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Tag: smartphone

  • Huawei confident of 5G role in Vietnam

    Huawei confident of 5G role in Vietnam

    Huawei Technologies says it has a good chance to be a supplier of 5G equipment to Vietnamese service providers. Fine Fan, CEO of Huawei Vietnam, said that the Chinese company is in talks with Vietnamese partners on conducting 5G trials later this year. “We are confident of expanding in Vietnam,” Fan said, adding that Vietnamese Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung “is open to every provider.”

    Fan said that Huawei cannot be beaten on quality or cost in Vietnam. “Huawei will provide better technology and solutions, along with financial support to local operators to deploy 5G.”

    Huawei’s expression of confidence comes as major mobile carriers in Vietnam have previously announced plans to develop 5G networks using equipment from other suppliers, including Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung Electronics.

    Viettel, the country’s largest telecommunications company, became the first firm to receive permission to trial 5G services last month.

    The company has earmarked $40 million for the development of its own 5G chipset, but was also considering using technology from Ericsson and Nokia, its president and CEO Le Dang Dung said.

    Last November, Minister Hung said at a conference that Vietnam should test 5G in 2019 and ensure nationwide coverage by 2020.

    “Vietnam should be one of the first to launch the network, at least in Hanoi and HCMC,” Hung said. The country had been one of the last in Southeast Asia to roll out 4G services.

    Huawei has been the largest provider of 2G and 3G network equipment in Vietnam, though the company lost its lead when 4G arrived, CEO Fan said.

    Vietnam’s telecom market was estimated at more than $16 billion in 2016, with the three state-owned providers, Viettel, MobiFone, and VNPT, accounting for 95 percent of the market.

    5G is said to offer speeds 100 times faster than 4G, primarily used for smartphones and other similar devices. 5G is also expected to support new applications like remote medical procedures and autonomous driving.

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  • Where will Apple retail chief go after resigning?

    Where will Apple retail chief go after resigning?

    Within hours of the announcement that Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts was to leave the role in April, speculation was rife as to where she is headed. Ahrendts, who led the fine-tuning of Apple’s retail business for five years after turning around British fashion house Burberry, has a stellar career in the luxury business. Several fashion industry sources have speculated she may be headed to take the helm of Ralph Lauren.

    In a statement announcing the Apple retail chief’s departure, the company said she is leaving the company “for new personal and professional pursuits”. CEO Tim Cook described her departure as “bittersweet”.

    During her time with Apple, Ahrendts – who was once tipped to take over Cook’s role in the future – has subtly redefined the Apple stores from high-end tech shops into community hubs. She took the renowned Apple Store concept created by predecessor Ron Johnson, dropped the “store” from its title and expanded the network to 506 physical stores and another 35 online.

    “Her vision includes stores as gathering spaces and hubs for creativity,” observed Daphne Howard of Retail Dive.

    “While Johnson is credited with initiating the brick-and-mortar strategy that has been the backbone of Apple’s hardware sales, including minimalist spaces conducive to product demos and customer education, Ahrendts has taken that [a step further].”

    Apple’s retail business will now be overseen by Deirdre O’Brien, the company’s senior VP of people, who will add retail to an already long list of responsibilities including talent development, Apple University, recruiting, employee relations, business partnerships, benefits, compensation and inclusion, and diversity.

    Some might see that as a sign Apple is reducing its focus on its retail business, although O’Brien might be considered something of an Apple acolyte, having been with the company for 30 years.

  • Time for China’s smartphone brands to bloom

    Time for China’s smartphone brands to bloom

    Like many urban Chinese consumers, Shenzhen civil servant Gao Jian has had a long-held belief that the quality of domestic smartphone brands paled in comparison with foreign brands, especially Apple. But in December, Gao joined the growing number of mainland consumers who have made the switch from Apple’s iPhone to a premium Android smartphone from a major Chinese brand. He bought a Mate 20 Pro, the flagship model from the country’s largest smartphone supplier Huawei Technologies.

    “Its design and cameras are better than what I expected,” Gao said. “Also, iPhones have become increasingly unaffordable.”

    His experience reflects the broader success of the Chinese mobile phone industry in smashing people’s perception that domestic suppliers are only good for inexpensive, low-quality products.

    That stereotype has beset many Chinese brands in the home appliances, consumer electronics, personal computer, car and mobile phone markets, where products from more established brands in the US, Japan or Europe were preferred by mainland consumers for many years.

    But brands like Haier Group Corp, Lenovo Group and, more recently, Huawei, have expanded their operations, increased research and development, and made advanced products to change that impression around the world.

    China is now home to some of the most successful smartphone brands, which rival the likes of Samsung Electronics, Apple and LG Electronics.

    Shenzhen-based Huawei, the top global supplier of telecommunications network equipment, was ranked the world’s second biggest smartphone vendor – behind Samsung and ahead of Apple – for the second consecutive quarter in the three months ended September 30, according to research firm IDC. Xiaomi Corp and Oppo took the No 4 and 5 spots in the same quarter.

    The emergence of Chinese smartphone brands on the global stage has mirrored the rising competitiveness of the country’s telecoms network equipment suppliers, which have won market share with value-for-money offerings as well as on heavy investments in research and development.

    The gains have also sparked increasing pushback by the US, which is persuading its allies to boycott Chinese telecoms gear suppliers such as Huawei on grounds of national security.

    With the world’s biggest internet population and smartphone market, China had as many as 300 domestic mobile phone companies about three years ago. Cutthroat competition reduced that number to about 200 last year, as Chinese consumers bought fewer smartphones and the economy grew at a slower pace.

  • Apple appoints new retail head to ramp up sales

    Apple appoints new retail head to ramp up sales

    In an effort to ramp up slow iPhone sales amid sluggish smartphone market, Apple on Wednesday appointed a new head of global retail and online stores. Deirdre O’Brien will take over as Senior Vice President of Retail and People, reporting to CEO Tim Cook, the company said in a statement. “For more than three decades, she has helped keep Apple focused on serving customers and enriching lives,” said Cook.

    “I am thrilled to work alongside Deirdre in her new role, and I know our 70,000 retail employees will be, too,” he added.

    After five years, current retail head Angela Ahrendts plans to depart Apple in April for “personal and professional pursuits”.

    O’Brien will continue to lead the People team, overseeing all People-related functions, including talent development and Apple University, recruiting, employee relations and experience, business partnership, benefits, compensation, and inclusion and diversity.

    “I am looking forward to this journey, and to continuing the important work of the People team in supporting all of Apple’s amazing employees,” said O’Brien.

    Despite slow iPhone sales, Apple posted $84.3 billion in revenue for the first quarter of its fiscal 2019 — a decline of 5 per cent from the year-ago quarter — while revenue from its other products and services grew 19 per cent.

    Apple operates 35 online stores and 506 retail stores in five continents.

    In the first quarter of its fiscal 2019, revenue from iPhone declined 15 per cent from the prior year.

    Cook said that there are several factors why iPhone sales are not picking up in the emerging markets.

    “The customers are holding on to their older iPhones a bit longer than in the past.

    “When you pair this with the macroeconomic factors, particularly in emerging markets, it resulted in iPhone revenue that was down 15 per cent from last year,” Cook told analysts.

    The Apple CEO said foreign exchange is another key factor behind the slow iPhone sales. “The relative strength of the US dollar has made our products more expensive in many parts of the world,” he added.

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  • Samsung Philippines redesigns its Manila store

    Samsung Philippines redesigns its Manila store

    Samsung Philippines has launched a redesigned flagship store in Manila. Located in CyberZone at SM Megamall, the store is designed to showcase the brand’s latest technologies and aesthetics, with U-shaped center bars built to facilitate one-on-one communication with customers as they interact with the products. A central ‘Newness Table’ serves to show off the most recent Samsung innovations.

    Accessories are given the same exposure as the more expensive offerings with equal opportunities for consumers to examine and try before they buy. Dedicated spaces are reserved for Gear S watches and Samsung Gear VR offerings, as well as audio products such as speakers and headphones.

    The flagship also houses a revamped customer service area, featuring experience lounges and consumer learning programs.

    “Samsung as a brand has always been known to consistently redefine the new normal and to go beyond expectations. Over the years, our mobile phones have set the benchmark for what the consumers need and want”, said Samsung Philippines president James Jung. “The new store design heralds a new chapter in Samsung retail, enabling customers to engage with our brand and products in new ways.”

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  • Xiaomi opens massive Mi store in Paris

    Xiaomi opens massive Mi store in Paris

    Chinese electronics firm Xiaomi has opened its largest European Mi Store in Paris. Queues for the January 18 1pm opening started to form at the Champs-Elysees location at sunrise, despite freezing temperatures. The store is hosting a reportedly comprehensive selection of the brand’s full product range, including smartphones, headphones, cameras and home appliances.

    In celebration of the launch, Xiaomi held a three-day sale on its French online store featuring discounts of up to €50. The supersized flagship is Xiaomi’s second location in Paris.

    View the gallery below for images of the stores (11 images) :

  • Samsung to release feature-rich phone to take on Huawei

    Samsung to release feature-rich phone to take on Huawei

    Samsung is releasing a phone with robust functions specifically designed to meet the challenge posed by Huawei. It has fast internet speeds — utilizing 5G wireless — is foldable and has an innovative screen design. Last year’s smartphone market can be summarized in one sentence: Apple’s defense, Huawei’s catch-up and the fall of Samsung Electronics.

    According Counterpoint Research, Apple’s share in the super high-end smartphone market, those priced over $900 (880,000 won), was 79 percent in the third quarter of 2018. In the $600-$900 market (660,000 to 880,000 won), Apple (61%) surpassed Samsung Electronics (21%) by a large margin, and in the $400-$600 range (440,000 to 660,000 won), Huawei (17%) was right behind Samsung (25%).

    At this critical moment, Samsung Electronics celebrates the 10th anniversary of the release of its “Galaxy” smartphone. The Galaxy Black came to market in April 2009. A new Galaxy S10, a commemorative issued for the anniversary, will be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 in Barcelona, Spain this February. The name of the new S10 is “Beyond.”

    Samsung’s says it wants to outdo itself with the latest release.

    In the new S10, Samsung’s Infinity-O Display will be embedded. The display has a small hole in the screen for the selfie lens, so almost the entire face of the device is screen. The proportion that is screen is more than in Apple products, which utilize more real estate for the lens.

    The fingerprint-identifying sensor does not require separate hardware, but is found within the screen. The sensor itself utilizes Qualcomm ultrasonic-wave technology, which can identify prints that are less readable due to water or soil on the screen. Instead of scanning the user’s iris, the new model will utilize facial recognition, as is done with iPhones.

    It is expected that Samsung will maintain the 3.5mm-earphone jack, which has been scrapped on iPhones. It will also be 5G capable, allowing for a 1.5-gigabyte movie to be downloaded in less than a second. Samsung announced last month it will supply the world’s first 5G phones to Verizon and AT&T.

    Huawei is expected to release its own 5G phone in the first half of the year.

    Early versions of the new Galaxy S10, to be released in February, will not be 5G capable. It is possible that the S10 with a 5G communications chip will be released separately, as was done with the Galaxy S5 broadband LTE-A model, which was separately released in 2014.

    It was expected that LG Electronics will release its 5G smartphone this April or May, but it changed its goal for release to late March. Apple might not equip new iPhones, which will be released this year, with a 5G-communications chip.

    A telecommunications industry source said, “Apple originally did not really care about the speed of telecommunications that much. Apple might embed 5G in the iPhone in fall.”

    Smartphone competitors are seen pushing foldable phones in 2019. According to market research firm Strategic Analysis (SA), shipments of foldable smartphones globally will increase gradually from 3 million in 2019 to 14 million in 2020, and ultimately to 30 million in 2022.

    Chinese phone market Royole released a foldable first, in October last year, ahead of Samsung Electronics and Huawei. Royole will release its 7.8-inch Flex Pie foldable phone at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), to be held in Las Vegas from Jan. 8-Jan. 11. Royole led the market but has received criticism about the quality of its device.

    The Galaxy foldable phone will be released in February. It will have a 7.3-inch screen as well as a 4.58-inch screen. The initial run will be about 1 million units.

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  • Coupang to become an authorized Apple retailer

    Coupang to become an authorized Apple retailer

    Coupang, Korea’s top e-commerce platform, has been selected as an authorized retailer to sell Apple products, the company announced Friday. It said that the e-commerce giant was selected to become an authorized reseller of Apple products, and the service will begin sometime this month. The products that will be offered include iPad Pros, MacBooks and Apple Watches, as well as related accessories.

    Coupang said that its shoppers can get access to Apple products that carry a full Apple warranty and come with after-sales customer services from Apple.

    “Coupang will be an attractive purchase channel for customers who love or want to experience Apple products,” said Navid Veiseh, Coupang’s senior vice president of global e-commerce. “We will continue to expand the range of premium electronics brands like Apple, which, when combined with our Rocket delivery and RocketPay services, make Coupang the first place for customers to turn when shopping for premium electronics.”

    Coupang is known for its fast Rocket delivery service that sends items purchased the following day.

  • Xiaomi India to foray into appliances, white goods space

    Xiaomi India to foray into appliances, white goods space

    Xiaomi is all set to convert its India arm into an end-to-end consumer durables company. According to a report, Xiaomi officials are currently identifying potential categories including air-conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, laptops and small appliances like vacuum cleaners and water purifiers for the Indian market. All the products will be smart appliances based on Internet of Things (IoT) or which can connect to the internet and other devices, and operated remotely.

    Xiaomi entered the Indian television market in February this year with products 30-50 percent cheaper than the top three brands — Samsung, LG and Sony. It eventually expanded TV sales to offline stores and started assembling them in India in partnership with contract manufacturer Dixon. It recently announced having shipped more than a million televisions into the Indian market.

    The company will follow the same model for appliances. The products will be priced aggressively in line with its announced strategy of keeping just 5 percent profit margin for itself and start local assembly after gaining some scale to take advantage of Make in India duty benefits, according to the report.

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  • For first few years, Koreans will be biggest users of 5G

    For first few years, Koreans will be biggest users of 5G

    Korea is forecasted to have the highest proportion of fifth-generation (5G) smartphone usage in the world over the next couple of years, a market tracker said on Sunday. According to Strategy Analytics’ Service Provider Group, the adoption rate of 5G smartphones in Korea is expected to reach 5.5 percent in 2019 and 10.9 percent in 2020, which will be the highest level among major global nations.

    The estimate is based on the fact that Korea is to commercialize 5G services next March, making it the first country in the world to do so, with tech giant Samsung Electronics planning to release a model featuring the high-end technology, the market tracker said.

    By 2020, 5G will account for 4.7 percent of total market share in the United States, 5.2 percent in Japan and 2.8 percent in China, Strategy Analytics said, adding that its penetration rate would increase after that date in line with the broader establishment of the network.

    In 2021, the adoption rate of 5G smartphones is expected to begin to surge in major countries, with numbers hitting 27 percent in the United States, followed by 21.3 percent in South Korea, 19.7 percent in Japan and 8.5 percent in China.

    “The 5G standard will become the mainstream of the global network industry in years to come,” said an industry insider.

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  • Vingroup’s smartphone launched soon

    Vingroup’s smartphone launched soon

    Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate, Vingroup, will introduce its first smartphones on December 14 as part of its tech expansion. The company will launch four new models under the brand name “Vsmart,” at the Landmark 81 skyscraper in Ho Chi Minh City.

    The phones are produced at Vingroup’s factory in the northern city of Hai Phong, which is capable of making five million phones a year in its first phase of operations, a Vingroup statement said.

    The company will utilize Spanish experts for product development as it owns 51 percent of Spanish technology firm BQ.

    “We hope that Vsmart phones, alongside VinFast cars, will contribute to the development of Vietnam industry and bring Vietnamese brands to the world,” said Nguyen Viet Quang, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Vingroup.

    Vingroup became the country’s first full-fledged domestic car maker two months ago, introducing three new car models. In June, it established the VinSmart Co. to produce smartphones and other smart electronic devices with a registered capital of VND3 trillion ($131.54 million).

    VinSmart is also working with Qualcomm and Google’s Alphabet Inc to “update to the most advanced technology in the smartphone sector,” the statement said.

    The company will be the newest phone maker seeking success in Vietnam, a country of 95 million people. The market is currently dominated by Samsung and Apple phones. Vietnam is the largest smartphone production base for Samsung Electronics.

    Vingroup said its VinSmart factory will also produce smart TVs and other smart products in the future.

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  • Samsung is still top smartphone producer

    Samsung is still top smartphone producer

    Samsung Electronics managed to retain its position as the No. 1 smartphone maker in the world in the third quarter, but it may have a fight on its hands in the fourth quarter as Apple is expected to lower prices and increase production, according to a recent report from TrendForce.

    The report said Samsung was the top smartphone vendor in the third quarter with quarterly shipments of 74.5 million units, or almost 20 percent of the market.

    “While Samsung grew its sales by releasing its flagship Galaxy Note 9 ahead of schedule, the device was not a significant upgrade from last year’s Note 8 and made limited contribution to the brand’s total volume in Q3,” said the report.

    The Galaxy J series, on the other hand, was still instrumental in sustaining the brand’s overall production, the report noted. Samsung has also been promoting the Galaxy A devices, emphasizing their improved cost-to-performance ratios and cameras since the beginning of the fourth quarter.

    In the fourth quarter, however, iPhone production is estimated to reach around 76 million units, which would see it surpass Huawei and compete with Samsung for the top position, the report noted. Samsung’s volume in the last quarter is estimated to reach around 75 million units, in line with the company’s target for the period.

    Huawei was the world’s second largest smartphone producer in the third quarter, beating Apple for the second consecutive quarter. The firm’s production volume stood at a new high of 55.5 million units. iPhone production for the third quarter totaled 47.1 million units.

    “Huawei’s in-house research and development capabilities and extensive product lines across all market segments have benefitted its expansions in overseas markets during the recent years,” the report said.

  • Xiaomi Opens Over 500 Stores in Rural India

    Xiaomi Opens Over 500 Stores in Rural India

    Xiaomi India says it opened 500 retail stores in one day in India late last month. The Chinese electronics retailer has bannered the network Mi Stores – smaller, compact versions of the Mi Home stores, developed for mainly rural parts of India.

    “The company created a Guinness record for opening the maximum number of stores in one single day,” said Manu Kumar Jain, VP of Xiaomi Global and MD of Xiaomi India.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    “Xiaomi plans to open 5000 Mi Stores by the end of next year. This new business will forever change rural retail in India.”

    As well as the Mi Home stores, the company is continuing to roll out its larger flagships, the fourth of which opened in Bengaluru in September.

    Xiaomi India has been growing rapidly since it launched online, initially focusing on mobile phones. Since then it has expanded into other home electronics and is now moving into other retail categories such as luggage and apparel.

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  • Apple concerns hit supplier stocks

    Apple concerns hit supplier stocks

    Shares in Asian suppliers and assemblers for Apple fell on Tuesday after several component makers warned of weaker than expected results, leading some market watchers to call the peak for iPhones in several key markets. Following a poor forecast earlier this month, analysts and investors voiced concern over the state of Apple’s business, contributing to growing worries that iPhone sales were stagnating and could hurt suppliers.

    Fresh warnings on Monday from screen maker Japan Display, British chipmaker IQE and Lumentum Holdings, the main supplier of the Face ID technology in the latest generation of iPhones, hurt technology stocks in Asia on Tuesday.

    Taiwan-based assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) dropped more than 3 percent. Rival Pegatron fell more than 5 percent but later recouped losses. Both companies count Apple as a major customer.

    The world’s largest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, fell 2.6 percent, while Flexium Interconnect was down 1.5 percent. The Taiwan Weighted Index was down around 1.6 percent.

    “Apple’s iPhone weakness has been a long-term issue for the Asia supply chain,” said Arthur Liao, an analyst at Fubon Research in Taipei.

    “For Apple, iPhone shipment has reached its peak. For tech suppliers facing the future, they have no other big client like Apple.”

    The company’s shares fell to their lowest level in more than three months on Monday.

    Last week, a media report saying the iPhone maker had told its smartphone assemblers to halt plans for additional production lines dedicated to its new lower-priced iPhone XR had pressured supplier stocks.

    Analysts said the lack of technological breakthroughs had put a cap on demand.

    “With no new technology in sight next year for the supply chain, this is not ideal for the companies involved,” said Nicole Tu, a Taipei-based analyst at Yuanta Investment Consulting.

    “Up through the first half of 2019, we likely won’t see any breakthrough.”

    Lumentum on Monday slashed its profit and revenue forecast for the current quarter, while IQE warned that current-year results would be lower. Japan Display lowered both sales and margin outlook for the year as well.

    Apple warned earlier this month that holiday sales would miss Wall Street expectations due to weakness in emerging markets.

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  • Apple profit driven by higher iPhone models

    Apple profit driven by higher iPhone models

    Tech giant Apple Inc. may not have sold as many iPhones during the quarter ending September 30, but the company’s pricier models are driving its profits higher than ever. The California-based company reported it sold about 46,889 iPhones during the quarter, almost the same number of iPhones sold in the previous corresponding period.

    Apple was selling its iPhone ASP at $793 during the quarter compared to the $618 price of the unit in the corresponding quarter a year ago. The company has also introduced the iPhone XS in September at a price starting $999 and the iPhone XS Max which costs about $100 more than the XS model.

    The tech company has posted a 20 per cent increase in its quarterly revenue for the quarter to $62.9 billion, and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $2.91, up 41 per cent.

    International sales accounted for 61 per cent of the quarter’s revenue.

    Apple’s services revenue has seen a 27-per cent increase of $10 billion.

    “We’re thrilled to report another record-breaking quarter that caps a tremendous fiscal 2018, the year in which we shipped our two billionth iOS device, celebrated the 10th anniversary of the App Store and achieved the strongest revenue and earnings in Apple history,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

    Cook said with their recently introduced new versions of iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad and Mac, and the company’s four operating systems, they have entered the holiday season with their “strongest lineup of products and services ever.”

    “We concluded a record year with our best September quarter ever, growing double digits in every geographic segment. We set September quarter revenue records for iPhone and Wearables and all-time quarterly records for Services and Mac,” said Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO. “We generated $19.5 billion in operating cash flow and returned over $23 billion to shareholders in dividends and share repurchases in the September quarter, bringing total capital returned in fiscal 2018 to almost $90 billion.”

    Apple is looking at a revenue of between $89 billion and $93 billion for the first quarter of the 2019 fiscal year, a gross margin of 38 per cent and 38.5 per cent, and operating expenses between $8.7 billion and $8.8 billion.

    Apple’s board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.73 per share of the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable on November 15.

    Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, said the quarter’s results underlines all of the innovation the company has put into its suite of products over the past year.

    “Admittedly, the new iPhone XS and XS Max versions, along with Apple Watch Series 4, were only available at the very end of this quarter, but we still believe they had a positive material impact on sales,” Saunders said.

    Saunders said with the tech giant’s strong release of products, the potential launch of new services, and more sessions being added to better stores, Apple has set itself up for another year of growth.

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