business Models. The strategy meets and beats consumers’ expectations by providing personalized goods and services in diversified consumption scenarios to improve shopping experience. During the past 6.18 Shopping Festival, Suning gained a 121% sales increase in total, reflecting the increasing brand reputation among customers and embodying the success of Smart Retail.

    Meanwhile, Suning has been actively working on corporate social responsibility programs. By the end of 2017, Suning has contributed over RMB 1.1 billion to public welfare regarding disaster relief, education, poverty alleviation, environmental protection and other fields.

    “China has entered a new era of quality consumption, which provides a broad market for local brand’s development,” said Sun Weimin, vice chairman of Suning.com, “As a leading retail brand, Suning is proud to be listed among the China’s 500 Most Valuable Brands and will continuously undertake the responsibility to enhance Chinese brands competitiveness.”

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  • Fully automated restaurant boom in China

    Fully automated restaurant boom in China

    A Japanese Twitter user has sparked an online debate over video footage of a fully-automated Chinese restaurant.

    The coverage of the unnamed (and apparently unstaffed) venue in Chinese Shenzhen showed a diner choosing a noodle dish from a touch-screen menu, paying for the meal electronically, receiving it from a robot arm, and dining on a table that automatically retracts to receive waste.

    Japanese netizens were quick to express concerns at the concept of dining over a hidden trash can – not only in terms of hygiene and smell, but also for the potential of losing keys or a mobile phone, and as to whether the trash would be properly separated for recycling.

    A report called the restaurant a sign of the impending robot apocalypse, and wondered if the restaurant bill was a contribution to an electronic uprising to usurp humanity.

  • Vietnam’s Mobile World sales rises

    Vietnam’s Mobile World sales rises

    Vietnam’s Mobile World saw a 43 per cent jump in revenue in the first five months of this year.

    The mobile device and consumer electronics retailer posted net sales of VND37 trillion (US$1.61 billion) and an after-tax profit of $55.8 million, 44 per cent up year-on-year.

    Of its divisions, electronic retail arm Dien May Xanh accounted for 56 per cent, mobile phone retail chain The Gioi Di Dong 41 per cent, and its fledgling grocery chain Bach Hoa Xanh 3 per cent.

    According to Mobile World’s CEO Tran Kinh Doanh, the company plans to expand Bach Hoa Xanh to 1000 stores in Ho Chi Minh City, and more in other provinces.

    The Gioi Di Dong chain has scaled down its network to 500 stores this year after closing six stores.

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  • Honor going to ground to boost presence in Philippines

    Honor going to ground to boost presence in Philippines

    Chinese smartphone maker Honor said it plans to open brick-and-mortar stores in the Philippines in a bid to become one of the top three vendors in the nation.

    Honor entered the market last month, initially offering its flagship Honor 10 and other devices through online retailers. The Huawei sub-brand accounts for 10 per cent market share in China after just four years, says its country director for the Philippines, Wang Yang.

    “We believe the Philippine market is perfect for Honor brand because we see the brand as being for the young,” says Yang.

    Physical retail stores will open as early as next month, starting in the capital, with the possibility of opening regional outlets, he says.

    Honor entered the Philippines through Shopee on May 15 with 500 units being sold in an hour during a flash sale.

    Its flagship Honor 10 has AI-enhanced cameras, dual 24 + 16 megapixel lenses on the rear and 24 megapixels on the front. The in-house Kirin 970 processor helps the phone recognise about 500 scenarios in 22 categories.

    The Honor 10 has four gigabytes of RAM, 128 gigabytes of storage and a 3400 mAh battery that can recharge 50 per cent of power in 25 minutes.

    Yang says the handset’s biggest draw would be its iridescent paint job inspired by the Northern Lights. A fingerprint sensor is practically hidden on the phone’s chin, below the 5.84-inch full-HD screen.

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  • Samsung Experience Zone now available at HIA

    Samsung Experience Zone now available at HIA

    Qatar Duty Free (QDF) has launched a one-of-a-kind Samsung Experience Zone in Hamad International Airport (HIA). The Experience Zone, which is located at Concourse C, showcases the newest Samsung products for passengers to experience first hand.

    The Samsung Experience Zone, measuring approximately 150 square metres, showcases the latest mobile phones and accessories, such as Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, Samsung Note 8, Samsung Gear VR, and much more.

    Head of Qatar Duty Free, Mr. Thabet Musleh, said: “Qatar Duty Free is proud to be the first airport retailer to introduce the Samsung Experience Zone in the Gulf region. QDF understands the power of technology, innovation and creativity now and for the future, in alignment with the Qatar National Vision 2030. It is a privilege to work with our key partner, Samsung Gulf Electronics, to bring the latest technology to HIA, providing our passengers with even more engaging experiences and making HIA a world-class shopping destination in itself.”

     

    The innovative duty free operator is now the second-largest duty free operator in the Middle East and was recently awarded ‘Airport Retailer of the Year’ at the DFNI Global Awards 2018 who recognise and accolade international retailers for being best-in-class.

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  • Apple is opening second store in Macau

    Apple is opening second store in Macau

    Construction crews have begun assembling a green facade at the site of the second Apple Macau store, to be located next to the Sands Cotai Central casino resort.

    A sign says the shop is “coming soon”, but the facade sports a wave pattern and a chrome-like logo, signalling that Apple considers it an important outlet (the company often uses a plain black facade for smaller openings).

    The first Apple Macau store opened in June 2016 at Galaxy Macau.

    Apple’s store in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, is also undergoing renovations as the tech retailer rolls out an updated store model across the region.

    And in Beijing,  the Apple store on Wangfujing Road will close on June 24 for a makeover, with no date set for re-opening.

    Opened in 2012, it is one of Apple’s older stores in China, a two-floor outlet with a round glass facade.

    Apple’s remodelled stores often gain extra space to accommodate both more products and customers. A larger floor gives room for Today at Apple sessions related to photography, coding, exercising with the Apple Watch, and other topics.

    Apple’s latest retail design, introduced in 2015, typically includes glass doors, video screens for product marketing and in-store events, and sequoia wood shelves on the walls for accessories.

    Its flagship Covent Garden store in London will also be closed from June 27 for renovations. This location became Apple’s largest store when it opened in 2010.

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  • Samsung Electronics calls for retrial in Apple case

    Samsung Electronics calls for retrial in Apple case

    Samsung Electronics on Tuesday called for a retrial of the latest ruling by a U.S. court, which ordered the Korean tech giant to pay Apple $539 million over design infringement.

    The Korean tech giant claimed that the amount awarded to Apple by the latest ruling is excessive, demanding that the U.S. District Court in San Jose, California, reconsider the ruling.

    The conflict between the two companies surrounding alleged design infringement started in 2011, with the court ruling ordering Samsung to compensate Apple coming in May.

    The U.S. company claimed Samsung violated its designs, such as a “black rectangular front face with rounded corners,” a “rectangular front face with rounded corners and a raised rim” and a “grid of 16 colorful icons on a black screen.”

    Shortly after the court ruling, Samsung said it would “consider all options to obtain an outcome that does not hinder creativity and fair competition for all companies and consumers.”

  • Sony opens world’s 1st deep bass concept audio store in Malaysia

    Sony opens world’s 1st deep bass concept audio store in Malaysia

    Sony’s first Extra Bass store in Southeast Asia has just opened in Kuala Lumpur’s Sunway Pyramid Asian Avenue.

    Extra Bass was designed to provide an unusual shopping experience for consumers into sound experiences at home or on the move. Creative displays show off a range of Sony’s Extra-series products, including headphones and wireless speakers.

    Sony plans to expand the concept to create a Music Information Hub for students, working with schools and communities to encourage more young people to participate in music and the arts.

    With a focus on experience and engagement, the store’s primary goal is to broaden people’s minds about music and entertainment, rather than simply sell gadgets.

    “Living in a technological era, brick-and-mortar retail is rapidly losing ground to its online rivals,” said Nixon Ng from Chip magazine in a comment.

    “To combat this, concept stores have appeared on the scene, ready to stimulate our senses and tempt us back to the physical shopping world … It’s a space where art, culture and commerce collide to promote a particular lifestyle.”

     

     

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  • Samsung tip has government investigating KIP

    Samsung tip has government investigating KIP

    The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has been investigating a Korean company over technology leakage overseas at the request of Samsung Electronics, sources said on Monday.

    The probe into KIP, a private company belonging to the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, started in April after Samsung Electronics reported the issue to the government. But the issue is complicated by an ongoing lawsuit between KIP and Samsung in the United States.

    KIP sued Samsung over mobile transistor intellectual property, and critics have suggested that Samsung’s recent allegations are an attempt to cloud the issue.

    Back in late 2016, the company run by a group of researchers at Kaist filed a suit at a federal court in Texas against Samsung for using its patented technology for mobile 3D transistors, known as fin field effect transistors (FinFET), since 2015. The technology is used to increase the processing speed of smartphones and tablet PCs.

    Unlike Samsung, Intel has been paying around 10 billion won ($9.3 million) to use the technology since 2012. KIP demanded that Samsung pay for its use of the technology as well, and a jury is set to hand down the first verdict on the case on June 16.

    Samsung, however, has refused to pay for the technology, claiming it was initially developed as part of a state-supported research project. The electronics giant fought back, claiming that KIP leaked the core technologies overseas.

    The world’s No. 1 chipmaker asked the ministry to look into whether KIP’s intellectual property fits into one of seven categories that either have technological and economic value in markets at home and abroad or have great growth potential that are stipulated in the Act on Prevention of Divulgence and Protection of Industrial Technology.

    The seven designated technologies need state approval before being exported overseas.

    While reviewing documents preparing for a trial, Samsung claims it found evidence of a national core technology being leaked abroad without approval from the Commerce Ministry.

    FinFET was originally a joint project between Wonkwang University, where Lee Jong-ho, now professor at the department of electrical and computer engineering at Seoul National University, was serving as professor, and Kaist in 2001. Lee patented the technology under his name in Korea and handed it over to KIP later. KIP then transferred the patent to its U.S. branch, which was established in 2016.

    “It is hard to conclude whether [the KIP-owned technology] is a core national technology and it is not clear either whether the issue needs to be assessed by a group of experts,” said a ministry official. “We are taking into consideration of various aspects, given the issue could affect the trial.”

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  • Poundworld on the brink of collapse with 5,300 jobs at risk

    Poundworld on the brink of collapse with 5,300 jobs at risk

    UK discount retailer Poundworld is on the brink of collapse with an administrator about to be appointed following the collapse of talks with a potential angel investor.

    As reported, the company has filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator, giving the company 10 business days protection from its creditors, and management time to finalise a restructuring plan to keep the 355-store chain trading.

    The UK financial press reports that Deloitte has been appointed to oversee the administration process and was already working on a plan as a contingency should a new owner not be found.

    Retail turnaround specialist Alteri Investors this week walked away from talks over taking over the ailing company leaving the owners with no other option than to commence administration procedures, given the business is running low on cash.

    Poundworld is owned by US private-equity company TPG Capital. Last financial year it lost £17.1 million, more than three times the loss of the prior year.

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  • Verizon names former Ericsson chief as new CEO

    Verizon names former Ericsson chief as new CEO

    Former Ericsson chief executive Hans Vestberg was named Friday as the new CEO of US telecom group Verizon, succeeding Lowell McAdam as of Aug 1.

    Vestberg, 52, is currently chief technology officer and head of global networks for Verizon, the leading US wireless telecom group which also owns the AOL and Yahoo brands and is a major broadband provider.

    McAdam, 64, who has been CEO since 2011, will serve as executive chairman until the end of next year, when he will retire and become non-executive chairman, a Verizon statement said.

    Under McAdam, Verizon took over the stake in the important wireless unit from Britain’s Vodafone and built a customer base of more than 150 million.

    He also led efforts to buy faded internet stars AOL and Yahoo to create a digital media operation within the firm, under the brand known as Oath.

    Vestberg, a native of Sweden, served for six years as president and CEO of that country’s big telecom-networking group Ericsson before moving to Verizon.

    He takes over as telecom firms race to build fifth-generation, or 5G networks expected to lead to an array of new services such as telemedicine and autonomous vehicles.

    The transition also comes amid a pending tie-up between number three and four carriers T-Mobile and Sprint, subject to regulatory review.

    Verizon’s main competitor, AT&T, is seeking a transformation with the purchase of media-entertainment giant Time-Warner, a deal being challenged by US antitrust authorities.

    “I am humbled to be appointed CEO of Verizon at such an exciting and dynamic time for our company and industry,” Vestberg said.

    “We are experiencing unprecedented changes in the way users interact in the digital world, and we are racing ahead to remain at the forefront of technology, connectivity and mobility.”

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  • Devialet Hong Kong flagship store is officially open

    Devialet Hong Kong flagship store is officially open

    Devialet, the French innovator in breakthrough sound technology, has officially opened its new Hong Kong flagship in Pacific Place located at Shop 134 on Level 1.

    Following a successful soft launch period and extensive three-phase remodel and renovation, Devialet Hong Kong customers can now fully experience the best sound in the world at new Immersive Rooms located within the 732 sq foot flagship in this iconic Hong Kong retail destination.

    As one of Hong Kong’s premier lifestyle hubs and purveyors of contemporary luxury, Pacific Place is the ideal fit for the new Devialet flagship and its iconic Phantom.

    The new opening marks the latest addition to Devialet’s fast-growing retail presence in Hong Kong, spanning the Devialet store at Harbour City in TST, an Immersive Room at Elements in West Kowloon, the Devialet Private Lounge (By Appointment Only) in Lee Garden Causeway Bay, and authorised dealers.

    The new store opening coincides with the launch of the new album of The Lost Recordings by Devialet and Fondamenta, a truly remarkable set of five previously unreleased recordings by piano maestro Emil Gilels.

  • Samsung tops Asia’s top 1000 brands ranking

    Samsung tops Asia’s top 1000 brands ranking

    Samsung again tops Asia’s Top 1000 Brands list, produced by Campaign Asia-Pacific and Nielsen.

    In its 15th year, the list again has Apple at second place.

    Rounding out the top 10 are Panasonic (up two spots), Sony (down one place), Nestle (down one), LG, Google (up six), Chanel, Nike (down two) and Philips (up 10).

    While the past 12 months have seen Samsung riding high on social awareness and release a string of hot new products, it is the brand’s size and “traditional” marketing methods that keep it at the top, say experts.

    It has emerged as the top brand in Asia for the seventh year in a row, despite the disastrous exploding Note 7 phone saga.

    Google jumped five places in the list this year, breaking into the hallowed Top 10 for the first time since 2011 and finishing in position seven. The company emerges as Asia’s favourite search engine in all markets except China and South Korea, and it is also rated top for “digital experience” in all markets except China (where consumers cited Apple) and India (Amazon).

    Still climbing

    Chinese brands are still climbing the chart. Huawei, which jumped 661 spots last year, and Xiaomi (up 577 spots) have been more moderate this time. Huawei has gained another 44 spots to rank 158th overall, while Xiaomi leapt 88 places to land at 128, making it China’s top home-grown brand throughout Asia-Pacific for this year.

    Best dressed among fast-fashion brands were Zara, which reached 52nd place in the Top 1000, and H&M, which climbed to 65th. Both brands improved significantly on their positions last year. Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo also leapt up the charts, landing in 38th position.

    Not all e-commerce brands are capitalising on the steady rise in online shopping. While top players Amazon, Lazada and Taobao saw strong gains, others like Ebay, Rakuten, Zalora and Flipkart still have work to do.

    Amazon jumped 20 spots to become Asia’s 23rd top brand overall. Lazada, powered by Alibaba, surged even more (35 places) to cement its position at 62nd overall. Alibaba’s Taobao, top in China but slower to grow outside of it, moved 31 spots higher but is still a distant third across the region, ranking 210th.

    However, other key players have been losing ground. EBay, ranked 144th two years ago, has steadily dropped to 237th this year. Japan’s Rakuten slipped slightly this year to 331st after a larger drop last year. Fashion-focused Zalora tumbled significantly this year to place 409th, while strong players in specific markets like Flipkart (second in India) and Qoo10 (first in Singapore) both dropped more than 60 places overall to land at 564th and 592nd respectively.