Huawei mulls widening sales channel for Honor phones

Chinese telecom firm Huawei is looking to start selling Honor smartphones through traditional retail stores to widen its reach while Flipkart will continue to be its exclusive partner for online sales.

"We are seriously contemplating an omnipresence sales channel strategy to expand our reach to customers. We get 75 per cent of our sales from top 35 cities. We have to make a plan to reach them out as everyone doesn't buy online," Huawei Telecommunications India Director Sales P Sanjeev told PTI.

Huawei started selling Honor smartphones in India through Flipkart about a year ago.

"We may follow an omnipresent strategy and will strengthen presence through retail channels in India, but Flipkart will continue to be the exclusive e-commerce partner for Honor," he clarified.

The change in strategy is part of Huawei's growth plan for 2016. Top management at Huawei headquarters wants to triple the sales of Honor smartphones in India to about 5 million, but the Indian team is yet to firm up the plan for the actual target.

"Our headquarters want us to triple sales in India to capture 10 per cent market share in the smartphone segment.

We are working on our business plan and strategy to determine deliverables. It should be finalised by next month," Sanjeev said.

He added that Honor expects to sell 1.5-2 million units by the end of this year.

Huawei has restarted selling Huawei brand smartphones in India through retail stores.

Sanjeev said going forward, Huawei will launch only select devices so that it does not clash with Honor smartphones if they are sold offline.

As part of growth strategy in India, Huawei has already assigned 10 per cent of its Indian research and development team to develop Honor product suitable for the Indian market.

"Now, we have completed about one year and understood our customer. We have a clear picture now… We listen to our customers through social media network, read feedback on Flipkart and grievances," Sanjeev added.

He said funds will not be an issue for its growth plan here.

Honor brand sells in India, China, Russia, Germany, Mexico, Japan and Dubai.

The company also has plans to expand its product portfolio in the country by launching 2-3 models more by the end of this year.

First Published on September 30, 2015 7:25 pm

Source: Huawei mulls widening sales channel for Honor phones

Market Entry - Mobile And Tablet Accessories Market In China: Analysis Of Growth, Trends And Progress (2015-2020)

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LONDON, Sept. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Since 1978 market reforms, China has shifted from a centrally planned economy to a market based economy which helped them in growing both economically and socially. Being the world's second largest economy (by nominal GDP), the economic growth of the country is gradually slowing down due to continuous structural transformation of the economy. Telecom industry is one of the fastest-growing sector in the country and the most populous digital-telecom market. It will play key role in the country's economic future.Mobile and Tablets are the fastest growing sector, with a large number of unreached areas and untapped customers. And, as such this growth will in-turn boost the growth of Mobile and Tablet accessories market. With booming mobile apps in China, it will open door for many new market players thus creating skyrocketing market for different types of Mobile and Tablets accessories market.In the last five years, the mobile phones and the Tablet h ave emerged as essential devices that Chinese consumers rely on to communicate and navigate. Consumers have started using smartphones/tablets to assist them in managing and improving their daily assignments. They want their devices to be protected and fully active (Charged). Depending on the needs and preferences, consumer customize their devices with different accessories. They are using smart accessories to increase the basic features of their mobile and tablet devices and enhance their activities in gaming, music and photography. In coming years, high profit margins will drive the Mobile and Tablet accessories market in China. Demand is expected to grow at a CAGR of XX.XX% to reach US $XX.XX million by 2020. The Mobile and Tablet accessories market is expected to grow at least as fast as that of mobile phones for the period. China holds immense opportunities for accessories due to a large potential and existing consumer base and rapid growth in their adoption of smartphones and t ablets. Increasing usage of smartphones and tablets in the region has enabled consumer to use them as a controller for other peripherals devices such as health monitors, toys, printers, home automation systems and others. Declining device prices, growing online retail market and the millennial populations are contributing to the growth to a large extent. Detachable screens, keyboard on covers and others such flexible and innovative options will also act as a catalyst for growth in demand for tablet accessories.Increasing disposable incomes, technological innovations, rapid adoption of smartphones and tablets, changing consumer behavior, rising demand for different mobile Apps and the desire of consumers to be tech savvy, to stay connected with near and dear, are all factors pushing the demand for mobile and tablets. As these mobile purchases are still once in a while buys in China, people in order to protect their Mobiles and Tablet splurge on accessories. Particularly, it is the st atus conscious customers and those who use mobiles as a fashion accessory that driving the accessories market.China Mobile and Tablet Accessories Market has been segmented into Safety Cases, Scratch Guard, Bluetooth, Desk stands, Wired and Wireless Chargers, Wired and Wireless Keyboards, Power Bank and others. Rapid innovations in wireless chargers with dust-proof, scratch-resistant and water-resistant screen guards will further drive the growth of the market. Report ObjectiveThe report focuses on Mobile and Tablet Accessories 'Macro-Economic Outlook'The report covers different Market Entry Strategies with Regulatory Environment/Government Regulations/ Economic conditions of 'Mobile and Tablet Accessories Market' in ChinaCurrent Scenario: What is the present scenario? Market Benefits: Why to enter the Mobile and Tablet Accessories market of China?Government Regulations: How to make entry in to the market (Merger, Acquisition, Technology transfer, tie-up, licensing, joint- ventures, others) What the report offersThe study elucidates the situation of China and predicts the growth of its Mobile and Tablet Accessories Industry. Report talks about growth, market trends, progress, challenges, opportunities, technologies in use, growth forecast, major companies, upcoming companies and projects etc. in the Mobile and Tablet Accessories sector of China. In addition to it, the report also talks about economic conditions of and future forecast of its current economic scenario and effect of its current policy changes in to its economy, reasons and implications on the growth of this sector. Lastly, the report is segmented by various types' Mobile and Tablet Accessories available in the country. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3281781/About ReportbuyerReportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: query@reportbuyer.com   Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: www.reportbuyer.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/market-entry---mobile-and-tablet-accessories-market-in-china-analysis-of-growth-trends-and-progress-2015-2020-300150866.html SOURCE ReportBuyer Copyright 2011 PR Newswire. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: Market Entry - Mobile And Tablet Accessories Market In China: Analysis Of Growth, Trends And Progress (2015-2020)

Nexus 6P Preview: Specs, Price, Release Date -- Everything We Know About Huawei’s Android 6.0 'Marshmallow' Smartphone

Upstart Chinese smartphone maker Huawei is hoping that Google's seal of approval will help it gain some traction in the U.S., where it currently doesn't have much brand awareness or market share.

Huawei is expected to get the nod from Google at the latter's fall 2015 event on Tuesday, when the search giant will reportedly launch the Nexus 6P in collaboration with its Chinese partner. This will be one of two reference devices for Google's Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) operating system, which is also set to get a release date on Tuesday. The other is the Nexus 5X

Here is a round-up of all the rumors, reports and leaks which have emerged ahead of the launch of the smartphone:

Design

The original Motorola-built Nexus 6, launched last year, was a pretty big device and this year's Nexus 6P is set to be much the same. According to a set of leaked presentation slides, the Nexus 6P will be the same width (78 mm) and slightly shorter (159 mm) than the original, but it will be significantly slimmer at 7.3 mm compared to the 10.1 mm of the original.

The Nexus 6P will come in four color options - white, silver, black and gold.  Android Police

The biggest change however is the all-metal chassis, which will be a first for a Nexus smartphone and marks a new move by Google to really challenge the iPhone 6S and Samsung's Galaxy S6. The Nexus 6P will come in four color options -- white, silver, black and gold -- though the leaked retail presentation material suggests the gold version will only be available in Japan initially.

The phone will also be lighter than the original, weighing 178 grams compared to the 184 of the original. Given the new metal chassis, that's all the more impressive.

Screen

The Nexus 6 featured a huge 6-inch screen which was rather unwieldy and difficult to use one-handed. The Nexus 6P features a slightly smaller 5.7-inch screen which will use AMOLED technology. It's what Samsung also uses on its high-end Galaxy smartphones.

The Nexus 6P will hope to improve on the rather average camera performance of the original Nexus 6  Imgur

Screen resolution is one of the few details which the slides don't confirm, but it is widely expected to retain the 2540 x 1440 pixel resolution of the original. The new model, however, will be protected by Gorilla Glass 4 for extra durability.

Camera

Just like pretty much all Nexus smartphones to date, the Nexus 6 under-whelmed in terms of camera performance, and this is one area Google will need to get right if the Nexus 6P is to challenge the likes of the iPhone 6S and Galaxy S6.

According to the leaked presentation, the Huawei Nexus 6P camera will be housed in a slight bump at the top of the rear cover and will feature a 12.3 megapixel camera with an f/2.0 aperture. While the megapixel count might seem low, the individual pixels will be larger than normal to help improve on low-light performance. The front-facing camera will have an 8 megapixel sensor.

Processor, Fingerprint Sensor, USB-C And Battery

The Nexus 6P will be powered by the same Snapdragon 810 chip from Qualcomm that proved problematic in the Xperia Z3+ from Sony earlier this year. However, the version inside Huawei's latest smartphone is version 2.1, which hopefully will have addressed those issues. The Qualcomm chipset will be paired with 3GB of RAM and will comes in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB versions.

The Nexus 6P will feature a slightly smaller 5.7-inch screen compared to the original but it will be protected by the tougher Gorilla Glass 4.  Imgur

With Android 6.0 now supporting fingerprint sensors natively, it is no surprise that the Nexus 6P will feature one on the rear.

The smartphone will also include a huge 3450mAh battery, which is a slight improvement over the 3220mAh battery in the original. However the Nexus 6P will also come with a quick charge technology allowing you recharge faster.

Finally on the hardware side, the Nexus 6P will join Apple's MacBook and the OnePlus 2 smartphone as being among the first devices to feature the charging and data transfer standard called USB-C. While USB-C means a reversible port and faster data transfers, it also means getting hold of a spare cable will be more problematic.

Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)

Google unveiled Android M at it's I/O conference in late May and has since confirmed that the sweet codename for Android 6.0 will indeed be Marshmallow. In August Google released the final Android 6.0 SDK to developers and a third (and final) Marshmallow software preview that can be loaded on Nexus devices.

As well as natively supporting fingerprint scanners for better security, Android 6.0 brings a range of additional features including more granular controls over app permissions and support for Android Pay.

The Nexus 6P will be one of two reference models for Android 6.0 alongside LG's Nexus 5X.  Imgur

There is also a feature called Doze, which will help boost battery life by putting your smartphone into sleep mode when the screen is off. The overall look for the new OS is very similar to Android 5.0 (Lollipop), which was a pretty radical overhaul of the look of the world's most popular operating system.

Price and Release Date

The final piece of the puzzle in relation to the Nexus 6P is its price. Last year the Nexus 6 went on sale for $649 direct from Google before dropping dramatically in recent months. Rumors suggest the Nexus 6P will come at a similar price, and looking at the more premium specs of Huawei's first Nexus smartphone it's not a surprise. If you want the models with more storage you will be looking at paying a premium of at least $50 (64GB) and $100 (128GB). 

Google will unveil the Nexus 6P on Tuesday and is expected to put the device up for preorder in the U.S. from October 13, with the rest of the world to follow.

Source: Nexus 6P Preview: Specs, Price, Release Date -- Everything We Know About Huawei's Android 6.0 'Marshmallow' Smartphone

India Replaces China as Next Big Frontier for U.S. Tech Companies

BANGALORE, India — American technology companies desperately want to win over people like Rakesh Padachuri and his family.

Mr. Padachuri, who runs a construction business in this city, the center of India's technology industry, uses his smartphone to reserve movie seats through BookMyShow and to order pizzas from Domino's. His wife, Vasavi, orders clothes from Myntra and Amazon.com, and downloads videos and games from YouTube and the Google Play store to entertain their 4-year-old daughter. His sister-in-law, Sonika, enjoys posting selfies on Facebook and follows the YouTube musings of Lilly Singh, an Indo-Canadian comedian.

They all stay in touch via a group chat they have set up on WhatsApp, a free messaging service owned by Facebook. "There's no need to call each other," Mr. Padachuri said during a visit last month at his family's home, which is next to a Best Western hotel. There's barely a need to leave the house — groceries, a birthday cake, even a hairdresser can be summoned via an app.

The Padachuri family's love of technology helps explain why India and its 1.25 billion residents have become the hottest growth opportunity — the new China — for American Internet companies. Blocked from China itself or frustrated by the onerous demands of its government, companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter, as well as start-ups and investors, see India as the next best thing.

"They are looking at India, and they are thinking, 'Five years ago, it was China, and I probably missed the boat there. Now I have a chance to actually do this,'" said Punit Soni, a former Google executive who was lured back to India recently to become the chief product officer of Flipkart, a Bangalore e-commerce start-up similar to Amazon.

The increasing appeal of India, now the world's fastest growing major economy, was underscored in recent days.

During a meeting in Seattle on Wednesday with American technology executives, China's president, Xi Jinping, was unwavering on his government's tough Internet policies.

India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, on the other hand, was on a charm offensive during his own American tour.

After a stop in New York City, he headed to Silicon Valley, where he visited Tesla and attended a dinner with tech chieftains like Satya Nadella of Microsoft and Sundar Pichai of Google.

On Sunday, Mr. Modi will join a town hall discussion with Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive. He also plans to drop by Google and Stanford University, mingle with start-up entrepreneurs and address a sold-out arena of 18,000 people, mostly Indo-Americans, in San Jose, Calif.

On Monday, he will be back i n New York to meet with President Obama.

Photo Amiya Pathak, co-founder of ZipDial and a director of product management at Twitter. Credit Matt Edge for The New York Times

The message to Silicon Valley from Mr. Modi, who tweets and posts regularly on Facebook: Help India become an Internet powerhouse.

Two years ago, India's rise as a digital nation was hard to imagine. Internet penetration was modest, mobile phone networks were glacially slow, and smartphones were a blip in a sea of basic phones.

Since 2013, however, the number of smartphone users in India has ballooned and will reach 168 million this year, the research firm eMarketer predicts, with 277 million Internet users in India expected over all.

India already conducts more mobile searches on Google than any country besides the United States. Yet "we are barely scratching the surface of availability of Internet to the masses," said Amit Singhal, Google's senior vice president in charge of search, who emigrated from India to the United States 25 years ago.

Reaching the Unconnected Billion

Indians have long loved to connect with each other online, accounting for much of the growth of early social networks like Friendster. So it's not surprising that Facebook already has 132 million Indian users on its social network, trailing only the United States.

But Facebook's presence in India runs even deeper. WhatsApp, the messaging service that Facebook bought last year for ne arly $22 billion, has become the most popular app in the country, offering free texting and free phone calls in a place where many people earn just a few dollars a day. Facebook's Messenger app is No. 2, according to the analytics firm App Annie.

And that only touches on Facebook's ambitions in India. "We need to focus on the billion people who are not connected," said Kevin D'Souza, head of growth and mobile partnerships for Facebook India.

To reach those people, Facebook is offering basic versions of its service that work on simple phones and slow networks. Under an umbrella initiative called Internet.org, Facebook is also working with a local cellphone operator to offer a package of free services, including news, job listings and text-only versions of Messenger and its social network aimed at those who can't afford a data plan.

India still poses many challenges. Internet.org has come under fire from regulators and activists who are concerned that Facebook is favoring its own services. And despite Mr. Modi's outreach, government agencies are trying to censor content they consider unfavorable or offensive. Last year, Facebook received 10,792 requests from the Indian government to remove information, far more than from any other country.

Making money is also difficult in India, where the amount spent on digital advertising is expected to total about $940 million this year, according to eMarketer — a fraction of the $58 billion that is expected to be spent in the United States.

While revenue is tiny so far, Internet companies say they are playing the long game, focusing on getting more people online now and profiting later.

Google, for example, wants 500 million Indians online by 2017. Most of these newcomers will be using phones powered by Google's Android operating system, which accounts for most of the Indian smartphone market. That will let Google expose these users to its other services, like search and YouTube, as well as plenty of ads.

"We've always believed that what's good for the Internet is good for Google," Sandeep Menon, Google's head of marketing in India, said in an interview at the company's offices in Gurgaon, outside New Delhi.

The effort to get more Indians online, however, has forced tech companies to re-examine some fundamental assumptions.

Only one in six Indians know enough English to surf the web in the language. But there are few web pages in Hindi or India's 21 other official languages. "There are more web pages in Estonian than in Hindi," Mr. Menon said.

Google, Facebook and Twitter have all added support for more Indian languages and are prodding developers and users to create more local-language content.

To deal with India 's poor mobile data connections, which can run at a hundredth of the speed that Americans expect, Google is compressing web pages on its servers so that they use 80 percent less data and load four times as fast.

Similarly, Indians can download YouTube videos while they have a high-speed connection, such as Wi-Fi at school or work, and save them to watch later when they are offline.

Of course, none of this matters to those who have never used the Internet. To reach them, Google has formed a partnership with Intel and a local charity to send female tutors, who travel by bicycle, to thousands of villages to teach rural women about the Internet. So far, 200 bikes equipped with solar-powered tablets and smartphones are on the road, and Google hopes to increase tha t number to 10,000.

The immaturity of India's Internet market allows companies like Twitter, which has just 20 million users in the country, to treat it as a laboratory.

"If you are starting from a clean slate, what should Twitter look like?" asked Valerie Wagoner, Twitter's senior director for growth, who joined Twitter after it acquired her India-based start-up, ZipDial.

Hundreds of millions of Indians still use basic phones that cannot run apps, but they can receive text messages free. Using technology pioneered by ZipDial, Twitter allows people to view the tweets of cricket stars, politicians or brands by calling a special phone number, t hen immediately hanging up. The subsequent tweets are delivered as texts. In March, Twitter joined with the government to allow anyone with a cellphone that is capable of receiving texts to get tweets from Mr. Modi and a dozen other officials and ministries this way.

Last month, Twitter began testing a new idea in India — a tab of tweets made up entirely of news stories. The idea is to reposition Twitter as a real-time news service, instead of a collection of random items from random accounts.

Twitter hopes such experiments will help it figure out how to educate newcomers globally about the value of its service, said Amiya Pathak, co-founder of ZipDial and a director of product management at Twitter.

"This is a market where we can do tests," said Mr. Pathak. "Prove it out in India first, and as you prove it out, take it to other markets."

Source: India Replaces China as Next Big Frontier for U.S. Tech Companies

Samsung is No. 1 in global smartphone shipments, Apple is king in North America

About 1 in 5 smartphones shipped around the world in the second quarter of 2015 was a Samsung, according to a recent report.

In the second quarter, 21 percent of smartphones shipped worldwide were Samsung handsets, according to market research firm Counterpoint. Apple was second with 14 percent of smartphones shipped around the world, followed by Huawei with 9 percent, Xiaomi with 5 percent, ZTE with 5 percent, LG with 4 percent, and TCL/Alcatel with 3 percent.

Related: Samsung is all smiles as the Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus sell well in South Korea

While Samsung boasted market-leading smartphone shipments to the Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa regions, it played second fiddle to Apple in North America. In the second quarter, Apple claimed 34 percent of smartphone shipments in North America, followed by Samsung with 26 percent, and LG with 14 percent.

Three out of every four mobile phones shipped around the world in the second quarter were smartphones, according to Counterpoint. "Excluding Samsung, Apple now generates more smartphone revenues than all the other players combined," according to the research company.

Counterpoint also notes that 1 in 2 smartphones shipped in the second quarter were LTE capable, and that the U.S. and China combined to account for two-thirds of LTE smartphone shipments.

Earlier this month, Samsung shot down reports that it would lay off 10 percent of its South Korea-based workforce, stating that "It will only be relocation of workers."

Source: Samsung is No. 1 in global smartphone shipments, Apple is king in North America

iPhone 6s China Launch Pits Apple vs. Analysts

Apple's iPhone 6s goes on sale today and despite positive reviews of the handset some analysts have predicted less impressive sales figures compared to those during the same period last year.

This year, however, Chinese customers will be able to pick up the latest version of the company's smartphone on the same day as shoppers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and numerous other countries across Europe and Asia.

During the same launch period in 2014 for the iPhone 6, Apple did not make its new devices available in China on the day of release. The change this year may well contribute to Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook's confidence for first-week sales, which are on pace to exceed last year's launch-weekend record of 10 million handsets, Apple said on Sept. 14.

The new phone comes with significant upgrades to the front- and rear-facing cameras, a faster processor, and a new pressure-sensitive system called 3D Touch. 

The iPhone 6s Plus.

Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Source: iPhone 6s China Launch Pits Apple vs. Analysts

The First Xiaomi Laptop Threatens Apple In China

Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, is competing with Apple on yet another front, by creating its first laptop. According to the Taipei Times, hardware firm Inventec will be making the device, which is set to ship within the first six months of 2016. The news confirms a Bloomberg report from earlier this month, which said Xiaomi was "considering the introduction of its first laptop."

"I am upbeat about the business outlook for Xiaomi's notebook computers, as the firm has more than 200 million registered smartphone users," Inventec chairman Richard Lee told reporters in New Taipei City this week. "I am not sure if the smartphone approach will be applicable to notebooks, but I expect Xiaomi's entry into the notebook industry to bring something new to the market." While Xiaomi's laptop could still make a dent in China, it's unlikely it would meet with much success in the U.S., where Apple already monopolizes the market.

Apple has long fought to win the Chinese smartphone market, but has been continuously sidelined by Xiaomi, whose Android smartphones are far more affordable than iPhones. Xiaomi's brand appeal is also stronger in China, where it is native; it garners the same ardor from fans in China as Apple does from its user base in the U.S. This year, however, for the first time, Apple has sold more smartphones in China than Xiaomi, over two consecutive quarters—a potential red flag for Xiaomi, which has yet to make significant inroads outside of China.

One of Fast Company's most innovative companies last year, Xiaomi is worth $46 billion and is one of the most valuable startups in the world, second only to Uber. Fast Company's September issue deemed the competition between Xiaomi and Apple one of the biggest ongoing business rivalries, but also noted that Xiaomi's success beyond China's borders was still yet to be determined:

The companies' global ambitions will increasingly collide, as Xiaomi has begun experimenting in markets outside China. It recently moved to sell accessories like headphones and activity trackers in the U.S. and Europe, though many of the factors that make the company a phenomenon back home—such as Lei's local celebrity—are moot here in the States. Xiaomi also lacks the sort of patent portfolio that would shield it from intellectual-property lawsuits from Apple or other companies. Meanwhile, its value proposition—high specs at low prices—may not resonate in fully developed economies. "In the U.S., the sort of person Xiaomi is competing for just doesn't exist," says Thompson. "Most geeks and enthusiasts can afford an iPhone."

[via Tech Insider]

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Source: The First Xiaomi Laptop Threatens Apple In China

Xiaomi enters Chinese carrier market with MVNO

Chinese smartphone and device company Xiaomi is now in the carrier business; reports indicate Xiaomi entered the mobile virtual network operator space in the tightly regulated country.

Xiaomi will compete with China's big three carriers China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, all owned by the Chinese government.

The new Xiaomi Mi Mobile brand offers voice and data services supported by China Telecom's and China Unicom's networks, according to Reuters.

Xiaomi officials announced the MVNO as well as a new flagship smartphone, the Mi 4c, at an event in Beijing.

According to the company, the Mi 4c features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 six-core, 64-bit processor, 13 Megapixel and 5 Megapixel cameras and a 3080 mAh battery, among other elements.

In a brief press release, Xiaomi said of Mi Mobile: "Mobile plans are now made simple with affordable and transparent 'pay as you go' or 3 Gb data bundled plans. Isn't that awesome?"

Xiaomi is the leading smartphone brand in China with a goal of selling between 80 million and 100 million units this year.

In the third quarter of 2014, Gartner reported that Xiaomi had become one of the top five global smartphone brands with year-over-year sales growth of more than 300%.

Also, last year Xiaomi raised more than $1.1 billion in new funding, taking its valuation to more than $45 billion.

Source: Xiaomi enters Chinese carrier market with MVNO

Declining Smartphone Maker HTC Booted from Blue Chip Index

Taiwan's stock exchange has removed smartphone maker HTC from its index of blue chip companies, signposting the dramatic decline of a business that once ranked as Taiwan's No. 1 brand and dazzled consumers with some of the world's first Android handsets.

The exchange removed HTC from its FTSE TWSE Taiwan 50 index on Monday after the company's market value declined below the level required for inclusion in the market benchmark. The index lists Taiwan's 50 biggest companies which together represent 70 percent of the market's value.

It's a humbling comedown for a company that once sold more than 1 in 10 of phones worldwide, received plaudits for innovation and represented Taiwan's ambitions to spawn its own globally recognized electronics brands.

In the past several years, HTC has struggled because of marketing and supply chain glitches as well as intense competition from Apple, Samsung Electronics and Chinese makers such as Xiaomi. Last month, it announced a 15 percent cut in its staff of about 15,700 after a second-quarter loss of $247 million.

"They made a lot of missteps, but they were also caught in the crosshairs of a shift to commoditization of the market," said John Brebeck, senior Taipei adviser with Hong Kong investment consultancy Peace Field.

HTC, an 18-year-old company that started out doing contract work for other high-tech firms, came out with its HTC Magic phone in 2008. It ran on Google's Android operating system when other vendors were still working on feature phones -- the kind with buttons rather than touchscreens. Company revenues shot up 93 percent in 2010.

By early 2011 those handsets, backed by a reputation for lightness and technical quality, had taken HTC to its world market share peak of 10.7 percent.

That year the New York-based consultancy Interbrand ranked HTC as the No. 98 brand worldwide. That laurel cast the company whose initials stand for "high tech computer" as a model for an island dependent for decades on high-tech contract work but with few globally known brands of its own.

HTC's decline began as the number of smartphone vendors surged along with total shipments that reached 1.2 billion units last year, up 28 percent over 2013.

Samsung and Apple captured the United States through sales contracts with wireless carriers while local Chinese brands such as Lenovo and Xiaomi led in China as HTC was trying to establish a customer base. Its world market share is estimated now at 3 to 4 percent.

HTC attributes its losses to slowing use of high-end Android phones, changes in its product lineup and increased competition.

It will keep working on high-end handsets along with connected devices and "virtual reality," the company's media office said last week.

"We remain confident that, with the diversification of our product portfolio and our continued investment in innovation, our market share will grow," it said.

Analysts say HTC underspent on marketing, perhaps underestimating the impact of the iconic name recognition of Apple and aggressive publicity campaigns by Samsung. Sales techniques increase in importance as smartphone designs vary less and less over time.

HTC also moved too slowly to secure phone components as competition grew, analysts believe. For a flagship high-end One series smartphone released in 2013, HTC used a processor that the supplier had already replaced with a faster one.

"Its efforts to increase tech innovations were dragged by sloppy supply chain management," said Jade Chang, an analyst with Taipei-based research firm Marketing Intelligence & Consulting Institute.

HTC's removal for the top 50 index "reflects the heavy losses its stock has suffered in recent sessions," she said.

Taiwan's stock exchange said in a statement that HTC had "not met standards" for the top 50. Its share price has declined about 60 percent in the year to date, extending a steady fall since 2011.

The exchange moved HTC to the FTSE TWSE Taiwan Mid-Cap 100 Index, a list of 100 publicly traded firms with moderate market capitalization.

© 2015 Associated Press under contract with NewsEdge. All rights reserved.

Source: Declining Smartphone Maker HTC Booted from Blue Chip Index

Hands off! Chinese students are forced to balance their handsets during military training to 'curb smartphone addiction'

Students in Zhengzhou, China, were made to balance their mobile phones

Drill was said to be part of mandatory military training at their university

It's thought the balancing act was designed to cure their phone addiction

By Qin Xie For Mailonline

Published: 11:30 EST, 21 September 2015 | Updated: 11:30 EST, 21 September 2015

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Students at a university in Zhengzhou, central China, were photographed participating in a bizarre training ritual.

The pictures showed a group of female students balancing their smartphones on various body parts as well as in their mouths.

This training was part of the university's mandatory military training for undergraduates, reported People's Daily Online.

Students at a university in Zhengzhou, China, were photographed participating in a bizarre training ritual

They had to balance their mobile phones on several different body parts including their mouth, head and feet

Balancing act was reported part of an unknown university in the city's mandatory military training for students

It is not clear how long the students had to hold the positions for. 

The reason for this particular stunt is also unknown. 

However, Chinese media has speculated that the difficult balancing act was used as a way to cure the students of their phone addiction. 

Many people feel that Chinese youths today spend too much time looking down at their phone and not enough time interacting with the world around them.

Recent photographs of a school in Shenyang, north eastern China, showed similar scenes after students were said to have sneaked in mobile phones despite being told that they were forbidden.

Military training is mandatory for high school and university students in China.

They generally last for around a month, during which students live through a strict, disciplined life as if though they're in the army. 

The training is intended to prepare them for school life and build character.

Chinese media has speculated that the students were made to hold the positions to cure phone addiction

Source: Hands off! Chinese students are forced to balance their handsets during military training to 'curb smartphone addiction'

Apple Targeted as Hackers Infect Popular Chinese Mobile Apps With Malware

By Dow Jones Business News,  September 20, 2015, 08:11:00 AM EDT

By Josh Chin

BEIJING--Some of the most popular Chinese names in Apple Inc.'sApp Store were found to be infected with malicious software in what is being described as a first-of-its-kind security breach, exposing a rare vulnerability in Apple's mobile platform, according to multiple researchers.

The applications were infected after software developers were lured into using a compromised version of Apple's developer tool kit, according to researchers at Alibaba Mobile Security, a mobile antivirus division of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

The list of recently compromised iPhone and iPad offerings includes Tencent Holdings Ltd.'s popular mobile chat app WeChat, Uber-like car-hailing app Didi Kuaidi, and a Spotify-like music app from Internet portal NetEase Inc.

The attack affected more than three dozen apps in all, according to U.S.-based cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks Inc.

The infected apps can transmit information about a user's device, prompt fake alerts that could be used to steal passwords to Apple's iCloud service, and read and write information on the user's clipboard, according to researchers.

Apple didn't have an immediate comment.

In separate statements posted to social media over the weekend, Tencent, Didi Kuadi Joint Co. and NetEase said their applications had been compromised but said no sensitive customer information had been lost.

"At present, we haven't discovered any loss of user information or assets as a result of this [breach], though the WeChat team will continue to monitor and do tests," Tencent said in a message posted to the Sina Weibo microblogging service late Friday. A new, clean update of the WeChat app had been uploaded to the app store, it said.

It is unusual for malware to spread through Apple's App Store, which typically subjects apps to stringent reviews. In a blog post Thursday, Palo Alto Networks said the attack was the first of its type directed at Apple's iOS mobile operating system. Chinese anticensorship activist group Greatfire.org called it "the most widespread and significant spread of malware" in the app store's history.

Other apps found infected with the malware include those belonging to state-run mobile carrier China Unicom, and 12306, the country's official train-booking website, researchers said. China Unicom and China's railway bureau did not immediately respond to faxed requests for comment Sunday.

It wasn't clear Sunday how the infected apps made it past Apple's screening process, or whether the breach had resulted in any user information being stolen, though researchers said millions of devices could have been exposed based on the popularity of the apps in question.

WeChat has more than 500 million active users, according to Tencent. It isn't clear how many use devices from Apple, which accounts for about 15% of China's smartphone market, according to researcher IDC.

The hack exploited Chinese developers' impatience, according to Palo Alto Networks. To write apps for Apple devices, developers have to use a tool kit called Xcode, but downloading the official version from Apple's website can take a long time in China.

The hackers posted their infected version on a Chinese server, advertising faster downloads, the researchers said. Any app created or altered using the bogus Xcode would then itself become infected with the malware, they said.

The infected Xcode was hosted on Baidu Pan, a cloud service offered by Chinese search giant Baidu Inc., according to multiple security researchers. Baidu removed the file shortly after being notified of its existence, Baidu spokesman Kaiser Kuo said Sunday.

The malware has been dubbed XcodeGhost by researchers at Alibaba Mobile Security, who were the first to document it extensively in a series of social media posts starting Thursday.

Even if the hackers didn't use the malware to steal anything, Palo Alto Networks warned it still represented a threat to the popular operating system. Security researcher Claud Xiao wrote on the firm's website Friday that criminals and spies could use the malware to gain access to iOS devices.

"We believe XcodeGhost is a very harmful and dangerous malware that has bypassed Apple's code review and made unprecedented attacks on the iOS ecosystem," he wrote.

Yang Jie contributed to this article.

Write to Josh Chin at josh.chin@wsj.com

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Source: Apple Targeted as Hackers Infect Popular Chinese Mobile Apps With Malware

Tim Cook: Apple is killing it in China

Daniel Sparks, The Motley Fool 7:30 p.m. EDT September 18, 2015

A Chinese man sets up his new iPhone 6 inside an Apple store in Beijing, China.(Photo: Feng Li, Getty Images)

At $116, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock may not be the same buying opportunity it was in late August when shares traded close to $100, but about $19 below its all-time high, and with shares trading at a meaningful discount to the S&P 500, the stock is still looking tasty. Indeed, some of the very concerns that may be keeping the stock suppressed are arguably overdone -- specifically, worries about Apple's waning growth potential for Apple's iPhone business in China.

Enter Apple CEO Tim Cook: The one person who would know best about Apple's struggles in China seems to be the most bullish on the company's potential in the country.

During Apple's September event, the CEO described iPhone sales around the globe as growing "by leaps and bounds." China, specifically, is among its hottest markets, with iPhone sales in the country soaring 75%, year over year, during the last quarter, Cook said, noting this growth easily trumps a 4% decline in year-over-year sales for the rest of the industry's performance in the country.

"But this data is from the second calendar quarter," some critics may protest, "What about demand for iPhone in China today?" iPhone continues to be a blockbuster hit in China, according to the most recent data provided by Apple -- data which was collected after China's decision to devalue its currency.

"Growth in iPhone activations has actually accelerated over the past few weeks," Cook said in a public letter to CNBC's Mad Money TV host and investor Jim Cramer on August 24. The bullish note from Cook came just as Apple stock was trading around $103, and probably at a time when the company was spending billions of dollars repurchasing its own shares.

"I continue to believe that China represents an unprecedented opportunity over the long term," Cook said later in the letter.

Apple in China: What's next?

Probably more solid growth. Apple has two near-term catalysts working in its favor for iPhone sales in China.

1. An iPhone launch in China. Last year, China was notably absent from the launch countries for iPhone. The phone didn't launch in the world's largest smartphone market until October 17 -- about a month after it launched in the U.S. But this year the company is bringing its latest iPhone model to China on the same day it will be available in stores in the U.S.: September 25.

And the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus look poised to be a winning duo in China. Given the current hot streak for Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus line, which marked the tech giant's first foray into phablet territory, in China, Apple is just adding fuel to the fire with the improved versions of the same form factor.

2. Plenty of room for further LTE penetration. The greatest driver for Apple's iPhone success in China has been the country's growing 4G penetration. This massive catalyst started gaining steam in January 2014 when Apple launched its first iPhone with the world's largest carrier, China Mobile, alongside the carrier's aggressive rollout of its 4G network.

Since January 2014, the China's biggest wireless carrier's 4G customers have soared from zero to 209 million. Going forward, the opportunity for further 4G penetration remains enormous. China Mobile currently has 210 million 3G customers.

China may be up against some formidable headwinds. But Apple looks poised to continue charging hard amid these challenges.

Daniel Sparks owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool owns and recommends Apple. The Motley Fool recommends China Mobile. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people take control of their financial lives. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people take control of their financial lives. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

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Source: Tim Cook: Apple is killing it in China

At $300, Elephone Vowney flagship smartphone dual-boots Android 5.0 and Windows 10 Mobile

Back in April, we reported that Chinese smartphone manufacturer Elephone planned to launch a handset which would dual-boot Windows 10 Mobile and Android 5.0 Lollipop mobile operating systems. Five months later, that phone has been officially launched. Called the Elephone Vowney, the smartphone is priced at $299.99 and goes on sale from September 30.

As for the specifications, the Elephone Vowney sports a 5.5-inch QHD display (2560 x 1440) with a pixel density of 535ppi. It is powered by an octa-core MediaTek MT6795 processor clocked at 2.2GHz coupled with 3GB of RAM. It comes with 64GB of inbuilt storage with support for a microSD card should you want more.

Other features of the Elephone Vowney include a 20.7-megapixel rear camera (Sony Exmor IMX230) with autofocus capability and support for 4K video recording, there is an 8-megapixel front-facing camera to go along with it. On the battery side, the dual-SIM capable handset, which also features a fingerprint scanner, comes with 4200 mAh cell. The company is also offering an additional battery of 3800 mAh.

More excitingly, the Elephone Vowney dual-boots Android 5.0 Lollipop and Windows 10 Mobile. In a nutshell, for $300, you're getting a smartphone with top-of-the-line hardware specifications with two operating systems. The phone goes on sale in China on September 30. The good news is that the company has started to expand beyond its Chinese boundaries, which means that the phone could launch near you in the future.

Source: At $300, Elephone Vowney flagship smartphone dual-boots Android 5.0 and Windows 10 Mobile

InMobi ties up with China's APUS for global growth

InMobi, which competes with the likes of Facebook and Google in the global mobile advertising market, has become APUS' first global partner for monetisation.

Mobile advertising platform InMobi has partnered with China's APUS Group, that customises Android software, a move that will enable the Indian firm reach 500 million new users in China and other countries by 2016.

InMobi, which competes with the likes of Facebook and Google in the global mobile advertising market, has become APUS' first global partner for monetisation.

While InMobi will assist APUS in establishing a larger footprint in India, the Chinese company will help InMobi gain access to more than 200 million additional users across the APUS user system with exclusive access to all its users.

Currently, APUS has 200 million users worldwide and the number is expected to grow to 300 million by the end of the year and further to 500 million by 2016-end.

"With five popular Android apps that span across launcher, browsers, booster, flashlight and a messaging center in its portfolio, APUS is looking to make a significant foray into the Indian market that is expected to have more than 369 million smartphone users by 2018," a statement said.

APUS' flagship product allows Android operating system users to customise their smartphone home screens. The Chinese company aims to acquire more than 80 million users in India by 2016.

InMobi will provide expertise to APUS to help them understand the Indian market and will aid user acquisition programmes, including providing guidance towards localising the APUS app experience and acquiring the right talent, it said.

"The collaboration is aimed at propelling APUS into becoming the leading Android user system in India by the end of 2015 and acquiring more than 80 million users in India by 2016," it said.

Set up in 2007, InMobi reaches one billion monthly active users and over 30,000 publishers. It is backed by investors like SoftBank, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Sherpalo.

"We are happy to partner with APUS and introduce a new, user-friendly monetisation opportunity to one of the largest Android app developers from China," InMobi co-founder and CEO Naveen Tewari said.

He added that this is expected to be the start of an exciting chapter on how Indian and Chinese companies can partner for impressive and rapid growth.

"While we have grown quickly worldwide in the past year, we think the opportunity that exists in India is still largely untapped and will lead the third wave of significant mobile growth. With InMobi, we believe we have the best partner who can help us win in this market," APUS group founder and CEO Li Tao said. 

Source: InMobi ties up with China's APUS for global growth

Two Chinese men attempt to sell their kidneys for new iPhone 6S

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Two men have gone to extreme lengths to get their hands on the latest Apple iPhone 6s, attempting to sell their kidneys in order to raise cash for the smartphone. According to local media, the two friends from China's Jiangsu province, named only as Huang and Wu, found an illegal agent online offering to buy the kidneys.

Not the first time – Other bizzare stories

It is not the first time that reports have emerged of people keen to sell their internal organs in order to get hold of the latest Apple device. In 2012, five people were arrested in southern China in connection with the illegal trade of kidneys. According to the state-run news agency Xinhua, a 17-year-old received about $3,000 (£1,945) for one of his kidneys, which he used to buy an iPhone and iPad.

One year later, when the iPhone 5 was released in China, a couple was charged with human trafficking after allegedly selling three of their newborn babies to help pay for the smartphone. According to reports in the local media, the pair made $13,000 for selling their babies.

Following the launch of the iPhone 6 last year, a Chinese student attempted to rent out his girlfriend in order to pay for the must-have Apple smartphone. At about the same time, a Saudi man asked his prospective brother-in-law for an iPhone 6 as a dowry for marrying his sister.

Via IBTimes

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Source: Two Chinese men attempt to sell their kidneys for new iPhone 6S

China Courts Silicon Valley: Premier Xi Jinping To Meet With Apple, IBM, Microsoft Ahead Of White House Visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping is calling U.S. tech leaders to Seattle for a series of meetings as part of his first stop of his U.S. visit in two weeks. The meetings will precede his state visit to the White House, where issues such as trade protectionism and cybersecurity are expected to be high on the agenda.

Tech executives and others with deep ties to China started receiving invitations to Seattle a few weeks ago for a series of meetings Sept. 22 and 23. Apple CEO Tim Cook, Microsoft Corp.'s CEO Satya Nadella and IBM Corp.'s CEO Ginni Rometty are all expected take private, face-to-face meetings with Xi, according to the Financial Times. He is also set to attend a private dinner at the home of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

It is unclear if Google has been invited, and the report states that Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Facebook Inc., has yet to decide if he will attend, despite it being a good opportunity for him to show off his Mandarin skills. Facebook is blocked in China, and Google pulled out in 2010 rather than comply with government censors.

Some are seeing the meetings as a way for Xi to show the Obama administration that the lure of access to the Chinese economy is greater than the threat of sanctions being imposed against China for alleged intellectual property theft or cyber attacks against the U.S. Others are predicting that Xi could offer a carrot -- greater access to Chinese markets, perhaps -- in exchange for tech sector pressure on the Obama administration.

"There is obviously a message here; it is also a demonstration that he has the clout because a lot of U.S. tech execs don't want to be seen as kowtowing to the Chinese," said Joel Backaler, VP at Frontier Strategy Group and author of "China Goes West." "At the same time, China is a very large market; Apple is killing it there and a lot of other tech companies hope to do so as well." 

Google and Facebook are two of the companies that could benefit most from a easing of tensions with China, though both now have extremely established competitors in China in the form of Baidu, which dominates search, and social apps such as WeChat that are deeply woven into Chinese society. "Chinese government would want to make sure Chinese technology are well established enough to compete before the real competition starts," said Bessie Lee, CEO of WPP China and founder of Shanghai-based incubator withinlink.

"For Facebook specifically, their other challenge would be if they will be offering anything new to Chinese users that WeChat are not at the moment," Lee said.

A report last month from the Information suggests that Google is preparing to relaunch at least some of its products in China, with a limited version of its Google Play Store set to launch for Android smartphones and tablets. Sundar Pichai recently took complete control of Google as part of a massive restructuring at the company now known as Alphabet, and in March he indicated his wish to enter the Chinese market speaking at Mobile World Congress:

"It is important to remember that most of the innovation [happening with Chinese smartphones like Xiaomi and OnePlus] is powered by Android," he said. "So we are very committed, we work very hard. I met with partners from China this morning, so it's a big part of what we do. We would of course love to see Google services on top of their experience."

The meetings also come amid the steep decline of the Chinese stock market, though its unclear how representative that is of real economic conditions on the ground. Pre-sales of the pricey new iPhone 6S were robust in China over the weekend, Apple said Monday. Backaler, who recently returned from China, said he spoke to more than 20 CEOs and CFOs, none of whom seemed the least bit worried about China's future.

"There was not a single Chinese exec I spoke to that was expressing the least bit of a doomsday scenario," he said. "There is a recognition that the double-digit growth of yesterday will not repeat itself — but none of them were looking at it as 'my days are numbered.'"

Source: China Courts Silicon Valley: Premier Xi Jinping To Meet With Apple, IBM, Microsoft Ahead Of White House Visit

Hon Hai to make smartphones for China's Gionee in India: report

Foxconn chair and CEO Terry Gou gives a press conference in New Delhi, Aug. 4. (Photo/CFP)

Taiwan-based Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn), the world's largest contract electronics maker, will team up with China's Gionee Communication Equipment to assemble smartphones for the Chinese brand in India, the Mumbai-based Economic Times said Friday.

According to the report, Hon Hai, also known as the Foxconn Technology Group, will roll out smartphones with the Gionee brand in its plant located in Sri city in southeastern India.

Sri city is a special export zone located 55 kilometers north of Chennai and currently houses 107 firms from 27 countries, including 45 multinational corporations.

Hon Hai's commercial production of Gionee smartphones is scheduled to start in mid-October, the report said.

Gionee was once a contract maker for Indian brands, but it launched its own brand in the South Asian country in the first quarter of 2013, the report said.

Gionee president William Lu was cited as saying that Gionee has ambitions to make India a manufacturing hub for its brand and use the Indian base to cater to customers in Africa and in many other nearby markets, such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

Gionee is not the only Chinese brand to work with Hon Hai. The Taiwanese manufacturer reportedly also started production of smartphones for Xiaomi in its Sri city plant in August.

In addition, FIH Mobile, a Hong Kong-listed subsidiary of Hon Hai, has also joined forces with Xiaomi to produce the Chinese brand's Redmi 2 Prime model in a plant located in Andhra Pradesh province in southern India.

Last week, the Economic Times said that Hon Hai will work with OPPO, another Chinese smartphone brand, to roll out some of OPPO's devices by the end of November.

Hon Hai is planning to invest US$2 billion in India over the next 10 years to set up production bases in India as it eyes the strong growth potential of the South Asian country. It is expected to open 10-12 factories in India over the next decade.

Hon Hai said it hopes to bring a complete supply chain to India instead of simply setting up assembly lines there.

In addition to the investments in manufacturing, FIH Mobile announced a deal in August to acquire a 4.27% stake in Snapdeal, a leading online retail platform in India.

References:

William Lu　　盧偉冰

Source: Hon Hai to make smartphones for China's Gionee in India: report

Progress is hard for Make in India

In a vast factory in Sriperumbudur, an Indian city about 40 kilometres south-west of Chennai, hundreds of workers are industriously labouring to churn out millions of 4G Moto E smartphones a year.

The Chinese technology company Lenovo, which acquired Motorola last year, three weeks ago started manufacturing smartphones in India. It is the company's only manufacturing facility outside of China where it is making both Lenovo and Motorola smartphones.

For India, which has set its sights on becoming a global manufacturing hub following the launch of the prime minister Narendra Modi's Make in India campaign almost a year ago, having the Chinese tech giant expand its manufacturing operations in the country is a significant step forward in its ambitions.

India has many of the necessary elements to become a thriving global manufacturing powerhouse, but it must first overcome a series of challenges that are holding it back, analysts say.

The transition is vital for India, as it strives to boost its economic growth levels and create enough jobs for a population of more than 1.2 billion. More than 12 million Indians are entering the labour force every year.

"There is a huge scope in the sector," says Mahesh Singhi, the managing director of Singhi Advisors, a global investment banking firm in Mumbai.

"India offers potential investors in the manufacturing sector a number of competitive advantages. India's own domestic market is large, with more than 600 million rural consumers. Workers' wages in India are less than half of those in China."

Then he points out the negatives that threaten to derail the country's ambitions. "India faces acute challenges such as power, ports, railroads and a shortage of skilled labour. India can definitely become a global manufacturing hub if the Modi government is able to resolve these issues and give a sustainable ecosystem for manufacturing to expand."

The country has already had some significant success in attracting foreign companies in recent months. Foxconn, the Taiwanese company which manufactures Apple's iPhone in China, in July revealed plans to open 10 to 12 factories in the country and create up to 1 million jobs by 2020.

The company last month signed an agreement with the state of Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located, to invest US$5 billion in a semiconductor manufacturing facility over five years. The US carmaker General Motors also last month unveiled plans to invest $1bn over the next few years to boost its exports out of India. Japan's Toyota this month revealed plans to invest in India, according to The Economic Times, an Indian business newspaper. The Swedish telecoms company Ericsson recently said it planned to set up a second manufacturing facility in Pune, which aims be an export hub. Sony a few weeks ago started manufacturing its Bravia televisions at Foxconn's facility in Chennai.

Xiaomi, China's largest smartphone company, a few weeks ago started making smartphones at a Foxconn factory in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

On Monday, a memorandum of understanding was announced between India's Reliance Defence and Abu Dhabi Ship Building to look at the possibility of a strategic partnership for building naval ships for the GCC.

"India has the potential to be a major global manufacturing hub," says Kaustubh Shukla, the chief operating officer of the industrial products group at Godrej & Boyce, part of the conglomerate Godrej Group. "Our country features nearly all of the key ingredients necessary to transform its economy into a manufacturing centre – a demographic dividend, attractive domestic market, comparative advantage in shipping and labour costs, an inexpensive currency relative to the US dollar and low political risk."

He also points to a plethora of obstacles when it comes to expanding its manufacturing sector.

"There are certain bottlenecks that need to be addressed such as lack of proper infrastructure, which includes slow land acquisition, frequent power outages faced by companies and below-par transport structure," says Mr Shukla. "These are the basic things required, as manufacturing is highly reliant on well-functioning infrastructure. In addition, there is also a need to address tax- and labour-related issues."

China is undoubtedly India's biggest competitor in the manufacturing space, he says.

"The Chinese government's support to manufacturing in the form of affordable cost of funds, cheap inputs and world-class infrastructure gives it an advantage over Indian manufacturers."

Amar Babu, the chief operating officer of Lenovo Asia Pacific and the chairman of Lenovo India, says that the country is important to the company strategically and that "with an improving economic climate, India is now well-positioned as the next manufacturing hub of the world".

But he would still like to see more being done to overcome the challenges. "The challenges that pull India a step down from becoming the global manufacturing destination are stringent policies, labour laws and inverted duty structures," says Mr Babu.

"Factors including taxation, land acquisition, trade policy, are serious roadblocks. Apart from adding significantly to the cost of doing business, infrastructure bottlenecks deter foreign and private investors."

There is also a need for "transparency in policy and predictability" to make it easier to do business in India, he says.

"Foreign investors expect a clear protocol without any grey areas to be able to conduct business efficiently."

Interest rates being far higher in India than China is another stumbling block for the subcontinent, as it drives up costs for companies.

The government has long been trying to pass major reforms, including a universal goods and services tax (GST) and a land acquisition policy, which would help the sector.

"Policy reforms are the biggest challenges for the government," says Satish Modh, the director of VES Institute of Management Studies and Research.

"Hopefully, the government would be able to convince the opposition parties to relent and support in major reforms, including GST legislation."

The tax is one of India's biggest economic reform proposals in decades, aimed at creating a single market across the country. But the government faced a setback this week when it failed to push through legislation in the current parliament session.

"In truth, not only does the finance ministry's hope of introducing the GST by April next year look unrealistic, implementation by April 2017 would be a stretch too," wrote Shilan Shah, a Singapore-based economist at Capital Economics.

Babu Padmanabhan, the founder and managing director of Steer, a materials technology company in India, expresses disappointment with the Make in India initiative so far.

"We should be able to feel there has been a change in policy," he says. "We haven't seen a change in policy yet. To grow manufacturing it is important to grow access to capital. It is important to provide capital at low costs. Without availability of capital resource at the various levels of industries, it is difficult for the Make in India story to have a truly social impact."

The country does have strengths in many areas and has a vast pool "of trained or trainable" human resources, he adds.

"India has been a tremendous place for excellence in information technology, automobile manufacturing, textiles, steel and chemical technology, and in a number of fields it will continue to have potential."

But Mr Padmanabhan says the biggest challenge is "uncertainty".

"It is the lack of visibility and the inability to know how the future would turn out in terms of policymaking and continuity."

And there is more competition on the way for India, putting pressure on the country to address the hurdles sooner rather than later.

"India faces competition from countries such as China, Thailand and Indonesia, where the governments have been investor-friendly for many years," says Mr Singhi.

"The main advantage these countries have is the basic infrastructure, which is important for the manufacturing sector to flourish. The land and labour laws are more favourable in these countries than India. I believe India will have to catch up fast as the competition is likely to increase from other emerging countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Latin America and South Africa."

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Source: Progress is hard for Make in India

Alcatel OneTouch could offer decent Windows 10 Mobile phones for cheap

Microsoft has picked up a new partner as it tries to revitalize Windows on smartphones.

Chinese smartphone vendor Alcatel OneTouch says it's planning to launch a Windows 10 Mobile phone by the end of the year. The phone will launch in the United States with at least one wireless carrier. "We are very supportive of the Windows ecosystem," Steve Cistulli, Alcatel's senior vice president for North America, told CNET.

While Alcatel hasn't revealed any specifics, a report by Evan "evleaks" Blass claims that the company's first Windows 10 phone will be the OneTouch Fierce XL. It seems to be a mid-range handset, with a 5.5-inch 720p display, quad-core Snapdragon 210 processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage, 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera, microSD card slot, and voice over LTE. Blass claims the Fierce XL will arrive in December.

Alcatel has impressed recently with its mid-range Idol 3 Android phone, which has a vibrant display, excellent speakers, and a svelte design for a mere $250 unlocked. Perhaps the company can bring the same mix of solid features and low prices to Windows 10.

Why this matters: So far, Microsoft doesn't have a lot of confirmed allies for Windows 10 Mobile. Only Acer has announced a specific handset, the upcoming Jade Primo. Meanwhile, some vendors such as Huawei and Asus have made their disdain for mobile Windows a matter of public record. With Microsoft cutting back on the number of low-end phones it plans to produce and focusing more on flagship products, Alcatel could be a valuable partner.

Source: Alcatel OneTouch could offer decent Windows 10 Mobile phones for cheap

Growth of smartphones drops to 5.8 percent per year

THE global smartphone shipments for 2016 will only show a 5.8 percent annual growth, sitting at 1.34 billion units, claims TrendForce..

This represents a decline in annual growth, down from the 8.3 percent growth between 2015 and 2014.

According to TrendForce, 2015 marks the end of the smartphone boom that began with the launch of the iPhone in 2007. As the industry enters a plateau period, growth rates will be a far call from the past, when shipment increases were upwards of 30 percent.

The sales of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus stayed hot throughout the first half of 2015, unaffected by seasonality influences. As a result, Apple will see its annual iPhone shipment growth close to 16 percent in 2015, totaling 223 million units.

However, the recently launched iPhone 6S focuses only on hardware upgrades and is similar to the previous generation iPhone models in appearance.

Furthermore, several rival brands have released their latest models ahead of the next iPhone's launch in September. Samsung deliberately launched Galaxy Note 5 earlier, and so did Huawei with its Mate S featuring Force Touch and Sony with its Xperia Z5 Premium, which is the first smartphone with a 4K display.

These competing devices and the next iPhone's lack of fresh looks will have a tangible impact on iPhone sales next year. In sum, Apple is also moving into a plateau growth period, and TrendForce expects the vendor to see its first ever single-digit iPhone shipment growth in 2016 at about 7.5 percent.

Meanwhile, increasingly competitive Chinese brands will phase out some weaker players. While the projected global smartphone shipment growth for 2016 is reduced to a low 5.8 percent, TrendForce expects Chinese brands will be able to maintain shipment increases of at least 10 percent annually next year, with their combined shipments totaling around 576 million units.

For the second quarter of 2015, TrendForce found that 7 out of the top 10 global smartphone vendors are Chinese, and they are gaining grounds steadily over other global brands like Microsoft, Sony and HTC.

However, because at least 80 percent of components for Chinese branded smartphones are sourced from foreign suppliers, the Chinese government has been encouraging the domestic smartphone industry to transform its role from manufacturing to independent R&D. The expectation is that Chinese companies eventually will be participating in the configuration and standardisation of smartphone specs.

The Chinese government has furthermore targeted DRAM production for strategic investments as it aspires to create domestic rivals to South Korean and U.S. companies that can develop DRAM components in house.

Source: Growth of smartphones drops to 5.8 percent per year

Is Google, Inc. Headed Back to China?

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) hasn't given up on China. While the company took a major step out of the country back in 2009, Google's always had a small stake there. But as China's become the world's largest smartphone market, dominated by Google's own mobile operating system, the company wants back in, and in a big way.

Last week, an article published in The Information said that Google will re-enter China this fall, give smartphone makers in the country incentive to upgrade to the latest version of Android and Google Wear, launch a new Play Store, and even allow the Chinese government to oversee some of its data. Click on the following video to find out more about Google's China plans and why it could benefit. 

The next billion-dollar iSecretThe world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something at its recent event, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.

Chris Neiger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns and recommends Google (A shares) and Google (C shares). Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Source: Is Google, Inc. Headed Back to China?

China Smartphone Market 2009-2019 – Risk Analysis, Evaluation and Management

"Smart Phone Market"

China smartphone market has experienced a skyrocketing growth in the last decade driven by surging demand for smart phones and China fast GDP increase. China has become the largest smartphone production & consumption base in the world with its smartphone annual shipment accounting for over 34.3% of the total shipment worldwide by 2014, up from 12.1% market share in 2008.

As the largest market in the world, mainland China remains among the fastest-growing nations in smartphone industry. This report provides updated statistics and predictions for Smartphone Market in China based on a summary of independent research and a filtration of comparative data from third-party sources. An overview of the global smartphone market is also included. Historical data covers 2009-2014 period which was projected over the next five years up to 2019. In addition, the benchmarked data and analysis offer a solid and comprehensive foundation for businesses to generate ideas tapping into China's smartphone industry and/or market.

This report answers the key questions: How large is China's smartphone market and its share in global market? What are the sizes of sub-categories in smartphone market by OS, brands, price, screen size, CPU processor, and camera resolution? Where do Chinese smartphone users download/purchase apps or software and how much do th ey spend monthly? What are the marketing channels of smartphones in China? What are the answers to the above questions in the next five year? Our research team estimates that China's smartphone shipments and users reached 450 million and 610 million respectively in 2014. It is predicted that the two figures to continue to rise over the coming years driven by the booming economy and the expansion of middle-class people in China. The total smartphone shipments and users will soared to 768.3 million and 964 million by 2019.

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Table of Contents

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTIONI-1. Industry Definition and ScopeI-2. Research MethodologyI-3. Executive Summary

CHAPTER II. OVERVIEW OF GLOBAL SMARTPHONE MARKETII-1. Global Mobile Phone and Smartphone Shipments 2009-2019II-2. Market Segments of Global Smartphone Shipment Volume by OS 2009-2019II-3. Market Se gments of Global Smartphone Shipment Value by OS 2009-2019II-4. Worldwide Smartphone Average Selling Price 2009-2019II-5. Global Mobile Phone and Smartphone Users 2009-2019

CHAPTER III. CHINA SMARTPHONE SHIPMENTS AND USERSIII-1. China Smartphone Shipments by Volume 2009-2019III-2. China Smartphone Shipments by Value 2009-2019III-3. Market Shares of China Smartphone Shipments by Air Interface 2009-2019III-4. Market Shares of China Smartphone Shipments by Vendor 2011-2014III-5. Market Distribution of China Smartphone Shipments by OS 2009-2019III-6. Marketing Channels of China Smartphones 2013-2014III-7. China Smartphone Users and Penetration 2009-2019III-8. Market Shares of China Smartphone in Use by Brand 2013 & 2014III-9. Shares of China Smartphones in Use by OS 2009-2014III-10. Shares of China Smartphones in Use by Screen Size 2009-2019

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CHAPTER IV. CHINA SMARTPHONE OUTPUT AND EXPORTIV-1. Smartphone Output Value and Enterprises in China 2009-2019IV-2. Major China Smartphone Makers and Market Shares in 2014IV-3. China Smartphone Exports by Value 2009-2019IV-4. Contribution of China's Smartphone Supply to Global Market 2009-2019

CHAPTER V. SMARTPHONE FEATURES AND TREND ANALYSISV-1. China's Smartphone Average Selling Price 2009-2019V-2. Most Popular Smartphones in China in October 2014V-3. Market Shares of China Smartphones by Brand Awareness 2010-2014V-4. Price Segments of China Smartphones 2011-2014V-5. Processor Segments of China Smartphone Models on Market 2013-2014V-6. Distribution of Smartphone Models on Market by Screen Size 2013-2014V-7. Market Shares of Smartphone Models on Sale by Camera Resolution 2013-2014V-8. Market Shares of Smartphone Models on Sale by Battery Capacity in October 2014

CHAPTER VI. BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS OF CHINA SMARTPHONE CONSUMERSVI-1. China's Urbanization Progress 2009-2019VI-2. I ncrease of Per Capita Income in China 2009-2019VI-3. Increase of Customer Goods Sales in China 2009-2019VI-4. Smartphone Features Considered by Potential Purchasers 2013-2014VI-5. Major Complaints from Smartphone Users in 2014VI-6. On-Device Behaviors of China's Smartphone Users 2013-2014VI-7. Percentage of Users Who Used Smartphones in Various Places or Activities 2013-2014VI-8. Softwares/Apps Installed by Category 2013-2014VI-9. Downloading Sources of Installed Apps 2013-2014VI-10. Average Monthly Spending on Apps Installation 2013-2014

CHAPTER VII. CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITYVII-1. Will Profit Shrinking Hurt the Industry?VII-2. Major Growth Drivers and Increasingly Attractive Features of Future Smartphones

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Global Smartphone Market 2013-2020

Smart-phone providers have been following price differentiation as their key market strategy to outperform their competitors. Some of the major players in global smart-phone market include Samsung Electron ics Company Ltd., Apple Inc., Sony Corporation, Nokia Oyj, Micromax Informatics Ltd., LG Electronics Inc., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., OPPO Electronics Corp., Beijing Xiaomi Technology Co. Ltd. and Lenovo Group Ltd among others. Among all the key players, Samsung Electronics, Nokia Oyj, Apple Inc., Xiaomi Technology Co. Ltd. and LG Electronics Inc. collectively accounted for more than 50% of overall market share in 2013.

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The Asian smartphone market represents half of the global smartphone market. China and India are expected to consume 52.0% of the total Smartphone Market in future. Asian market is forecast to have over of 1,000 million shipments by the end of 2018. Major part of those units will be consumed mainly by China and India alone. Companies such as Xiaomi and Micromax in Asia challenge dominance of Korean giant, Samsung. Local players are planning to launch low cost 3G and 4G enabled smartphones. This new trend has impacted the growth of Asian smartphone market. Rising demand, growing economy and tech-savvy young population are the major drivers of the smartphone market in Asia. Asian smartphone market has experiencing a shift from feature phones to smartphones. Thus, penetration rate of smartphones is likely to grow rapidly as there are millions of new users in the market who are increasingly adopting smartphones.

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China Smartphone Industry 2015 Market Trends, Analysis & Forecast 2020

Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and Bill of Materials cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins. The report focuses on China major leading industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out. The Smartphone industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.

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Source: China Smartphone Market 2009-2019 – Risk Analysis, Evaluation and Management

Lenovo’s Vibe X3 Certified By Chinese Regulator TENAA

Lenovo seems to be prepping the launch of a brand new smartphone that goes by the name Vibe X3. The handset has now been certified for sale in China by the country's telecommunications certification center, TENAA, according to a post on the organization's website. While we are still in the dark about when the launch might finally happen or what might be the final price once the device sees the light of day officially, the listing on the website of TENAA does give us some amount of insight into the kind of hardware packed into the upcoming device by the famed Chinese manufacturer, who now owns the Motorola brand as part of its portfolio.

Coming to the upcoming smartphone, the device has already been leaked a few times, but some of the rumored specs from those earlier leaks seem to be contradicted by the current set of information available. As per the listing on TENAA, the upcoming Vibe X3 will sport a 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) display, while previous rumors had suggested the presence of a smaller 5-inch panel with the same resolution. As for some of the other hardware specs, the Vibe X3 is believed to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset, which comes with an embedded hexa-core CPU. The handset is also expected to come with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage, which would be expandable, given that there would be a microSD card slot in the phone. The phone is also said to come with support for LTE as per the listing, and will measure 154 mm in length, 76.4 mm in breadth and 9.4 mm in thickness.

The rest of the hardware specs include a fingerprint scanner, which has basically become de rigueur in just about every premium smartphone this year. In case of the Vibe X3, the biometric sensor has been placed at the back of the device, according to the images posted on TENAA. The upcoming smartphone will also apparently sport a 21-megapixel camera with a dual LED flash, and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. All in all, solid specs for a premium handset circa 2015, but not quite a flagship from a brand like Lenovo. On release, the handset is expected to slot in just below the company's upcoming flagship smartphone, the Vibe Z3 Pro.

Source: Lenovo's Vibe X3 Certified By Chinese Regulator TENAA