Indian Smartphone Users Seek Immersive Audio Experiences When it comes to Content Consumption During Lockdown, Reveals CMR Study

• CMR Study: Indian smartphone users consider audio quality as one of the most important factors in their next smartphone purchase, followed by Battery Life and Camera.
• Four in every five users feel Dolby Atmos would lead to increased video consumption.
• Six in every seven users agree that Dolby Atmos would lead them to decide their music/video service subscription.
• 81% smartphone gamers believe Dolby Atmos can enhance their gaming experience.
• 82% smartphone users believe movies are best enjoyed with advanced technologies, such as Dolby Atmos.

In the neo normal, working remotely and staying indoors has become the norm. This homebound work & leisure economy has led to a significant rise in online video content consumption by the populace. This, in turn, has given rise to the demand for richer smartphone audio quality that consumers do not want to compromise on.

To understand the changing consumer sentiment, Cyber Media Research (CMR) a front-runner in market research, partnered Dolby, a company with decades of expertise in delivering breakthrough audio & visual experiences to billions of people worldwide. The survey titled “What Audio Means for Indian Smartphone users?”, revels consumer insights on audio for smartphones and consumer preference for object based next generation immersive audio technology like Dolby Atmos.

 

According to Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group, CMR, “The findings from the survey gave us an understanding of how consumer sentiments around smartphone audio are evolving with the times. There is increased awareness among users about Dolby Atmos and how it enhances audio quality for content experiences. With an upsurge in content consumption whether it is music, episodic content, gaming, or even UGC, consumers are now seeking infinitely better listening experiences, whenever and wherever they go and that’s where industry-leading innovations, such as Dolby are fulfilling consumer aspirations.”

 

The study conducted across six cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Ahmedabad, was aimed at understanding how Indians are consuming content, the importance given to sound quality and what they seek going forward while purchasing their next smartphone. The study established for Indian smartphone users that Dolby Atmos is essential for an enhanced audio experience.

 

Here are some of the most interesting study findings:

• 75% smartphone users are aware of Dolby Atmos technology in smartphones and how it enhances audio experiences.
• Dolby Atmos enabled content is a preference for quality audio experience. Consumers believe that movies and episodic content are best enjoyed with Dolby Atmos constituting 82% and 77% respectively
• Better audio experience leads to increased content consumption. For instance, (70%) of consumers believe that Dolby Atmos enhances the overall listening experience with (81%) users agreeing that it leads to increased content consumption
• Four in every five users use audio during gaming and believe Dolby Atmos can enhance the experience.
• 84% smartphone users (six in every seven) believe that Dolby Atmos would lead them to decide their music/video service subscription.

The CMR study titled “What Audio Means for Indian Smartphone Users?” is based on a digital survey covering 1012 respondents, across six cities of India, namely New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad, covering the age groups of 18 to 40, and socio-economic levels of SEC A and B. The study was conducted in early to late August 2020. For results based on a randomly chosen sample of this size, there is 95% confidence that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 3% of what they would be if the entire population had been surveyed.

To know more, and download the report, please visit cmrindia.com/shelf/what-audio-means-for-indian-smartphone-users.

Huawei Fortifies its Leadership Position in Indian Smartphone Market; Bags a Majority of Prestigious Tech Awards

Further cementing its leadership position in the world's second largest mobile market, India, Huawei Consumer Business Group (CBG), claimed majority of prestigious tech awards between 2019 and 2020. consumer.huawei.com/in/campaign/awards.

Starting with the camera capabilities of Huawei P30 Pro, Huawei P30 Pro won the Best Camera Smartphone of 2019 in Techradar India Awards 2019. It was competing with Apple's flagship product Apple 11 Pro in this category. A versatile smartphone, with periscopic telephoto camera; incredible 50x zoom and low light capabilities that very few other smartphones can match up with, made it the winner of this category.

Huawei P30 Pro also won the Digit Zero 1 award for the year 2019 in the category 'Best Performing Premium Android smartphones'. It gains massive points is in the camera department due to the RYYB sensor and the 5x telephoto lens, which allows users to shoot effortlessly. The Digit Zero 1 award ceremony was held in the presence of approximately 150 Digit Squad members, which includes 6000+ technology micro-influencers and enthusiasts across India, who represent the ever-growing Digit community.

T3 also hosted its Innovation Technology and Imaging Award 2020. Huawei was nominated in two categories - Huawei P30 Pro was nominated in Flagship of the Year category and Huawei Watch GT2 was nominated in the Smartwatch of the Year category. Huawei Watch GT2 managed to bag Smartwatch of the Year awards, defeating Fitbit Versa 2, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4G, Apple Watch Series 5 and Amazfit GTR.

Huawei Consumer Business Group (CBG) received two more prestigious awards at the annual Mobility Excellence Award 2019. Huawei P30 Pro won the Best Camera Smartphone award and Huawei Watch GT2 won the Smartwatch of The Year trophy.

Stuff Gadget Awards 2019 was hosted by Stuff. Huawei received special mention for Huawei P30 Pro in the Premium Smartphone of the Year category.

In Smartprix People's Choice Award 2019, Huawei was nominated in 6 different categories and won in five categories. This award is based on public voting. In 10 days of voting exercise, more than four lakh people voted and voiced their opinions. Huawei Watch GT 2 was the winner of Best Cross-platform Smartwatch category. Huawei P30 Pro was the 1st Runner-up in Best Camera Phone category, Huawei was the 1st Runner-up in Most Innovative Android Brand, Huawei P30 Pro was the 2nd Runner up in Phone of the Year category and Huawei Mate X was the 2nd runner up in Most Innovative Phone 2019 category

Gadget Bridge hosted Gadget Bridge Awards 2019 for the first time and accolades to the worthy in the field of consumer technology. Huawei was nominated in three different categories - Huawei Watch GT2 in Smartwatch of the Year category, Huawei P30 Pro in the Smartphone of the year 2019 segment and Camera Phone of the Year category. After defeating Apple iPhone 11 Pro, Oppo Reno 2, Samsung Galaxy A70s and the Google Pixel 3a/3a XL, Huawei P30 Pro became the winner of Camera Phone of The Year segment.

"We are honored to be recognized by consumers and tech experts in the industry and we're pleased to have received majority of tech awards for HUAWEI devices within a short span of time. Staying true to our commitment, we always strive to bring new and improved technology to our consumers. Investing heavily on our R&D department, we are certain to bring ground-breaking technological innovations regularly for the world to revel in," said Dimon Hu, CMO (Huawei Brand), Consumer Business Group, Huawei India.

Huawei continuously strives to be better in terms of its technological innovations and offers the best smartphone experience to its users.

About Huawei Consumer BG

Huaweis products and services are available in more than 170 countries and are used by a third of the worlds population. Fourteen R&D centres have been set up in the United States, Germany, Sweden, Russia, India and China. Huawei Consumer BG is one of Huaweis three business units and covers smartphones, PC and tablets, wearables and cloud services, etc. Huaweis global network is built on over 30 years of expertise in the telecom industry and is dedicated to delivering the latest technological advances to consumers around the world.

~ Newsvoir

Vivo to Expand Retail Network by Setting up over 250 Exclusive Stores this Year

Smartphone maker Vivo on Saturday said it is planning to add over 250 exclusive stores this year to its retail network in the country.

The company has launched a new experiential flagship store in Thane, Maharashtra and plans to have 20 more such stores across metros and state capitals to offer a distinct customer experience in an offline retail space, Vivo said in a statement.

"Keeping customer centricity at the core, we at Vivo strive to offer our customers unique retail experiences. The offline channel has been an essential part of our go-to-market strategy, and we shall continue to invest in this channel. We intend to launch more than 250 exclusive stores in 2020, taking the total number to 600," Vivo India Director (Brand Strategy) Nipun Marya said.

On the experiential store, the company said the outlet houses dedicated gaming, virtual reality and customer interaction zones that will allow smartphone enthusiasts to engage with Vivo products and experience cutting-edge technology in an immersive environment.

According to research firm IDC, Vivo captured the second spot (behind Xiaomi) in the smartphone shipment tally with 18.8 per cent share (6.9 million units) in December quarter 2019. On a full-year basis, it ranked at the third spot after Xiaomi and Samsung. PTI SR

8 Out of 10 Indians are Researching for Smartphones Priced under Rs 20k

Riding on the wave of mobile internet revolution and e-commerce boom in recent years, India is witnessing an exponential growth in the smartphone category across geographies. With deeper penetration of telecom services both at the urban and grassroot levels, the market has spurred a lot of smartphone brands to cater to the price-sensitive Indian consumer with affordable devices.

91mobiles.com has analysed the research habits of consumers on its platform to draw up insights on how Indians bought smartphones in 2018. With 25 million monthly visitors, averaging more than 800,000 people daily who visit the platform to decide which phone to buy, 91mobiles has seen that Xiaomi is the most popular brand in terms of search volumes, followed by Samsung and OPPO.

Here are some of the key insights pertaining to 2018, drawn from the consumer research behaviour on 91mobiles:

• Of the top 10 smartphone brands, Xiaomi tops the list with over 25% users searching for its devices on 91mobiles in 2018. The next on the list is Samsung with a share of 17%, followed by OPPO with a share of almost 12% and Vivo with 11%. Honor, Realme and Nokia are tied at 8% each.
  
  
  
  




• As far as the most popular smartphones based on number of user searches are concerned, Xiaomi’s Mi A2 and Redmi Note 5 Pro topped the list, but the surprise entry came in at number three in the form of the Realme 2 Pro. The Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro and the Redmi Note 5 were also quite popular, seated at the fourth and fifth spots respectively.
  
  
  



• About 30% searches were made for affordable smartphones, as many tended to gravitate towards devices priced below Rs 10k. However, the mid-budget segment saw the highest volumes, with over 50% searches going in favour of handsets priced between Rs 10k-20k. About 11% users searched for smartphones priced between Rs 20k and Rs 30k, while over 9% searched for premium devices priced upwards of Rs 30k.
  
  
  
  




• Breaking up the data on user searches on smartphones by quarter, it’s evident that the sub-Rs 10k price segment saw a steady decline, starting from 34% in Q1 to 23% in Q4. The price bands (above Rs 20k) remained stable for the most part, but the number of user searches on smartphones in the Rs 10k to Rs 20k segment witnessed significant growth across quarters, jumping from 49% in Q1 to 57% in Q4.
  
  
  
  




• In terms of features, RAM size, display attributes (size and resolution) and battery capacity were the most searched aspects in 2018. Searches around RAM accounted for almost 22% of the total number of user searches on 91mobiles, and both display (18%) and battery (18%) also turned out to be crucial parameters for users looking to buy a new smartphone.
  
  
  
  




• 91mobiles’ site data also revealed that folks looking to buy a premium smartphone made about 4.5 searches per user on an average by product name, versus 0.5 searches done by buyers in the affordable segment… a difference of 9x. This is because premium phones usually have higher name recall, as compared to smartphones in the budget and mid-range segments. On the other hand, users looking for affordable devices chose to search by price or feature, making 12 searches per users on an average using this method. In comparison, those looking for premium smartphones searched 8 times on an average using price or features as a parameter.
  
  
  




• The average time taken by potential buyers of affordable smartphone to make up their minds was 2.5 weeks, while those in the market for premium smartphones took about 4.5 weeks to zero in on a specific device. Buyers in the affordable segment clicked out to an eCommerce store 3.5 times on an average, with the same number being 5 times for buyers of premium phones. However, buyers of affordable phones who did click out to an eCommerce store were 3 times more likely to purchase online, as compared to those searching for premium smartphones. The latter seemed to prefer the ‘research online, buy offline’ technique more in comparison.

“As features like multiple cameras, in-screen fingerprint scanners and punch-hole displays become more commonplace in mid-range devices, consumers would increasingly look for more points of differentiation in their next smartphone purchase. 91mobiles is uniquely positioned to capture and analyse user behaviour, and our data indicates that 2019 could mark an inflection point for the features and capability one can expect from smartphones across price bands.” said Nitin Mathur, Co-founder of 91mobiles.com.

With four minutes average time spent per visitor on the platform, 91mobiles.com has driven USD 100 million plus in sales (in 2018) through various e-commerce stores from people who researched their purchases on 91mobiles site.

Xiaomi Beats Samsung in Smartphone Sales in Top 50 Indian Cities: IDC

As per a report by International Data Corporation (IDC), Xiaomi held the maximum market share in the top 50 Indian cities in the Q3 2017 period, followed by Samsung, Lenovo (including Moto), Oppo, and Vivo. The top 50 Indian cities have accounted for 50 percent of overall smartphone sales in the country in the third quarter this year. Among all the major cities, Tier I cities in the country are considered to be the "key volume driver" for the Indian smartphone market with a sequential quarterly growth of 29 percent in the last quarter. IDC also reveals that Bhopal, Gurugram, and Jaipur from the Tier II cities have emerged as the "fastest growing cities" with each reporting a massive growth of more than 40 percent from the previous.

IDC in its India Monthly City-Level Smartphone Tracker claims that in the top 50 cities, Xiaomi ousted Samsung to take 26.5 percent of the market. It is said to have registered 120 percent growth in the period, while the Redmi Note 4 contributed to 40 percent of its volumes - becoming the highest selling smartphones across the cities. Offline expansion through the company's Preferred Partner programme and Mi Stores added to this growth, IDC said.

Samsung, which moved to the second slot with 24.1 percent market share, saw 15 percent quarterly growth. IDC says the brand continues to dominate in several cities thanks to its "deep penetration and reach." The Samsung Galaxy J2, Galaxy J7 Max, and Galaxy J7 Nxt made up 50 percent of volumes of the South Korean manufacturer, IDC said.

Lenovo (including the Moto brand) had the third spot with a 10.3 percent share, and grew 8 percent from the previous quarter. New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru were the top cities for the company, with the Lenovo K6 Power, Moto E4 Plus, and Lenovo K6 Note the top sellers.

Oppo moved up to the fourth position with a 5.2 percent share, with the Oppo F3, F3 Plus, and A71 smartphones major contributors to the growth the company enjoyed. Finally, Vivo slipped to the fifth spot at 5.1 percent, and is said to have seen a marginal decline in sales from the last quarter. IDC cites "reduced channel spends" as the primary reason for the fall, but is optimistic about the success of the Vivo V7+ and Vivo Y69 smartphones to bring it back to the fourth position.

IDC says that metro cities continued to be the major contributors to growing smartphone sales in India. Alone Delhi and Mumbai contributed one-fourth of the total sales in top 50 cities. However, expansion of data supply and 4G penetration across the country enabled Tier I and Tier II cities to attract all the smartphone vendors. "Almost all vendors have now decided to go aggressive on offline channel expansion. It will be interesting to see how they are able to match the distribution strength and retail spends by offline dominant players like Samsung, Oppo, and Vivo.

Considering the huge hitherto tapped demand from smaller cities and towns, eventually, these vendors will be forced to tweak their strategies to reach out to the customers in these markets," said Navkendar Singh, associate research director, IDC India, in a press statement.

Vendors are reportedly diversifying their sales and marketing strategies, while e-tailers like Amazon and Flipkart are expanding their presence in India to cater the growing demand for smartphones. Furthermore, IDC claims that e-commerce companies are contributing to around 40 percent of the market in top 50 cities in the country.

"Mega-online sale(s) by prominent e-trailers acted as the catalyst for the robust growth across city tiers with e-tailers now contributing around 40 percent of the market in top 50 cities of India. However, the offline channel saw only average traction during the festive season," said Himanshu Jain, market analyst, IDC India.

A previous IDC report revealed that smartphone shipments in India reached a record 39 million units in last quarter, up 40 percent from the previous quarter and 21 percent from the same period last year. Xiaomi surfaced as the top smartphone brand in the country, jointly sharing the leadership with Samsung, with a market share of 23.5 percent in the third quarter.

Top Featured Image - Inspire2Rise

Introducing Android One; India is First to get it, available at Rs.6399

Google has finally launched "Android One" smartphone family in India on Monday at price starting at affordable Rs.6399 (US $105), Android One is an initiative announced earlier this year which is aimed at boosting sales in key emerging markets through cheaper prices and better quality software.

As speculated, Google has tied up with Indian handset makers Micromax, Karbonn and Spice Mobiles to launch the 6,399 rupees phone, which is powered by Google's operating system and targets the booming low-cost segment of the world's fastest growing smartphone market. The new Android One family smartphones will be available online in India on Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal.



For our readers, don't get confused that Andoid One is new Android OS; it's not, Android One is a new family of Android devices, designed in collaboration with several manufacturers. The current version of the Android OS is Android KitKat only.

An Android One device will always run the latest version of Android on a high-quality hardware package. You'll enjoy a smooth, fast, lag-free experience and access to the latest technology, features and apps. All at a really affordable price. Updates in all Android One devices happen automatically over the air (OTA), through your 3G or WiFi connection.

Sundar Pichai, SVP of Android division of Google said - "There are three big reasons why it’s hard for people in countries such as India, Indonesia or the Philippines to get their hands on a high-quality smartphone. First, is the hardware itself. Even entry-level smartphones still remain out of reach for many (bear in mind that in some of these countries the average monthly income is around $250). Second, many people in these markets do not have access to the latest Android software and popular applications. Finally, even where 3G and 4G networks are available, not enough people have phones that can support data and the plans can be expensive."

"Android One aims to help tackle these challenges. By working closely with phone and silicon chip makers to share reference designs and select components, we’re making it easier for our partners to build phones that are not just great to use, but also affordable. They have lots of processing power, so you can get information quickly. They have high-quality front- and rear-facing cameras. And for all those pictures, along with your apps and videos, Android One phones will have expandable storage. We also added features that people in India will find particularly useful, like dual SIM cards, a replaceable battery and built-in FM radio.", added Pichai.



After launching in India, Google said it plans to expand Android One to Indonesia, Philippines and other South Asian countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) by the end of 2014 and in more countries in 2015.

The company is working with partners including Alcatel Onetouch, ASUS, HTC, Intex, Lava, Lenovo, Panasonic, Xolo, and chipmaker Qualcomm to build more devices under Android One program.

Xiomi called 'Apple of China' to launch in India soon

Xiaomi, the Chinese Smartphone manufacturer also famously known as China’s Apple is soon going to make its way into the Indian market. The company recently announced this by launching its website - www.mi.com/in/ in India.

The Chinese manufacturer is famous for providing the same quality as provided by manufacturers like HTC and Samsung but at almost half the cost. This feature of the company has made it a worldwide sensation.

The company is trying to find its foothold in India by promoting itself heavily on Facebook through its page. Xiaomi recently also hired Manu Jain, who is the co-founder of Jabong.com as the company’s GM for India.

Xiaomi is headquartered in Beijing and was founded by serial entrepreneur Lei Jun in 2010. The company has apparently already sold about 17 million handsets in China. Oppo, Huawei, Lenovo and Gionee are some of the other handsets manufactured by Chinese firms that are already being sold in India.

Xiaomi’s plans of venturing into the million dollar Indian Smartphone market were first indicated by Huga Barra. He is the VP for International Relations at Xiaomi.  Bara was previously a high ranking executive with Google’s Android team. He recently joined Xiaomi in late 2013.

The company launches its products in batches. In China, these batches are sold out within hours of launching. Xiaomi is also popular for selling its products directly through its own online store.

The company sells its products at almost cost. High-end components are provided by vendors like LG, Qualcomm, JDI and Sony. The Chinese based manufacturer makes profit by providing a lot of services like an app store, a cloud based service and cutting out all the middle men involved in the retail channel.

How this strategy of the company works out for the Indian market will be interesting to see as the Google Play store which is blocked in China is very much available in India. Will or will not the company be able to sustain itself from the competition it will face from the Google services is yet to be seen.

Xiaomi may start its operations in India by September or October by launching its first product around Diwali according to BGR India.

Top Image - SCMP

Xiomi called 'Apple of China' to launch in India soon

Xiaomi, the Chinese Smartphone manufacturer also famously known as China’s Apple is soon going to make its way into the Indian market. The company recently announced this by launching its website - www.mi.com/in/ in India.

The Chinese manufacturer is famous for providing the same quality as provided by manufacturers like HTC and Samsung but at almost half the cost. This feature of the company has made it a worldwide sensation.

The company is trying to find its foothold in India by promoting itself heavily on Facebook through its page. Xiaomi recently also hired Manu Jain, who is the co-founder of Jabong.com as the company’s GM for India.

Xiaomi is headquartered in Beijing and was founded by serial entrepreneur Lei Jun in 2010. The company has apparently already sold about 17 million handsets in China. Oppo, Huawei, Lenovo and Gionee are some of the other handsets manufactured by Chinese firms that are already being sold in India.

Xiaomi’s plans of venturing into the million dollar Indian Smartphone market were first indicated by Huga Barra. He is the VP for International Relations at Xiaomi.  Bara was previously a high ranking executive with Google’s Android team. He recently joined Xiaomi in late 2013.

The company launches its products in batches. In China, these batches are sold out within hours of launching. Xiaomi is also popular for selling its products directly through its own online store.

The company sells its products at almost cost. High-end components are provided by vendors like LG, Qualcomm, JDI and Sony. The Chinese based manufacturer makes profit by providing a lot of services like an app store, a cloud based service and cutting out all the middle men involved in the retail channel.

How this strategy of the company works out for the Indian market will be interesting to see as the Google Play store which is blocked in China is very much available in India. Will or will not the company be able to sustain itself from the competition it will face from the Google services is yet to be seen.

Xiaomi may start its operations in India by September or October by launching its first product around Diwali according to BGR India.

Top Image - SCMP