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.

  • Citi rolls out Facebook Messenger bot in Singapore

    Citi rolls out Facebook Messenger bot in Singapore

    Citi has launched its first natural language chatbot for Facebook Messenger in Singapore ahead of a wider roll out around the world.

    The bot uses natural language processing to communicate with customers in an intuitive way, addressing their everyday questions about things like real-time account and transaction information.

    Citi says that it has been piloting the bot with 600 customers and employees to refine the service, which also covers credit card bill summaries, rewards and points balances and frequently asked questions.

    The bank has previously said that it plans a second phase to introduce more features such as card activation, ability to lock and unlock credit cards and transaction alerts for cards among others.

    “Facebook Messenger is an exciting new way to access Citi and will greatly enhance our overall customer experience’” says Anand Selva, head, Asia Pacific consumer banking, Citi.

  • Apple Japan to open store in Shinjuku Tokyo

    Apple Japan to open store in Shinjuku Tokyo

    Apple will launch a new store in the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo on Saturday, April 7. It will be the company’s eighth retail outlet in the country.

    Shinjuku is a special ward that’s a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the Northern half of the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration centre for the government of Tokyo. As of 2015, the ward has an estimated population of 337,556.

    With the opening of its Shinjuki establishment, Apple will  have 504 retail stores in 24 countries and an online store available in 39 countries.

  • LG opens first premium brand shop in Kuwait

    LG opens first premium brand shop in Kuwait

    LG Electronics has opened a premium home appliance store in Kuwait to retail its upmarket  Signature range of products.

    The two-storey store, located in Rozana Mall, features 433sqm of display space showcasing high-resolution televisions, and household appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators.

    LG Electronics has a growing commitment to the Middle Eastern market where a large number of middle class and wealthy consumers crave expensive gadgets, appliances and motor vehicles. It already has stores in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Iran. More stores are planned in the region.

  • GE, Samsung granted US$900m contract for Java 1 plant Indonesia

    GE, Samsung granted US$900m contract for Java 1 plant Indonesia

    The developer of the Java 1 combined-cycle power plant, claimed to be the biggest of its kind in Southeast Asia, has granted an engineering, procurement and construction contract worth US$900 million to a consortium consisting of General Electric (GE), Samsung C&T and PT Meindo Elang Indah Indonesia.

    PT Jawa Satu Power, a joint venture between state-owned energy giant Pertamina and Japan’s Marubeni and Sojitz Corporation, is currently in the process of developing the Java 1 power plant in Karawang, West Java, Indonesia, with a total investment value of around $1.8 billion.

    The Java 1 facility, expected to commence operations in mid-2021, will have a total capacity of 1,760 megawatts (MW), enough to supply electricity to about 11 million households in Indonesia.

    “Efficiency in power plants is important to maintain competitive and affordable electricity rates for the public. Our high-efficiency gas turbine called GE 9HA.02 and asset performance management software will play their role for those purposes,” GE Indonesia president and CEO Handry Satriago said in a statement on Thursday.

    Jawa Satu Power president director Ginanjar has high hopes that GE’s gas turbines will provide reliable and clean energy to the public.

    It has also signed a 25-year agreement with GE Power Services, which provides operations and maintenance management for gas plant assets.

  • Electrolux Form JV to Introduce AEG

    Electrolux Form JV to Introduce AEG

    Home-appliance company Electrolux Group has formed a JV with Chinese smart-technology company Midea Group to introduce the AEG brand to China.

    The brand was officially launched at the Appliance & Electronics World Expo in Shanghai last week.

    Combining Electrolux global brand expertise with Midea’s local market strength, the ambition is to make AEG the most popular premium home-appliance brand in China, drawing on its 130-year heritage of German craftsmanship and innovation.

    “I am confident AEG will be well received here,” says Electrolux CEO Jonas Samuelson.

    The first AEG store in China will open in June, with a flagship store to open in Guangzhou in August to be followed by a second wave of product launches in October.

    Electrolux also markets appliances in China under the Electrolux and Zanussi brands.

  • Xiaomi Redmi 5 full-screen budget smartphone to launch in India soon

    Xiaomi Redmi 5 full-screen budget smartphone to launch in India soon

    Xiaomi will be launching a new smartphone in India on March 14. Manu Kumar Jain, Xiaomi global vice president, made the announcement on Twitter on Wednesday, hinting at a phone that is “compact” and “powerhouse”. The phone featured in the promo photo resembles Xiaomi Redmi 5, the company’s first full-screen smartphone for the budget segment.

    Just like Redmi 5, the cut out of the phone has a tall display with most likely an 18:9 aspect ratio. Redmi 5 launched in China in December last year. The smartphone was accompanied by a Plus variant with a taller display. Xiaomi Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus retail in China at a starting price of 799 Yuan or approximately Rs 7,500.

    Xiaomi sells multiple variants of the two phones in China. Xiaomi Redmi 5 is available in two variants – 2GB RAM + 16GB storage and 3GB RAM + 32GB storage – priced at 799 Yuan (approximately Rs 7,500) and 899 Yuan (approximately Rs 8,500) respectively.

    The Plus model is also available in two variants – 3GB RAM + 32GB built-in storage and 4GB RAM + 32GB built-in storage which are priced at 999 Yuan (approximately Rs 9,500) and 1299 Yuan (approximately Rs 12,700) respectively.

    Xiaomi Redmi 5, Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

    Xiaomi Redmi 5 comes with a 5.7-inch 18:9 screen with 1440 x 720 pixels resolution. Redmi 5 Plus has a 5.99-inch 18:9 display with 2160 x 1080 pixels resolution. Redmi 5 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 450 processor whereas Redmi 5 Plus runs Snapdragon 625 processor. Redmi 5 comes with a 3,200mAh battery while Redmi 5 Plus is powered by a 4,000mAh battery.

    Common features of the two phones include 12-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Connectivity options include 4G, VoLTE, dual-SIM, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Both the phones include a fingerprint reader and run on Android 7.1.2 Nougat-based custom MIUI ROM.

  • Verifone Introduces Next-Generation Engage Solutions in Thailand and Malaysia as Cashless Economies Evolve in APAC

    Verifone Introduces Next-Generation Engage Solutions in Thailand and Malaysia as Cashless Economies Evolve in APAC

    The future of cash as the dominant payment method in Asia Pacific is changing as a result of technology innovation, government-sponsored programs, increasing smartphone penetration, and evolving consumer behavior. As governments throughout Asia Pacific create initiatives for cashless economies, Verifone will deliver next-generation of Engage payment solutions in the region including: the e285 mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) in Thailand and the flexible V205c and V200t in Malaysia.

    Verifone Engage is a family of interactive, commerce-enabling payment devices that allow merchants to connect with customers in new ways. Packed with features, functionality, and versatility, Engage leverages the power and performance of our flexible open architecture to transform the POS into rich, two-way conversations.

    The Thailand government’s e-payment initiative is creating opportunities for businesses to drive the country’s financial transactions towards digital methods. Five commercial banks (Kasikornbank, Siam Commercial Bank, Bangkok Bank, Krungthai Bank and Government Savings Bank) have been approved to introduce QR code payments.

    By connecting directly with banks, Verifone’s mPOS solution supports the national e-payment initiative while removing the need for a third-party gateway, and providing increased security and reduced costs to merchants.

    Built for businesses of all sizes, the PCI PTS 5.x-certified e285 accepts EMV, magnetic stripe and contactless payment options, while the touchscreen easily supports signature capture. With a compact and vibrant touchscreen, this solution also displays and accepts payments with QR codes which will become a standard payment method in Thailand. To further reduce the cost of ownership for Banks, the e285 comes with integrated remote estate management and electronic receipt management solution.

    Verifone V205c and V200t in Malaysia

    In Malaysia, the central bank has started on a 10-year e-payment strategy and check volume has declined 42 percent since 2011. However, security at the POS is a primary concern since the outdated PCI PTS 3.x standard remains widespread.

    Verifone’s V205c and V200t are the first PCI PTS 5.x- certified solutions in Malaysia and offers the highest levels of security at the POS.

    Since PCI PTS 5.x certifications are valid through 2026, merchants of all sizes – from large retail chains to local convenience stores – are assured of long-term investment and compliance free of the additional costs associated with technology updates.

    While the V205c is a countertop solution with dial-up and Ethernet connectivity, the V200t is a flexible device with both countertop and portable functionalities owing to its added 3G connectivity and long battery life. Both solutions offer enough memory to support rich multimedia and value-added applications so merchants can interact with customers like never before.

    To help merchants start, run, and grow their businesses, all three Engage solutions are capable of supporting Verifone Connect, a secure and adaptable, end-to-end product that not only enables the acceptance of payments but allow businesses to increase consumer engagement and drive efficiency. Paired with any Engage device, Connect empowers merchants to better manage their businesses with next-generation software and services. Key features include payment services, estate management, business solutions with merchant and consumer-facing apps, and new device purchasing.

    Verifone will deliver these solutions and services through its partners in Thailand and Malaysia. In Malaysia, AEON Credit will deploy the V205c and V200t solutions through our partner Revenue Harvest.

     

  • Microsoft Surface Family unveiled in Singapore

    Microsoft Surface Family unveiled in Singapore

    Microsoft Singapore has opened a Surface Store at the Harvey Norman Millenia Walk Flagship Superstore, featuring the full range of the technology.

    New devices include Surface Book 2, Surface Laptop and Surface Studio, which will join Surface Pro already available.

    The line-up will be available for commercial customers via Authorised Device Resellers including AsiaPac Distribution, JK Technology and UIC Asian Computer Services.

    “The new Surface Store is a commitment to deliver a one-stop experience for customers to experience the ultimate Windows devices,” says Microsoft Singapore Windows and devices business group lead Veronica Chiu.

    Shipping with Windows 10S, Surface Laptop starts up and runs faster with InstantOn and an OS optimised for sustained performance.

    A feature of the store is its Surface Concierge service which offers customer support regardless or where or when they bought their Surface device. Microsoft plans to add extra concierge services over time.

  • Apple reseller Malaysia apologises over cancelled warehouse sale

    Apple reseller Malaysia apologises over cancelled warehouse sale

    Following the warehouse sale fiasco on Friday, Switch Malaysia has issued an apology and extended the sale of Apple products to all its branches nationwide.

    In a Facebook posting today, the Apple Premium Reseller said Apple lovers may now enjoy discounted price at 30 of its retail outlets nationwide just for today and Sunday (March 3 and 4).

    The products on discount are MacBook Air 11” (RM2,799), iPhone 6 (32Gb) Gold (RM1,399), iPhone X 64GB (RM4,899) and iPhone X 256GB (RM5,649).

    Apple accessories were also on offer, from as little as RM1. The Apple warehouse sale at MyTown Shopping Centre in Cheras had started yesterday.

    However, it was cancelled after the mall swamped by thousands of Apple fans.

    Some of them had been standing in queue outside the mall since the night before.

    In an apology, Switch said: “We are truly sorry for the Demo Clearance Event yesterday.

    “We did not expect the magnitude. We were overwhelmed by the 11,000 who turned up,” it said.

    Switch acknowledged that their customers had came from other states, woke up early, stayed up all night, brave the traffic and temperature at night, and trying their best to stay in line at the clearance event. Switch promised its customers that it will do much much better in future.

    Despite the apology, Apple lovers – who were told that they could get an iPhone 5s for RM200 or an iPhone 6S for RM800 (a brand new iPhone 6S retails for RM2,249) – are still upset.

    Facebook user Joseph Lee said: 11k people showed up…but they only had 200 units to sell.

    Another Facebook user Muhammad Syamim advised Switch to hold future warehouse sale via online instead.

    Some scolded the customers for making a mad rush for the warehouse without checking the terms and conditions. Mohamad Azlee said Switch had already mentioned the limited quantity of products on sale. “The 11,000 are too lazy to read,” he said.

  • Gome Electric issues profit warning

    Gome Electric issues profit warning

    Electrical appliance retailer Gome Retail has issued a profit warning despite a strong year, the result of impairments and financial costs.

    During the 12 months to the end of December the group launched its “Home Living” strategy, a blueprint aimed at helping it evolve into a one-stop provider, going beyond the traditional home-appliance retailer.

    Based on a preliminary review of the latest management accounts, the group’s total gross merchandise volume (GMV) both online and offline is expected to grow by more than 20 per cent year on year. Sales from the comparable stores of the group are expected to increase by more than 2 per cent with the consolidated gross profit margin expected to exceed 18 per cent.

    With the e-commerce business entering the online/offline integration stage, its direct sales revenue decreased by about 7 per cent. However, the GMV from the e-commerce business is expected to more than double.

    With more than 200 million members in its loyalty program, the group is speeding up expansion of its services while expanding into China’s fourth- and fifth-tier cities.

    Despite the strong trading, Gome impaired the goodwill for some of its under-performing business units and long-term assets related to the e-commerce business. That, together with rising financial costs related to the increased debts, is likely to produce a loss attributable to the owners of the company during the year of between RMB300 million (US$47.2 million) and RMB500 million, compared to a net profit 12 months earlier.

    The financial data also covers Artway Development and its subsidiaries from April 1, following its acquisition on March 31.

  • Devialet opens its new store at Hong Kong

    Devialet opens its new store at Hong Kong

    Devialet, the French innovator in breakthrough sound technology, launches its new store at the iconic Hong Kong retail destination, Pacific Place.

    Fully operational during this soft launch period, Devialet Pacific Place will be continuously upgraded over the coming months to deliver the unmistakable Devialet experience with a grand opening in April this year.

    During this soft launch period, a section of the store’s complete retail area will be open while the full sales floor undergoes an extensive two-phase remodel and renovation. The upgrades will be completed in April this year, setting the stage for a grand opening where Devialet fully unveils this new space to experience the best sound in the world.

    Founded in 2007, Devialet is a leading tech start-up and the most award-winning company in the history of audio.

    Widely acclaimed by industry experts and international press, Devialet’s products now retail at the world’s most exclusive outlets, including Colette, Harrods, Kadewe and Apple Stores. Bernard Arnault, Jacques-Antoine Granjon, Xavier Niel and Marc Simoncini are among early investors.

    In December 2016, Devialet accelerated its development with a record €100m in fundraising from leading international investors to help deploy its technologies in new sectors and accelerate commercial development in Asia and the United States.

  • POLESTAR Appoints August Wu As President Of Polestar China

    POLESTAR Appoints August Wu As President Of Polestar China

    Polestar, the new electric performance brand, has appointed August Wu as its new President of Polestar China, reporting to Polestar CEO, Thomas Ingenlath.

    August joins Polestar on 1 March 2018 from Volvo Cars in Shanghai where he held the position of Head of Product and Offer for the APAC region. In this role, he was responsible for local product, specification, pricing and vehicle line management of all Volvo products in the APAC region. Prior to this, he worked for Volvo in Sweden as Business Program Leader for the Volvo 60 cluster of cars and before that, held a number of automotive industry-focussed roles within McKinsey and Company.

    As President of Polestar China, August Wu’s responsibilities will include Polestar’s commercial offer in China, the development of the network of Spaces – the Polestar retail environment, as well as increasing Polestar’s brand awareness and consideration in the important Chinese market.

    “The appointment of August Wu as the new President of Polestar China is an important step in the development of our team in China. With China being one of the world’s fastest developing markets for electrified cars, it’s clear that having somebody with a very deep understanding of the market was vitally important. In August Wu, we have found that person,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer of Polestar.

  • Nokia 7 Plus Announced In China With 4GB And 6GB Of RAM

    Nokia 7 Plus Announced In China With 4GB And 6GB Of RAM

    The Nokia 7 Plus has been announced in China, and HMD actually decided to announce both 4GB and 6GB RAM variants in China, while only a 4GB RAM variant got announced in Europe. HMD had introduced the Nokia 7 Plus a couple of days ago at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, along with four other Nokia-branded smartphones. This is one of the company’s Android One phones, and it comes with 4GB of RAM, as already mentioned. A 4GB RAM variant of the Nokia 7 Plus which was announced in China is completely identical to the European model, while the 6GB RAM model comes with more RAM, that’s it.

    Now, as the Nokia 7 Plus is an Android One handset, it comes with stock Android out of the box. Android 8.0 Oreo comes pre-installed on the Nokia 7 Plus, but HMD did say that Android 8.1 Oreo will hit the device in the near future. The Nokia 7 Plus is made out of metal, while its display sports rounded corners. All the physical keys sit on the right-hand side of this smartphone, while Nokia’s logo can be found both on its front and back sides. A fingerprint scanner is included on the back of the device, while above it you’ll notice a dual camera setup. This handset also sports somewhat thin bezels, and its spec sheet is nothing to scoff at. The device is fueled by the Snapdragon 660 64-bit octa-core SoC, while it sports a 6-inch fullHD+ display. In addition to 4GB or 6GB of RAM, you’re also getting 64GB of expandable storage.

    A 3,800mAh non-removable battery is included here, and you’re also getting fast charging. Two 12-megapixel snappers are included on the back of the Nokia 7 Plus, while a single 16-megapixel shooter sits on the phone’s front side. The device also offers two SIM card slots, and Bluetooth 5.0. If you’d like to expand this phone’s storage, you will have to utilize its second SIM card slot, which means that you can either use two nano SIMs here, or a nano SIM and a microSD card at the same time. The 4GB RAM variant of the Nokia 7 Plus is priced at 2,299 Yuan ($363) in China, while the 6GB RAM model costs 2,499 Yuan ($395). Both variants of the phone are already available for pre-order, while they will go on sale on March 7 via Tmall, Suning and JingDong Mall (JD.com). The two devices will also be available via a number of retail stores across China.

  • NEC Asia Pacific launches the NEC SL2100 Smart Communications System in Singapore

    NEC Asia Pacific launches the NEC SL2100 Smart Communications System in Singapore

    NEC Asia Pacific held an event to officially launch the NEC SL2100 Smart Communications System in Singapore on 25 January 2018. The event was attended by over 70 participants consisting of partners and customers.

    The NEC SL2100 Smart Communications System is the newest and most advanced Server Message Block (SMB) communications platform that offers wide-ranging support for Voice over IP (VoIP), mobility and Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) features.

    “NEC’s new SL2100 offers industry specific features to meet the demands of small- and mid- sized businesses and to maintain high service levels. We are very excited to launch our Smart Communications System in the APAC region,” said Pablo Narata, Senior Manager, Global Platform Division, NEC Corporation.

    “NEC’s latest offering provides businesses with a powerful communication tool that is scalable and customized for each stage of the business. Through this launch event, we hope to influence more businesses to move to the Smart Enterprise Platform in order to generate a great customer experience,” said David Ooi, Vice President, Server and Networks Division, NEC Asia Pacific.

     

  • Huawei might rebrand Honor 8 Pro and launch it in China

    Huawei might rebrand Honor 8 Pro and launch it in China

    Huawei, China’s leading smartphone maker, might be planning to rebrand Honor 8 Pro and relaunch it this year. Honor is Huawei’s online-only brand and the company might be putting its own branding on Honor 8 Pro at the time of its launch.

    The details of Huawei’s plan to launch a rebranded version of Honor 8 Pro were tweeted by Evan Blass. There is a possibility that the Chinese smartphone maker might be targeting the offline retail segment with its branding on Honor 8 Pro. To recall, Honor 8 Pro was launched in 2016 as company’s device competing with OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T in the premium mid-range segment.

    The Honor 8 Pro was one of the successful devices for Honor brand, and it helped the company establish itself in key markets including India. In terms of features, the Honor 8 Pro gets a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2560×1440 pixels. The smartphone is powered by company’s own Kirin 960 chipset coupled with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage.

    The Honor 8 Pro features a dual 12-megapixel rear camera setup with one color sensor and another monochrome sensor. It also offers an 8-megapixel selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture and support for 1080p video recording.

    Other features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, 4G LTE with VoLTE support. The smartphone was launched with EMUI 5.1 based on Android Nougat, but has since been upgraded to EMUI 8.0 based on Android 8.0 Oreo. The Honor 8 Pro packed a 4,000mAh battery, and was available in white, black and blue color variants.

    Huawei often rebrands Honor-branded smartphones in its home market, and targets them in the offline retail space since Honor already has strong presence in online segment. With rebranded version of Honor 8 Pro, Huawei might be planning to target those who are not getting Honor View10 and will fill a gap in the price segment.