Counterpoint Research is attending MWC Las Vegas from 26th September to 28th September 2023
Our Research Director, Jeff Fieldhack and Associate Director, Gareth Owen, will be attending the MWC Las Vegas. You can schedule a meeting with them to discuss the latest trends in the technology, media and telecommunication industry.
When: 26th to 28th September 2023
Where: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
About the event:
MWC Las Vegas, in partnership with CTIA, is GSMA’s flagship event in North America, aimed at showcasing the hottest trends in connectivity and mobile innovation. The event is aimed towards driving innovation in technology as people meet in-person and use their collective knowledge to accelerate technology and drive human progress. From carriers and equipment manufacturers to mobile app developers and content creators, everyone will reconvene physically to explore this year’s theme, Velocity, and showcase the latest and the greatest in technology.
Click here (or send us an email at contact@counterpointresearch.com) to schedule a meeting with them.
The hype surrounding digital twins is undoubtedly real, with many IoT players actively seeking to leverage the unique benefits of digital twin technology to gain a competitive edge in the market.
Connectivity, a key component of digital transformation, was at center stage with a significant focus on satellite and 5G.
Partnerships, collaborations, and API will fight the fragmentation in IoT and digital transformation.
San Diego, Buenos Aires, London, New Delhi, Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul – May 15, 2023
Counterpoint Research analysts recently attended three of the most prominent tech events of 2023 – Consumer Electronics Show, Mobile World Congress, and Industrial Transformation at Hannover Messe. After a hiatus of three years, these events saw a remarkable return of in-person attendance, indicating a promising comeback of the tech industry. During their visits, Counterpoint analysts delved deep into the latest trends and advancements in IoT and digital transformation, and have now identified seven key takeaways or focus areas. The findings are expected to have far-reaching implications for businesses and organizations looking to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.
Commenting on the key takeaways, Associate Director Mohit Agrawal said, “As we attended the tech events of 2023, it became increasingly clear that the rise of digital twins was the single biggest takeaway, particularly in Hannover. We saw how digital twins have energized the industrial IoT players, and are likely to become a critical component of digital transformation in the coming years. Connectivity plays a crucial role in enabling digital transformation and the events had a significant focus on satellite, private networks, eSIM, 5G, and connectivity management platforms. Finally, we were impressed with the companies’ incorporation of AI in various processes, especially in analytics, visual inspection, and robotics. It is exciting to see how these technological advancements will shape the future of industries, and we are eager to keep a close watch on these developments.”
Source: Counterpoint Research
Each of the events was attended by over 100,000 visitors and had exhibitors across the long value chain of IoT and digital transformation. Many of the takeaways amplified Counterpoint Research’s top trends prediction for 2023 released earlier this year, noted ResearchVice President Neil Shah. “IoT is an incredibly vast and fragmented value chain, and it is becoming increasingly clear that industry consolidation is necessary. Efforts like the Qualcomm Aware platform are a step in the right direction to reduce fragmentation and improve the overall IoT landscape. It is essential to see more of these kinds of partnerships between players in the industry to reduce adoption friction points and fully realize the potential of IoT. APIs are increasingly becoming important in seamless collaborations. As we move forward, we remain optimistic about the future of IoT and the role that industry collaboration will play in driving innovation and growth,” Shah added.
Feel free to reach us at press@counterpointresearch.com for questions regarding our latest research and insights.
Background
Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the technology, media and telecom (TMT) industry. It services major technology and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects and detailed analyses of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are seasoned experts in the high-tech industry.
Counterpoint at Mobile World Congress 2023 – Complete Insights
APRIL 3, 2023
Discover the latest trends and insights from Mobile World Congress (MWC)! Explore our collection of blogs, reports, videos, podcasts, and interviews from the event, and get a comprehensive view of the mobile industry’s future. From expert analysis to exclusive interviews, we’ve got you covered. Dive in and stay ahead of the curve!
Blogging the Future: Insights and Analysis from MWC23
Discover the key insights and takeaways with our comprehensive wrap-up report
MWC was back to almost full strength in 2023, with nearly 90,000 visitors creating excitement and buzz that belied the ongoing macro challenges blighting the tech industry.
MWC23: The Future of Mobile, Straight to Your Ears
Listen to our exclusive podcast for Key Takeaways from MWC 2023
This year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona proved to be a great success. At the event, which was held in earnest for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies introduced new products and technologies. (Podcast in Korean language)
MWC23: Youtube Spotlight
MWC23: LinkedIn Live
Stay ahead of the game with our bite-sized insights and highlights
This year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona proved to be a great success. At the event, which was held in earnest for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies introduced new products and technologies. With nearly 90,000 visitors, the event managed to regain its former vigor, excitement, and buzz.
Networks and operators actively participated in MWC 2023 and introduced new technologies and solutions. The event also revealed industry players’ aspirations to take the lead in 5.5G and 6G, and the telecommunication companies’ concerns about monetization.
Another noteworthy point was the remarkable presence of Chinese companies. In particular, Chinese companies including Huawei, HONOR, OPPO, and TECNO introduced foldable smartphones, showing that the foldable market, which was formed with Samsung at the forefront, is blooming in earnest.
In the latest episode of ‘The Counterpoint Podcast’, Counterpoint’s Research Director Tom Kang and Associate Director Sujeong Lim, who participated in the event, discuss their takeaways from MWC 2023.
Click the Play Button to Listen to the Podcast
Podcast chapter markers
1:22 – MWC atmosphere
2:33 – Hot topics at the event
4:55 – Foldable market forecast. When will Apple enter the foldable market?
6:16 – New technologies – eSIM, satellite communication
The entire world is going through digital transformation with connectivity at the center intelligently bridging the edge-cloud gap. The data emanating at the edge, whether it is telemetry data from the sensors or location, has been pivotal in adding intelligence, context, and analytics to the connected asset to enable quick, accurate, informed, and timely decision-making.
If we look at the entire IoT or location value chain, it spans from the endpoint/edge (possibly a device/sensor/gateway) to the network infrastructure, enabling connectivity between the edge and the software or API-driven cloud and analytics platforms. While connectivity is the glue, location also provides important context to the asset and the data emanating from the asset.
WATCH: Qualcomm Aware Platform Explained
Power of connectivity and location
We have extensively researched and talked about the IoT market and the importance of end-to-end control, from chipsets, modules, and devices to connectivity to the platforms, including both IoT and location. The IoT landscape, which has been fragmented, is now undergoing consolidation as there is a significant mismatch between the value being created and captured. However, the success in IoT lies in a player which can be integrated and offer end-to-end capabilities while also remaining open and flexible to work with different partners across the value chain at the same time. This should allow the player to create and capture maximum value opportunities for everyone and accelerate the digital transformation journeys of different companies.
Qualcomm has been the leading and largest “connectivity” chipset provider in the IoT and automotive segments, shipping hundreds of millions of chips every year. While connectivity and IoT are natural to Qualcomm, the San Diego-based systems company has also realized the importance of blending the power of location and connectivity. Therefore, Qualcomm has acquired its long-time partner Skyhook, a Boston-based company that has been a leader in the development of location technologies integrating into the devices, and PoLTE, a Dallas-based company focusing on cellular-based accurate positioning technology for mobile devices to IoT applications such as fleet management and asset tracking. Driving location-based intelligence right from the chipset via APIs reduces a lot of integration-related difficulties for companies trying to connect their assets to the cloud securely and seamlessly.
WATCH: Qualcomm Aware Platform Use Cases Demo
Qualcomm Aware SaaS platform – API-driven chip to cloud connectivity
With its important position in the IoT value chain and leveraging its location and connectivity expertise, Qualcomm recently launched Qualcomm Aware, an API-first platform offering secure and out-of-the-box chip-to-cloud integration. Qualcomm is doing this via an intelligent software on top of the chip to help solution makers optimize, configure, and transmit location and telemetry data from the edge to the cloud simply via APIs integrating with partner solutions.
Source – Qualcomm
Initial capabilities: Location data, connectivity management, security and more
The Qualcomm Aware solution can be tailored to specific verticals, applications or use cases. It comprises of following capabilities:
• Location data GNSS, cellular, Wi-Fi, hybrid location, geofencing, etc
• Power-optimized, configurable hardware and software components
• Security – edge to cloud, Silicon Root of Trust, provisioning, etc
• Connectivity management – cellular, roaming, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc
• Devices – With Qualcomm Aware low-power embedded chipsets
In our opinion, the platform for a particular use case, such as asset tracker, might offer the full solution to start with. But when the need to scale up arises, the platform will have to become more modular so that the end customers or system integrators have more options to choose from. For example, just leverage location APIs or with connectivity management or the off-the-shelf Qualcomm Aware partner devices or not.
Initially targeted use cases: Asset tracking
Source – Qualcomm
Since it blends location and connectivity well, asset tracking is the lowest-hanging opportunity for Qualcomm Aware.
Qualcomm has partnered with Quectel, Ikotek, Thundercomm, and others to build Qualcomm Aware-ready asset trackers to help customers kickstart with the offering as the previous-generation chipset-based devices cannot be upgraded to become Qualcomm Aware compatible. While the solution comes with bundled connectivity (via partner), Qualcomm does not aim to become an MVNO and step on its partners’ toes. For the mapping, routing and location data, Qualcomm is partnering with Mapbox and TomTom in this initial phase. Larger players such as HERE and Google are expected to be on the partnership roadmap eventually.
Source – Qualcomm
Therefore, transport and logistics is the initial target segment, followed by retail, manufacturing, construction and utilities.
Success will be in partnerships and moving to self-serve model
Qualcomm is thus expanding its capabilities and offerings to become a strong enabler with a platform play in this high-potential, fragmented but consolidating market. The timing of the launch might be questionable for many considering the ongoing consolidation, but we believe this is the best time to enter the market with a unique and highly scalable platform to invigorate this market, especially with a strong position in the edge market.
Source – Qualcomm
To be successful with a SaaS approach, being open and striking the right partnerships is paramount. It is great to see Qualcomm striking partnerships across the value chain, from module and device manufacturers, software and middleware players, and location and mapping vendors to system integrators and cloud players. Qualcomm will have to invest in and empower dedicated pre-sales, consulting and post-sales teams to make headway into these markets. Moving to a self-serve model would be critical to further scaling the SaaS business.
Key takeaways: Chip-to-cloud partner-driven IoT and location platform approach
• No vendor other than Qualcomm enjoys a strong position when it comes to the edge of the market.
• As intelligence moves to the edge, a secure edge-to-cloud connectivity offering can help simplify integration, portability and provisioning of IoT solutions, catalyzing the IoT ecosystem.
• Qualcomm Aware helps the company broaden its portfolio beyond hardware to a recurring and scalable software/services business, which investors and partners would welcome.
• Further, Qualcomm Aware can help crack the significant but complex and fragmented IoT market to make a play in the $700-billion connected intelligent edge opportunity.
• The platform’s future success will depend on how Qualcomm expands its partner ecosystem across verticals and geographies while also moving to a self-serve model.
MWC was back to almost full strength in 2023, with nearly 90,000 visitors creating excitement and buzz that belied the ongoing macro challenges blighting the tech industry. The event theme of “Velocity” brought forth discussions across multiple areas including 5G, AI, private networks, digital transformation, eSIM, sustainability and, again, fair share.
Network and infrastructure announcements dominated the show, although there was also a major undercurrent of ways to finally monetise 5G effectively. AI seemed to be moving from concept to reality, featuring in some of the most intriguing and impressive demos, but augmented and extended reality devices, while present on many stands, showed how far the technology still needs to progress before reaching mass adoption.
And, of course, there was the usual slew of smartphone announcements, mostly from Chinese OEMs, although this once key side of MWC was somewhat muted given the decision by some vendors to separate their flagship launches from the show.
Lastly, and a theme that underpinned almost every aspect of MWC, was sustainability, indicating that the industry seems to have finally accepted the critical need to act now to reduce its environmental impact.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Infographic: Mobile Market Monitor (Q1 and Q2 2023)
Global Smartphone Shipments Market Data (Q3 2021 – Q2 2023)
China Smartphone Shipments Market Data (Q1 2022 – Q2 2023)
US Smartphone Shipments Market Data (Q1 2022 – Q2 2023)
India Smartphone Shipments Market Data (Q1 2022 – Q2 2023)
It was yet another busy day in chilly Barcelona with some interesting announcements. Nothing revealed details of its upcoming smartphone, realme announced the GT3 240W with the fastest charging tech, TECNO showed off its folding smartphone, Oasis Smart-SIM showcased its CloudSIM™ solution, and much more. Below is our quick summary of the announcements from Day 2 of the MWC 2023:
TECNO joins the foldable revolution
TECNO made its MWC debut launching several products, including the Phantom V Fold, Spark 10 Pro selfie phone and Megabook S1 2023 laptop. Of course, the standout product announced at the event was the TECNO Phantom V Fold book-type foldable smartphone. Under the hood is a MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ SoC, making it the second folding smartphone powered by MediaTek SoC after the OPPO Find N2.
The smartphone features a 6.42-inch 120Hz LTPO AMOLED cover screen and a 7.85-inch 2K 120Hz LTPO folding display inside, which is bigger than the Galaxy Z Fold4. It comes with a 5,000mAh battery and 45W fast charging. The TECNO Phantom V fold will first launch in India at a price of $1,099 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage version, making it the most affordable book-type folding smartphone. There will also be a 512GB storage version priced at $1,222.
The Africa market, where TECNO is the #1 brand, is relatively dominated by the low-end segment. Expansion to overseas markets, where consumers are ready to pay a more premium amount, has also presented an opportunity for TECNO to launch devices in higher price bands. For that, foldables currently seem to be the perfect option to make a statement in the premium segment. Since it is a new segment, OEMs also have opportunities to launch products at new price points. The debut of its foldable at the MWC 2023 cements TECNO’s global aspirations.
realme GT3 240W brings the fastest charging tech to smartphones
realme is holding true to its ‘Dare to leap’ motto. In 2022, it was the first OEM to offer a 150W charging-capable smartphone. The company is pushing the boundaries further and has now become the first brand to introduce a 240W-capable smartphone. At the MWC 2023, realme announced its latest phone, the GT3, featuring 240W charging capability. According to the realme presentation, the 240W technology is capable of fully charging the GT3’s 4,600mAh battery in roughly 10 minutes, and it can charge to 50% capacity in just four minutes.
Courtesy – Madhav Sheth (realme)
GT3 is the fastest phone in the industry to charge from 0 to 20% in only 80 seconds, which realme showcased in the real-time demo during the MWC announcement. realme also claims this is the industry’s fastest charging speed while gaming. A vapor chamber liquid cooling system takes care of the overall health of the battery by reducing extra heat produced during fast charge. realme added multiple sensors and a fireproof design to the new device while also addressing the major issue of battery longevity, which reduces due to fast charge. The GT3’s battery can be at 80% battery health after 1,600 charging cycles which is double the industry standard of 800 cycles. The realme GT3 price starts at $649 for the 8GB RAM with 128GB storage variant.
Oasis Smart-SIM demonstrates new CloudSIM™ solution
At the MWC 2023, Oasis Smart-SIM and TATA Communications jointly revealed their latest innovation, the CloudSIM™. It is a remote hardware SIM which is stored in a dedicated, secure, GSMA-certified environment. CloudSIM™ is primarily aimed at use cases that do not require permanent connectivity. The overall cost of connectivity is reduced by limiting the number of profiles required for fleet operations and providing on-demand connectivity. The below video demonstrates some of the key use cases of the CloudSIM™ solution.
Nothing Phone (2) to be powered by Qualcomm flagship SoC
Nothing made a small announcement at the MWC 2023 about its upcoming smartphone. While it did not reveal much, the company did mention that the next smartphone will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8-series chipset. This will be a big upgrade from the existing 7-series SoC on the Nothing Phone (1). However, Nothing did not mention which chipset it will be using, so it could be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or could also be last year’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. Looks like we will have to await further details.
Thales launches the world’s first GSMA-certified iSIM with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon mobile platform
Thales has announced that its integrated SIM (iSIM) solution has now been certified by the GSMA and is ready to be deployed commercially with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform. In 2021, Thales, Vodafone and Qualcomm had shown a working demonstration of the iSIM.
What is iSIM? And why is it important?
iSIM is a type of SIM that is directly integrated into the processor of the device. As the next step of SIM evolution, iSIM offers significantly more space reduction than eSIMs do and lowers power consumption. This is also part of a bigger trend where we have seen multiple components, such as the modem, getting integrated into the processor of the device. Along with smartphones, iSIMs also bring multiple benefits to the IoT ecosystem.
Image Courtesy: Thales
Currently, around 20% of smartphones shipped in 2022 were eSIM capable. The adoption of eSIM in smartphones has been slower than what was expected three years ago due to a variety of reasons. However, the biggest hurdle has been the need for additional components required to add eSIM capability.
For iSIMs, it would be a different case because the SIM is integrated into the processor and its adoption, unlike the eSIM, will be dependent on the support of chipsets. The iSIM will see faster adoption than the eSIM because the number of players providing chipsets is limited. While we have already seen multiple IoT devices with iSIM, the first iSIM smartphone is expected in 2024.
Huawei Watch GT Cyber gets an extreme makeover
Huawei showcased its Watch GT Cyber, which is already available in China since November 2022. The smartwatch comes with interchangeable cases, and the display updates when inserted into a new case. It uses magnets along with mechanical parts to remain connected with the cases. The concept is similar to smart bands with changeable straps but with innovation that makes the whole watch body different. We will have to see if Huawei allows third-party case makers to function with the smartwatch.
The Huawei Watch GT Cyber flaunts a 1.32-inch circular display with a resolution of 466x466pixels and a pixel density of 352ppi. It is water resistant up to 5ATM and comes with all the regular sensors like a barometer and magnetometer. The battery can last up to seven days on a single charge. It also has a Bluetooth calling feature.
Huawei showcases the 5.5G era and its use cases
With 5.5G, Huawei aims to offer 10X better performance over 5G, and thus create 100-fold business opportunities by opening up five frontiers:
1) Expansion in services with immersive and interactive experiences
Online 3D malls and 24K VR gaming to become mainstream. While 5G allows these use cases, 5.5G will enhance them. Huawei expects over one billion users.
2) Enable industry digitalization
Huawei expects private networks to increase 10x as the tech becomes more capable. It forecasts one million private 5G networks by 2030.
3) Cloud applications entering a new era, creating new opportunities for network connectivity
The company aims to reduce latency which will further make cloud applications more reliable and accessible.
4) Cellular networks cover all IoT applications and passive IoT enables 100 billion connections
Passive IoT tags (e.g. RFID) will allow further solutions to better warehouse management, asset tracking, and other scenarios. Huawei expects 100 billion passive IoT tags per year from 30 billion in coming years as industries get more digital.
5) From communication to integrated sensing and communication, facilitating new services
Huawei aims to develop a more connected world using the sensing capabilities of 5.5G. It would help bring up information about areas where cameras are unable to work like during fog or rain. This would make transportation much safer.
With inputs from Varun Mishra, Karn Chauhan, Ankit Malhotra and Harshit Rastogi. This is a developing post…….
Day 1 of the annual MWC Barcelona is the busiest as the show floor opens to thousands of attendees and brands participating in one of the world’s biggest tech fairs. Yesterday we covered the pre-show announcements that took place at MWC 2023. Today, smartphone brands like OnePlus, HONOR, and Xiaomi showcased their concepts and new products. Below is a quick summary of the announcements:
OnePlus 11 concept smartphone, 45W Liquid Cooler, XR partnerships, and more
After globally launching the OnePlus 11 earlier this month, OnePlus showcased a concept smartphone with a new active cooling technology called Active CryoFlux. The new cooling technology will lower smartphone temperatures by up to 2.1°C, improving a game’s frame rate by 3-4fps, or by 1.6°C during charging, which slightly improves charging times. This is achieved through an industrial-grade piezoelectric ceramic micropump that runs cooling liquid through micropipes in the smartphone without significantly increasing the OnePlus 11 Concept’s weight or thickness.
A new OnePlus 45W Liquid Cooler was also showcased. It is a semiconductor-based thermoelectric cooler that reduces the temperature of a device by up to 20°C. Of note, OnePlus and its industry partners also presented the OnePlus 11 5G’s XR experience possibilities through ray tracing technology powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform, and a Snapdragon XR2 AR Wireless Smart Viewer experience. The OnePlus 11 5G is the first Snapdragon Spaces-ready smartphone for the Snapdragon Spaces XR developer program.
HONOR Magic5 series, Magic Vs foldable launch
HONOR took the stage to announce the global launch of its premium line-up – Magic5 Pro and Magic5 – as part of the brand’s dual-flagship line-up strategy catering to two different segments. The HONOR Magic5 Pro is available in one configuration – 12GB RAM and 512GB – and will sell for €1,200, whereas the HONOR Magic5 8GB RAM with 256GB storage will be available for €900. Both devices are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, support 66W wired charging and feature a “falcon camera” system, which uses AI to select the best shot for a moving object.
HONOR also launched its first foldable device outside China – Magic Vs. This is also the first book-type foldable phone other than Samsung launched outside China. The hinge comprises only four pieces of material, compared to 92 pieces in a typical competitor offering. The folding smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC.
Foldables have become an established niche with cumulative shipments crossing the 20-million mark in 2022. At €1,599 ($1,693), the HONOR Magic Vs undercuts Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 which costs €1,800. HONOR is competing directly with Samsung here. The competition in the foldable segment will intensify in 2023.
Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass showcased
After launching the 13 series smartphones along with a bunch of IoT products, Xiaomi also showcased the Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition at MWC. These are standalone AR glasses that can be wirelessly paired with your smartphone or other compatible devices for immersive AR experiences.
There are two MicroOLED screens with a peak brightness of up to 1200 nits per eye. The electrochromic lenses come with an immersive mode for complete immersion in the virtual space. Then, there is also a transparent mode, allowing users to see the objects in their surroundings. Xiaomi has also added three cameras to map out the surrounding world around the user. These AR glasses are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 platform and support the Snapdragon Spaces XR developer platform. To offer precise controls and operation, Xiaomi has also developed its own AR gesture controls with spatial detection.
Foldable smartphones are becoming a little common today as they offer both compact and big-screen experiences in one device. But foldables aren’t the only way to get a big-screen experience. Smartphone brands are also experimenting with rollable displays. OPPO showcased its rollable smartphone last year, and this year Motorola has showcased the working prototype of its rollable device called Moto Rizr.
Credit – Lenovo
The Android prototype comes with a 5-inch, 15:9 aspect-ratio display that can roll up to offer a 6.5-inch, 22:9 aspect-ratio screen. Though the smartphone seems to be operational, the company has not mentioned anything about its intention of putting this prototype into production anytime soon. Lenovo also offered a sneak peek at a proof-of-concept laptop featuring a rollable screen that goes from 12.7 inches (4:3 aspect ratio) to 15.3 inches (8:9 aspect ratio).
Credit – Lenovo
It is good to see OEMs trying out different form factors, but it will take a while before this tech becomes mainstream. How companies will address the durability and software challenges will be something to look forward to.
BeUno implants, more than health trackers
A company called Dsruptive is offering BeUno ‘implants’ that are claimed to deliver a better user experience in the health and medical industry as compared to the wearables. These capsule-like implants (or sensors) are placed inside the body to monitor body temperature, remotely monitor patients and provide personalized treatment. The solution, which has been clinically tested, gets activated via NFC and does not need any battery to operate.
There are other use cases beyond healthcare, like unlocking doors by using the implants as an electronic ticket (already started in Sweden), and using them for bio-payments. While all this seems promising, there will be some key challenges for the technology, such as mass adoption due to regulatory issues, customer acceptance, and any health-related implications due to the implants.
With inputs from Maurice Klaehne, Varun Mishra, and Anshika Jain This is a developing post…
The Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 kicked off in Barcelona, Spain. Some of the biggest names in the tech industry will be showcasing their new launches and innovations during the four-day event. Counterpoint Research analysts are on the ground covering all the major announcements, so stay tuned! Ahead of the show, major tech companies like Xiaomi, Nokia HMD and Motorola made some announcements. Here is our quick analysis and summary of the same:
Xiaomi 13 Series, Watch S2 Pro, Buds 4 Pro, and Electric Scooter 4 Ultra
Xiaomi took the stage to announce three new smartphones, a smartwatch, a TWS and an electric scooter. The Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro smartphones were the stars of the show, featuring a Leica co-engineered camera system, which converges both the hardware and software tuning for a professional photography experience. Both smartphones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, which brings performance and efficiency gains, among other features.
The more premium among the two, the Xiaomi 13 Pro, comes with a Sony IMX989 50MP primary 1-inch camera sensor, a 50MP floating telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultrawide camera as well. Both the regular 13 and 13 Pro smartphones feature the Leica Vivid and Authentic modes, along with a bunch of filters, which enables the Leica camera experience on smartphones. The 75mm equivalent telephoto lens on the Xiaomi 13 Pro also offers professional-style portrait effects.
Apart from still photography, Xiaomi has also strongly focused on the videography aspect of its smartphones. The two new devices can capture crisp 8K 24fps videos and 4K night videos, and a 10-bit Log mode. They also feature Dolby Vision video recording, similar to what Apple iPhones offer. The Xiaomi 13 offers 67W fast wired charging and 50W wireless charging. Meanwhile, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is powered with 120W fast wired charging, which can charge the phone’s battery to full capacity in just about 19 minutes.
WATCH: Xiaomi 13 Pro First Impressions
Xiaomi unveiled a third smartphone during the event called the 13 Lite which boasts dual front cameras with a 32MP sensor and an 8MP depth sensor. The smartphone’s features include dynamic framing to keep everyone in the frame in focus, and dual LEDs to help capture better selfies in low-light settings. The 13 Lite also has a vlog mode for content creators to record and edit on the go. The smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC.
Xiaomi also announced the Watch S1 Pro smartwatch with a 1.47-inch AMOLED display, advanced health tracking, over 100 fitness modes and more. The smartwatch has built-in GPS, wireless charging and includes Bluetooth phone calling as well. On the other hand, the Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro TWS headphones come with 11mm drivers, Hi-res audio support, six ANC modes and three transparency modes among other features. It also comes with multi-device connectivity, which allows it to connect with two devices at a time.
Xiaomi’s final announcement was the Electric Scooter 4 Ultra with an enhanced 70 kms range, IP55 water resistance, dual suspensions and more. In terms of pricing, the Xiaomi 13 Lite will be available for €499, the 13 starts at €999 and the 13 Pro starts at €1,299. Although the pricing is a little steep, almost close to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, the Leica brand value and camera innovation should help justify the price tag. The Watch S1 Pro starts at €299, the Buds 4 Pro will be available for €249 and the Electric Scooter 4 Ultra has a €999 price tag.
Nokia G22: A durable and sustainable smartphone
Nokia HMD, which usually positions its smartphones around durability and longevity, announced a global partnership with iFixit to focus on the repairability of devices, particularly the Nokia G22. This fits nicely with Nokia HMD’s efforts toward sustainability. All of Nokia’s new devices – G22, C22 and C32 – focus on improved imaging, durability and at the same time improved CMF (Color, Material and Finish).
Additionally, Nokia HMD has announced that these devices will be locally manufactured, making Nokia HMD one of the very few device OEMs looking to localize their European smartphone manufacturing. However, it will be easier said than done and Nokia will likely start with assembly initially. The new C and G Series are likely to help Nokia HMD gain share in some of the Western and Central Eastern European markets where the entry-tier segment has been hurt due to muted upgrades in the previous years.
Nokia has packed some firsts in the C Series. The C32 has the highest image quality in the C Series yet while the C22 promises a better build quality than its competitors. The G Series has solid specs as well, though Nokia HMD might need to pivot from the existing notch design as soon as possible while competing with pricing with its Chinese rivals like realme and Xiaomi in similar price segments.
Nokia unveils new logo and identity
Nokia has announced a major strategy shift that will see the company move into a new stage of its three-phase strategy announced in 2021, which was aimed at delivering sustainable and profitable growth. Nokia has announced that it is now moving away from the reset phase and working towards focusing on six key pillars of growth that aim to boost the company’s market share and consolidate its leadership in key business areas. They will also leverage Nokia’s brand for more product categories and launch new service-based business models.
We have already seen some of this strategy at work. During MWC 2022, Nokia launched software-as-a-service for CSPs and enterprises while also launching Network-as-a-service and iSIM secure connect as a SaaS. Nokia’s smartphone licensee, Nokia HMD has been talking about sustainability at the centre of their vision for some time now.
Lastly, Nokia also refreshed its visual identity to mark its shift in strategy by changing its iconic (and almost nostalgic) logo. Nostalgia could be one reason behind this decision because most consumers still remember the company for its early smartphone leadership, a perception which according to the company has been holding the brand back as it seeks to grow in the enterprise market and outpace competitors.
(Written with inputs from Tarun Pathak, Ankit Malhotra)
This is a developing post…
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This Website is the property of Counterpoint and is protected by international copyright law and conventions. We grant users the right to access and use the Website, so long as such use is for internal information purposes, and User does not alter, copy, disseminate, redistribute or republish any content or feature of this Website. User acknowledges that access to and use of this Website is subject to these TERMS OF USE and any expanded access or use must be approved in writing by the Company.
– Passwords are for user’s individual use
– Passwords may not be shared with others
– Users may not store documents in shared folders.
– Users may not redistribute documents to non-users unless otherwise stated in their contract terms.
Changes or Updates to the Website
The Company reserves the right to change, update or discontinue any aspect of this Website at any time without notice. Your continued use of the Website after any such change constitutes your agreement to these TERMS OF USE, as modified.
Accuracy of Information:
While the information contained on this Website has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, We disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of such information. User assumes sole responsibility for the use it makes of this Website to achieve his/her intended results.
Third Party Links:
This Website may contain links to other third party websites, which are provided as additional resources for the convenience of Users. We do not endorse, sponsor or accept any responsibility for these third party websites, User agrees to direct any concerns relating to these third party websites to the relevant website administrator.
Cookies and Tracking
We may monitor how you use our Web sites. It is used solely for purposes of enabling us to provide you with a personalized Web site experience.
This data may also be used in the aggregate, to identify appropriate product offerings and subscription plans. Cookies may be set in order to identify you and determine your access privileges. Cookies are simply identifiers. You have the ability to delete cookie files from your hard disk drive.
