86% of Respondents Highlight Indian Festive Season Smartphone Buyers Going Online, Amazon Top Preference: Survey

Of those planning to purchase a smartphone this festive season, 31% mention upgrading to the latest technology as the key reason for the purchase.
40% prefer to purchase smartphones online, whereas 46% are comfortable taking either of the two routes.
Amazon is the top preferred online channel for 48% of those planning to make online purchases (86% of the total respondents).
Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi and OnePlus are the most preferred brands this festive season.
42% of the respondents plan to purchase a premium smartphone (INR 30,000 or ~$360 and above).
5G, latest processor and RAM are the top specifications that the respondents will consider when making the purchase.

New Delhi, Buenos Aires, Denver, London, Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul – October 5, 2023

Of Indian consumers planning to purchase a smartphone this festive season, 31% mention upgrading to the latest technology as the key reason for the purchase according to a survey conducted by Counterpoint Research.

For 18% of respondents, 5G is the top specification to consider, followed by the latest processor (14%) and RAM (9%). In terms of budget, 42% plan to purchase a premium smartphone (INR 30,000 or ~$360 and above). And with respect to channel preference, up to 86% could purchase via online, with Amazon as the top preferred platform.

Conducted in October among consumers in India planning to buy a smartphone this festive season, the survey covers topics like key reasons for making the purchase, brand preference, preferred price point, desired specifications and offers. Further, future preferences combined with the current smartphone purchase journey provide insights into consumers’ switching pattern or loyalty towards brands and purchase channels.

Key Takeaways from India Pre-festive Season Smartphone Consumer Survey

Source: India Pre-festive Season Smartphone Consumer Survey, October 2023

Commenting on the festive season smartphone demand, Senior Analyst Arushi Chawla said, “Many people time their purchases with the festive season keeping in mind the auspiciousness of the occasion and also the competitive offers during the period. With the smartphone becoming the most important electronic gadget, consumers are cautious about its quality and features. That is why they consult multiple sources before making the purchase while increasingly opting for premium smartphones.”

When asked about the top preferred smartphone brand, Samsung was at the top with 33%, followed by Apple (18%), Xiaomi (11%) and OnePlus (10%). In terms of purchase channel preference, 40% prefer to purchase smartphones online, whereas 46% are comfortable taking either of the two routes. Among these 86% of respondents considering the online route, Amazon is the top preferred online channel for 48%, followed by Flipkart with 41%. The top five reasons for people to prefer Amazon are attractive offers, availability of top brands, availability of latest devices, delivery speed and reliable delivery.

Commenting on smartphone purchase preferences, Research Director Tarun Pathak said, “Consumers want the latest technology not only to experience it but also to meet their increasing requirements. This is reflected in our survey where 5G emerged as the top specification desired by consumers. 5G will continue to push smartphone demand in the coming years. Its presence has now reached lower price bands (<INR 10,000 or ~$120). Further, it is interesting to see that 20% of the respondents prefer switching to online platforms from offline modes, with the top reason for 43% of this segment being the availability of the latest devices. During the festive season, the OEMs and platforms aim to attract buyers with competitive offers. We expect this festive season to be better than the last year.”

The survey also finds that 22% of the respondents consider cashbacks/rewards as their top preferred offer when making the smartphone purchase. This is followed by bank offers (21%) and no-cost EMI (16%). And when it comes to the most preferred no-cost EMI tenure, six months is preferred by one-third of the respondents.

Disclaimer

This survey was commissioned by Amazon India to understand people’s smartphone purchase preferences this festive season. Counterpoint Research conducted this survey in Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to capture a sample size of more than 1,200 respondents. An online survey was performed to collect quantitative insights from those respondents in the 18-35 age group who plan to purchase a smartphone this festive season. We expect the results to have a statistical precision of +/- 4%.

Background

Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the TMT (technology, media, and telecom) 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 Research
press(at)counterpointresearch.com

AI Drives Cloud Player Capex Amid Cautious Overall Spend

Cloud service providers’ capex is expected to grow by around 8% YoY in 2023 due to investments in AI and networking equipment.
Microsoft and Amazon are among the highest spenders as they invest in data center development. Microsoft will spend over 13% of its capex on AI infrastructure.
AI infrastructure can be 10x-30x more expensive than traditional general-purpose data center IT infrastructure.
Chinese hyperscalers’ capex is decreasing due to their inability to access NVIDIA’s GPU chips, and decreasing cloud revenues.

New Delhi, Beijing, Seoul, Hong Kong, London, Buenos Aires, San Diego – July 25, 2023

Global cloud service providers will grow capex by an estimated 7.8% YoY in 2023, according to the latest research from Counterpoint’s Cloud Service. Higher debt costs, enterprise spending cuts and muted cloud revenue growth are impacting infrastructure spend in data centers compared to 2022.

Commenting on the large cloud service providers’ 2023 plans, Senior Research Analyst Akshara Bassi said, “Hyperscalers are increasingly focusing on ramping up their AI infrastructure in data centers to cater to the demand for training proprietary AI models, launching native B2C generative AI user applications, and expanding AIaaS (Artificial Intelligence-as-a-Service) product offerings”.

According to Counterpoint’s estimates, around 35% of the total cloud capex for 2023 is earmarked for IT infrastructure including servers and networking equipment compared to 32% in 2022.

Source: Counterpoint Research

In 2023, Microsoft and Amazon (AWS) will account for 45% of the total capex. US-based hyperscalers will contribute to 91.9% of the overall global capex in 2023.

Chinese hyperscalers are spending less due to slower growth in cloud revenues amid a weak economy and difficulties in acquiring the latest NVIDIA GPU chips for AI due to US bans. The scaled-down version – A800 of the flagship A100/H100 chips – that NVIDIA has been supplying to Chinese players may also come under the purview of the ban, further reducing access to AI silicon for Chinese hyperscalers.

Source: Counterpoint Research

Based on Counterpoint estimates, Microsoft will spend proportionally the most on AI-related infrastructure with 13.3% of its capex directed towards AI, followed by Google at around 6.8% of its capex. Microsoft has already announced its intention to integrate AI within its existing suite of products.

AI infrastructure can be 10x-30x more expensive than traditional general-purpose data center IT infrastructure.

Though Chinese players are investing a larger portion of their spends towards AI, the amount is significantly less than that of the US counterparts due to a lower overall capex.

The comprehensive and in-depth ‘Global Cloud Service Providers Capex’ report is available. Please contact Counterpoint Research to access the report.

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.

Analyst Contacts

Akshara Bassi

Peter Richardson

Neil Shah

Follow Counterpoint Research

press@counterpointresearch.com

Key Consumer IoT Themes at CES 2023: Gaming, Entertainment, Wearables, Smart Devices

After two years of virtual presence, the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was back in Las Vegas this month. Major consumer electronics and technology brands like Samsung, LG, Huawei and HTC participated in the event. The consumer IoT (CIoT) announcements at the event mainly revolved around gaming, high-quality display products, advanced audio processing technologies, smart security solutions, seamless connectivity (Matter), artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. We have covered below some of the major CIoT announcements at CES 2022:

Gaming monitors by Samsung and LG

World’s first dual UHD gaming monitor by Samsung

Odyssey Neo G9 is the world’s first gaming monitor with a dual ultra-high-definition (UHD) resolution. It has a 1000R curved 57” screen with 7,680×2,160 resolution and a 32:9 aspect ratio.
The display is equipped with quantum micro-LED technology for a better visual experience.
It is supported by the world’s first DisplayPort 2.1, which is capable of transferring data at twice the speed of the previous version.
For a smooth gaming experience, it offers a 0.1ms response time and 240Hz refresh rate. It is equipped with OTT apps (Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube) and the Samsung Gaming Hub streaming platform.
With the new monitor lineup, Samsung is focusing on enhancing the immersive experience of gamers through superior quality visual display and better refresh rate.

Other notable launches by Samsung

ViewFinity S9 is the newest addition to its monitor lineup. It comes with a 5K 27” screen for the first time. It is specially designed for creative professionals such as graphic designers and photographers.
Smart Monitor M8 has been launched in two variants – 27” and 32” – with 4K resolution. The main highlights of the device are its slick design and focus on advanced security through Samsung Knox Vault.

LG’s latest flagship gaming monitor 32GQ950

This is LG’s first-ever 45-inch curved OLED gaming monitor which offers a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms (GTG) response time for low-latency gaming applications.
It has an ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio and 800R curvature with a 3,440×1440 resolution.
It also sports an anti-glare and low reflection (AGLR) panel design to adjust the lighting in a bright room setting.
LG also quietly showcased a new gaming laptop (LG UltraGear 17G90Q) and UltraGear gaming speakers. With these new devices, it appears that LG is also shifting its focus toward gaming.

Lenovo tablet launch

Lenovo Tab Extreme

Lenovo Tab Extreme comes with a 14.5-inch OLED display and is also supported by Dolby Vision and HDR10+ to deliver superior quality while watching movies or series. It has eight speakers which are tuned by JBL.
It is equipped with a Dimensity 9000 chipset, 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB of internal storage, 12,300 mAh battery, 68W fast-charging support and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity.
The touch display can also be operated with the in-house Lenovo Precision Pen 3.
The device is mainly targeted towards the enterprise segment. It will be available in the second half of this year in the US market for $1,199. At this price point, it is mainly competing with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and Apple’s iPad Pro.

Interesting TV launches

World’s first smart TV metaverse experience

Source Digital (a data-driven engagement platform) and Sansar (a social VR platform) showcased their metaverse offerings and capabilities on a smart TV to find new ways of monetizing the digital experience of users. The companies formed a partnership in July last year.
Through their user-friendly application, users can immersively watch real-time events such as concerts and sports events in a 2D or 3D setup. It also allows consumers to interact and engage with other people and even purchase merchandise.
The Sansar app is available on webOS LG smart TVs. Users will benefit from a personalized content experience. Last year, Samsung also partnered with Nifty Gateway to develop the first-ever smart TV non-fungible token (NFT) platform.

Samsung introduces new Neo QLED, Micro LED and OLED TVs

The Neo QLED lineup is powered by the company’s advanced Neural Quantum Processor and comes in 4K and 8K variants. The TVs are equipped with a single chip module for built-in Matter, Thread and Zigbee for seamless connectivity.
Samsung also released its bezel-less MicroLED TVs in display sizes of 50, 63, 76, 89, 101, 114 and 140 inches.
Samsung’s 2023 OLED lineup is now available in 55, 65 and the new ultra-large 77 inches models with 144 Hz refresh rate. For the first time, these Samsung OLED TV models receive AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro certification.
With these new devices, Samsung is aiming to enhance the viewing experience with better picture quality and offering a multi-device compatibility feature which is mostly absent in premium devices.
To deliver a smooth connected device experience, this time, SmartThings syncs not just with Samsung devices but also with third-party appliances and other IoT devices. Samsung has also integrated features like Chat Together (real-time chat), ConnecTime (video calls), 3D Map View and Samsung Gaming Hub to drive user engagement.

Skyworth showcases world’s first outdoor Google TV

The new model S1 is equipped with eight speakers and is supported by Dolby Atmos and HDR10 for an enhanced audio-visual experience.
The brand is focusing on providing high peak brightness and introducing high contrast to upgrade the product experience in its new smart TV.
In addition to S1, the brand also released the W82 Transformable OLED TV, Q52 Mini LED TV, G3B QLED+ TV, and the Coolita OS smart TV system.

LG releases world’s first wireless OLED TV

LG Signature OLED M (model M3) TV is the world’s first 97-inch wireless TV that comes with an OLED display. LG is setting the benchmark for innovation with this new device.
The device supports content at 4K 120Hz and uses the company’s Zero Connect technology which is a wireless solution for the transmission of video and audio in real time.
This model also won the CES 2023 Innovation Award in two categories.

New smartwatches and TWS models from leading brands

Citizen releases Smart Sport and CZ Smart Casual

The claimed unique thing about these wearable devices is that they come with a built-in self-care advisor which offers personalized recommendations to create better routine habits.
Both these devices are supported by Google WearOS and the key differentiating factor is the case size and design.
These smartwatches are equipped with a heart rate sensor, SPO2, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, built-in speaker, NFC and fast-charging support. Prices range from $350 to $435. These smartwatches will be available in the US from March 2023.

Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition

The watch has mechanical hands that function like a vintage watch and a digital display that can be used to track health-related features and get weather-related updates.
This smartwatch is specifically designed for mechanical watch lovers and will be available at a price point of $299.

Verizon’s Gizmo Watch 3 for kids

This smartwatch comes in two attractive colors – blue clay and mint – and is specifically designed for kids to track their location for safety purposes.
It is priced at $149 and is capable of recording videos, along with the ability to send and receive messages and phone calls. It has built-in cellular connectivity.
Verizon is also offering $100 discount on the second Gizmo Watch 3 purchase for families with multiple kids.

Motorola launches new ANC earbuds: Moto Buds 600

It is the latest audio offering by the brand that comes at a price of $149.99.
The device is equipped with fast pair technology and comes with Bluetooth multi-point technology which allows the buds to be connected to two different devices simultaneously.
The device also supports Google Assistant and Wireless Charging.

JBL announces JBL Tour Pro 2 wireless earbuds

It offers the world’s first smart charging case. These earbuds come with a touchscreen on the charging case to quickly access the volume buttons, manage music, receive calls and receive social media notifications in real time without referring to an app or smartphone.
These earbuds will be available in the US for $249.95.

boAt showcases advanced audio products

boAt has partnered with tech firms such as Dolby, Dirac, Mimi and CEVA to showcase its advanced range of audio products.
boAt showcased its new Rockerz 330/333 ANC neckbands which are powered by Dirac Opteo technology.
Some of the other products launched in partnership with Dirac include the Rockerz Apex neckband, Nirvana Nebula, Airdopes Synth TWS and Nirvana 525 ANC neckband.
These new products are aimed at providing personalized audio offerings to enhance the user experience.
All the new TWS devices aim at improving the listening experience along with the diffusion of fast-charging capabilities so that they can be used for a longer duration.

Smart security products by Amazon

Amazon expanded its Ring product lineup with a new dashcam ‘Ring Car Cam’ and video doorbell ‘Ring Peephole Cam’

Ring Car Came comes with a dual-facing camera for interior and exterior view recording from the vehicle. It is also equipped with smart sensors to detect events around the vehicle. It is available for preorders at $199.99.
Ring Peehole Cam is a video doorbell that is equipped with a 1080p HD camera and motion detectors for smart security. It is now available in the US for $129.99.

Other notable smart device launches

Ring showcased a first view of its smart home security drone. It is a mini-drone that can be used as a flying security camera to spy on unusual activities at home.
Shelly, a division of Allterco Robotics, introduced eight new smart home products. The main products include a smoke alarm detector, energy meter, Android wall panel, door/window sensor, smart logs, and a Bluetooth device that can control all other smart home devices. The aim is to make these devices affordable for a large group of people.
Smartsound unveiled the world’s first AI-based smart stethoscope series under the names Skeeper R1, H1 and P1. These stethoscopes are designed to identify and monitor heart and lung sounds for remote medical treatment and home care.
Smart appliances by Samsung
- Bespoke AI Oven: This smart oven is equipped with a ‘Sense Inside’ feature which can recognize up to 80 different dishes through an AI-based image recognition system, thus offering greater convenience and helping avoid overcooking of the food. It is the first AI food recognition algorithm that has received verification from UL solutions. It is currently available in Europe and will be available for sale in North America in Q3 2023.
- Bespoke 4-door Flex refrigerator comes with a massive 32-inch touchscreen: It comes with a four-door design, and a very large display to control all other smart home devices, play music, watch videos and do grocery shopping through the SmartThings app.
- Bespoke washer and dryer pair that use AI to optimize temperature settings and determine the ideal amount of detergent for each load.
Roborock refreshed its S8 series of robot vacuums: The top model in the refreshed series is the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra which has a 6kPa suction power as compared to 5.1kPa offered in the previous version. The new series focuses on enhancing cleaning efficiency through advanced features. The price of the Roborock series starts from $749.
Withings U-Scan urine analyzer: It is a Wi-Fi-connected device that is placed inside the toilet to analyze urine. It helps in providing nutrition and hydration information along with information on women’s menstrual health.

Conclusion

Most of the smart TV players focused on delivering superior quality and fast-gaming experience through bigger-size, high-quality OLED displays and better refresh rates. This time, the focus was also on multi-device connectivity features along with Matter support. Most of the technology companies focused on improving the customer experience.

In the wearables segment, the emphasis continued to be on health-related aspects and fast-charging support. Another important area that gained traction was smart security solutions due to the need for child and elderly care and to serve the needs of working professionals.

The CIoT market holds tremendous potential to grow in the coming period owing to an increased focus on affordability and integration of the latest tech innovations.

Qualcomm Bolsters Automotive Presence with One More Deal

Qualcomm has inked a deal with Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest automaker. Stellantis controls a large number of iconic brands including Fiat, Jeep, Peugeot, Chrysler and Maserati. Stellantis will power its new vehicles with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis, which Qualcomm introduced during the IAA Mobility show in 2021. Snapdragon Digital Chassis, with its modular approach, enables automakers to build connected and smart vehicles, and meet the ever-growing demand for safer and more intelligent cars.

Digital Chassis is a set of open and scalable cloud-connected platforms to improve safety and the in-vehicle experience. It includes:

Snapdragon Car-to-Cloud: a platform that allows automakers to generate new revenue streams by introducing new services, features, and performance upgrades to the vehicle.

Snapdragon Auto Connectivity: provides a host of advanced connectivity solutions, where Qualcomm is the leader globally like 5G, C-V2X, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS/GNSS, etc for connecting the car to the cloud, internet and the infrastructure.

Snapdragon Ride: offers advanced driver assistance and automated driving solutions which is further enhanced with the recent acquisition of Arriver.

Snapdragon Cockpit: allows automakers to provide a more immersive in-car experience with enhanced graphics, visuals and intuitive human-machine interactions

Source: Qualcomm

The multi-year partnership

Stellantis will use Snapdragon Digital Chassis across all its 14 brands to provide smarter vehicles and a more immersive in-vehicle experience. The technology will be introduced in vehicles from the year 2024 and starts with the luxury brand Maserati.

In December 2021, Stellantis announced its plans to develop software-based platforms powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and will deploy them in vehicles from 2024. There will be three platforms: STLA Brain, STLA SmartCockpit and STLA AutoDrive.

The STLA Brain is the new electrical/electronic (E/E) and software architecture for new vehicles. It is fully cloud-integrated to provide Over-the-Air (OTA) capabilities. STLA SmartCockpit is built on top of the STLA Brain and offers AI-based applications like navigation, voice assistance, and in-vehicle payments. The STLA AutoDrive platform provides level 3 autonomous driving technology, which Stellantis is co-developing with BMW.

Source: Stellantis

The STLA SmartCockpit is designed with Amazon and Foxconn to deliver a connected and personalized in-vehicle experience and Qualcomm’s Digital Chassis will be integral to SmartCockpit. The Snapdragon Cockpit Platform will power an advanced touch and voice-controlled multi-display cockpit, with rich graphics, high-quality audio, and clear voice communications. The Snapdragon Cockpit Platform will bring additional levels of digital intelligence to enhance the STLA Brain, improving convenience and safety features, including a personal assistant, OTA updates, vehicle performance upgrades, diagnostics and repair, and more.

Source: Qualcomm

Key Takeaways

Qualcomm is cementing its position as a leading technology provider in the automotive industry with this deal. Its automotive segment revenue is growing strongly; its automotive design-win pipeline increased to $13 billion in 2021 from $3 billion in 2017.
Stellantis will be able to bring one uniform cockpit platform and 5G telematics solutions across all 14 of its brands.
Working directly with the chipmaker, Stellantis can closely monitor the supply chain to avoid, or limit, supply-chain disruptions such as the ones the auto industry has experienced recently.
Since the launch of Snapdragon Digital Chassis, Qualcomm has signed partnerships with major global players including Renault, GM, Ferrari, Honda, and Volvo.
Major wins so far have come from the digital cockpit and connectivity solutions, while a few (GM and BMW) are for the Snapdragon ride (ADAS/AD) platform. With the acquisition of Arriver, Qualcomm is likely to sign more deals with Tier-1s and automakers in the future to expand its automotive pipeline.

Source: Counterpoint

Top 10 Automotive Announcements at CES 2022

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held this year from January 5 to 7 saw attendance from tech companies from various domains such as 5G, IoT, blockchain, automotive, wellness, sports, entertainment, healthcare, smart home, robotics, augmented reality (AR), gaming, devices and manufacturing. The resurgence in COVID-19 cases forced the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) to cut short the event by one day. Moreover, several large companies, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, AMD, Panasonic, Intel, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, General Motors and OnePlus, skipped this in-person event citing rising COVID-19 cases.

At this year’s CES, players in the automotive ecosystem mostly focused on electric vehicles (EVs), connected cars, autonomous mobility, digital cockpit, infotainment, robotics and shared mobility. This trend is in line with the industry shift towards CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared/Services and Electrification).

Here are Counterpoint analysts’ top 10 automotive announcements from this year’s CES:

1. Samsung showcases future of in-vehicle experience

Samsung used CES to showcase its vision for in-vehicle experience. Interestingly, it uses cameras with sensors to analyze the vehicle’s surroundings. Tesla was among the first to use a camera-based autonomous driving system instead of LiDAR. With the expertise and capabilities it acquired with its HARMAN acquisition a few years ago, Samsung is betting big on the automotive sector.

Moreover, AR will help passengers connect with a range of services while driving. For example, managing meetings through virtual calls, finding nearby places and navigating using map information. The focus on in-vehicle experience also helps Samsung leverage its existing relationships with automotive value chain players and capabilities.

2. Google exploring new capabilities with Android Auto

Google-powered Android Auto users will be able to access third-party integrated apps like Lyft and Kakao Mobility for micro-mobility; access to points apps like MochiMochi, Fuelio and Prezzi Benzina; navigation apps like Sygic and Flitsmeister; charging apps like ChargePoint and PlugShare; and parking apps like SpotHero and ParkWhiz. In addition, Volvo car owners will have access to content platforms like YouTube. The third-party integration will open new business opportunities for Google in the automotive industry.

Google is also bringing Android phone as a car service with BMW. Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology will be supported through Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones. More Android phones will be able to use this technology later.

Google is powering OEMs to integrate the Google Home ecosystem through voice-enabled Google Assistant. Volvo will be the first to bring this feature for supporting remote actions.

3. Hyundai brings ‘Metamobility’

Hyundai is making a paradigm shift towards the future of mobility through concepts of “Metamobility” and “Mobility of Things”. It has joined hands with Boston Dynamics to build a robotic society where we will be able to freely move between real and virtual worlds. Hyundai envisions robots bridging the gap between real and virtual scenarios such as Metaverse.

4. Volvo to enter self-driving car race

Volvo is rolling out a self-driving system called Ride Pilot for California-based customers. The company is already testing autonomous driving (AD) in Sweden, so we can expect Volvo to launch this system for the European market soon. This product is equipped with Luminar’s Iris LiDAR and AD software from Zenseact. Ride Pilot will be available as an add-on subscription. However, Volvo is yet to decide the cost for this solution. We can expect strong competition between the use of camera and LiDAR in autonomous vehicle (AV) applications.

5. Stellantis teams up with Amazon for next-generation smart cockpit

Stellantis announced an extensive partnership with Amazon to develop a next-generation STLA Smart Cockpit. Amazon will help Stellantis build cloud solutions and provide training to Stellantis engineers and developers. Like Google, Amazon will also integrate smart home ecosystems with vehicles through an Alexa-enabled voice assistance system. Stellantis has also collaborated with Amazon in the past to provide Amazon Fire TV services to the Jeep Wagoneer 2022 version. Stellantis is trying to increase revenue from software services and Amazon will help Stellantis focus on the infotainment market. The rivalry between Google and Amazon will expand from the smart speaker market to the automotive infotainment market in the future.

6. Sony to form a new entity to focus on EV business

Sony’s business diversification plan has pushed it to explore the EV domain. At CES 2022, it made several announcements and also showcased an SUV-type EV prototype (VISION-S 02). Sony will use its expertise in entertainment systems to provide a better experience in the mobility entertainment space. Sony had previously shown a VISION-S prototype at CES 2020, but this time it is strengthening its efforts toward e-mobility by forming a new entity named Sony Mobility Inc. Prior to Sony, other big smartphone ecosystem players such as Vingroup, Foxconn and Xiaomi had also announced their entry into the EV space.

7. Mobileye cracks new deals with Volkswagen, Ford, Geely

Intel’s autonomous driving unit Mobileye has entered a partnership with Volkswagen to use its mapping data in upcoming models. Mobileye will also help Ford enhance future variations in its BlueCruise driver assistance system. Geely-owned EV brand Zeekr also plans to use Mobileye’s expertise in mapping and sensing solutions in a level-4 AV, which is expected to debut in China by 2024.

By the end of 2021, cumulative EyeQ chip shipments had crossed the 100-million mark. Mobileye is different from others as it provides both hardware and software products in the AD space.

8. Qualcomm partners with Renault, Volvo, Honda for digital transformation

Renault has tied up with Qualcomm to bring digital transformation through Snapdragon Digital Chassis. Volvo will also take help from Qualcomm under the digital chassis program to enhance its infotainment systems for cars under the Volvo and Polestar brands. Honda too will use a similar type of solution that may become available in the US during the second half of 2022. Qualcomm is slowly transitioning itself from “mobile” to “mobility” player.

For a detailed analysis of Qualcomm’s automotive announcements, visit the following blog:

Qualcomm in Driver’s Seat to Shape the Future of Mobility

9. VinFast to launch level 2+ cars with ZF’s help

VinFast, an automotive start-up from Vingroup, is planning to launch autonomous driving and level 2+ functions from the middle of 2022. ZF will supply radars, cameras, LiDAR sensors and central control units for this project. Initially, VinFast is targeting North America, China and Europe for its all-electric premium VFe35 and VFe36 models. VinFast aims to bring luxury features at affordable prices, which may redefine the automotive industry going forward.

10. GM makes series of announcements from EVs to AVs

General Motors made headlines with the announcement of the Chevrolet Silverado EV pickup truck, which is expected to take on Tesla’s Cybertruck, Ford Motor’s F-150 and Rivian’s R1T.

GM subsidiary BrightDrop, which debuted a year ago, has established clients including Walmart and FedEx.

GM CEO Mary Bara also announced to launch the Equinox EV for around $30,000 by 2023. If Tesla fails to launch a $25,000 vehicle by 2023, it will see strong competition from GM, especially in North America.

GM is also planning to take on Tesla’s FSD with its Ultra Cruise, which is currently under development. GM is working with Qualcomm to help develop its AV business.

These announcements indicate that GM is now serious about the EV and AV segment. Moreover, it wants to regain its No. 1 position in the US passenger and light commercial vehicle market.

India 2021 Festive Season to See Record Smartphone Sales at $7.6 Billion

The smartphone retail average selling price (ASP) during the festive season will grow 14% to reach its highest ever at $230.
High consumer demand in the mid and premium segments will drive the sales.

New Delhi, Hong Kong, Seoul, London, Beijing, San Diego, Buenos Aires – October 19, 2021

India’s festive shopping season this year kicked off during the first week of October when online platform giants Amazon and Flipkart announced their marquee Great India Festival and Big Billion Days sales. The season will end on November 4 with the Diwali festival.

Source: Counterpoint Research India Festive Season Tracker, 2021

Commenting on the overall market dynamics during the season, Senior Analyst Prachir Singh said, “The festive season has been driving smartphone sales in India due to high consumer demand during Dusshera and Diwali. This trend has been accelerated this year by the high pent-up demand backed by aggressive promotions in the mid and premium segments. We estimate that almost $7.6 billion worth of smartphones will be sold during the ongoing festive season. This highest ever number is coming at a time when the global smartphone industry is facing component shortages. As a result, OEMs have been forced to increase prices, which will have a higher impact on the mass market and budget segments.”

Source: Counterpoint Research India Festive Season Tracker, 2021

Research Director Tarun Pathak said, “Although the growth in market value during the 2021 festive season is expected to be 1% YoY, the retail ASP will grow at 14% YoY. The overall consumer sentiment has been positive going into the festive season. Many consumers have decided to spend from their accumulated savings for something that is more personal. This trend will drive a faster smartphone upgrade during the festive season. Apart from this, the 2021 festive season is seeing higher trade-ins and aggressive EMIs that increase device affordability and help consumers bypass multiple price barriers. This has helped drive the sales of mid-to-high tier (>$200) smartphone models and, subsequently, the overall ASP. Many OEMs sensed this trend and brought out aggressive offers on premium devices. The relatively higher sales of premium segment smartphones also helped offset the losses in the mass market due to price hike.”

Background:

Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the TMT (technology, media and telecom) 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.

Analyst Contacts:

Prachir Singh

Tarun Pathak

Follow Counterpoint Research

Amazon’s Big Fall Launches and Their Impact

Amazon recently held its annual Big Fall Event during which it introduced many devices mainly focusing on the smart home segment. Companies are increasingly focusing on this segment to cater to the changes in customer preferences arising from work from home, hybrid work model, need for greater comfort and security, and desire for more home entertainment options.

Major products launched at the event

Alexa-powered robot Astro: The robot is equipped with a rotating screen and a voice assistant that has the capability to roam around and perform tasks that can’t be undertaken by Alexa on its own. This is a classic example of a brand leveraging advance AI algorithms in new ways to automate tasks and ensure personal safety. The device has been launched at an introductory price of $999.
Amazon Smart Thermostat: To compete with Google Nest, Amazon has partnered with Honeywell to launch its first smart thermostat product. It is well integrated with Alexa and comes at a $60 price point. The device helps save energy by using geofencing technology to adjust the temperature based on someone’s presence.
Amazon Echo Show 15: This is the largest display launched by Amazon so far. It is capable of video streaming, making calls, showing live feeds from the security camera, and controlling other smart home devices. The device is priced at $250 and can be mounted easily on the wall or placed anywhere inside the home.
Amazon Glow: It is a video-calling device that comes with an eight-inch LED display targeted towards kids to enable them to interact with their loved ones and play virtual games.
Amazon Halo View band: Priced at $80, it is a fitness tracker that comes with different workout modes and health measuring features. Compared to its predecessor Halo Band, it has an addition in the form of a display while microphones are no longer there.
Ring Always Home Cam: It is an indoor camera-based drone that is ideal for home security. It gives a full view of the house by roaming around when a person is not at home.
Ring Alarm Pro: It is a home security system that has an alarm base station along with a built-in Wi-Fi 6 router by Eero. It is ideal for professional monitoring and threat protection.
Blink Video doorbell: The Blink line-up expands with the introduction of this first video doorbell, available for $49.99.

Other significant software and service developments

Apart from the hardware offerings, Amazon also announced new features, services and updates for Alexa to maintain consumer stickiness towards this segment:

Alexa Together service, which is available for $20 per month, is designed to help elderly people in emergency situations. It has an ‘Urgent Response’ feature that is available 24/7 for professional help.
It is now possible for consumers to teach Alexa specific skills and recognize custom sounds, like providing notification in case refrigerator sound is heard when it is left open. Also, consumers can list their preferences to Alexa so that it can give recommendations accordingly.
Amazon is also partnering with Disney to launch a platform, Hey Disney, to enable children to interact with their favorite characters. It is basically a new kind of voice assistant developed by Disney using Alexa technology. It will be available in the US at the Amazon Alexa skills store starting 2022.
Amazon has also introduced Ring Virtual Security Guard, a third-party subscription-based security service where a customer can opt for a professional security company to monitor home and cameras.

Implications for the brand

This time we have seen Amazon expanding its product portfolio by entering new product categories like thermostat, video doorbell and robot. This shows the company’s vision of building a strong smart home portfolio.
This launch of new devices also represents Amazon’s efforts to further improve user engagement and increase service revenue through a subscription-based model.
Also, a lot of emphases has been put on kids content generation by forming partnerships with leading players like Disney, Mattel, Nickelodeon and Sesame Workshop.
There is a good opportunity for the brand to drive sales by using the bundling approach as a marketing tool. For instance, combining Astro with Ring Protect Pro, bundle smart display with other smart home products.

Implications for the market

There is going to be increased competition in the growing CIoT market with plenty of new launches also expected from Apple and Google.
Customer adoption of smart home devices is likely to increase as there is an increased focus on making these devices affordable. For instance, the launch of smart home security solutions like Blink Camera at $50 and Smart Thermostat at $60.
We will see more integration between different sets of smart home devices, which will help in their smooth functioning and close interaction. According to the company, more than 200 million smart home devices have already been connected to
There will also be an exploration of commercial use cases in different settings apart from home. For instance, the new voice assistant, Hey Disney, will be integrated with Disney World Resorts Hotel to help visitors find various attractions. Hotel chains are also increasingly adding smart speakers and voice assistant support to entertain guests and enhance their experience.

Conclusion

With the kind of devices launched by Amazon, it is quite evident that it is rapidly expanding its portfolio towards the smart home segment. A major emphasis has been put on applications like surveillance, monitoring and caretaking. Going forward, it is evident that it will target personal entertainment, security products, home appliances and fitness categories more aggressively, utilizing its strong Alexa user base. Amazon has an edge in developing new AI capabilities and driving innovative products in the market. However, with devices like Astro, we need to see how consumers perceive them. Also, privacy and security are going to be major concerns that need to be addressed.

New Umbrella Entity to Refine India’s Digital Payment Ecosystem

The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) move to allow private players to set up, manage and operate retail payment systems [officially described as a New Umbrella Entity (NUE)] can be described as a significant step in the evolution of the country’s digital payment ecosystem. Currently, all digital transactions in India are processed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), a non-profit umbrella body backed by a group of over 50 banks.

The introduction of private players will quicken the scalability of India’s digital payment network and the growth of the base technology. Among the many advancements, the NUE will make intra-wallet transactions possible. Also, unlike NPCI, the NUE licence allows the players to earn profit.

Why NUE?

In India, over the last decade and especially after the demonetization of 2016, innovations in payment modes have picked up the pace, from the online payment mode to Unified Payments Interface (UPI) apps. NPCI’s RuPay cards now allow offline transactions in areas with low internet connectivity. The lockdowns and social distancing triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated the shift to digital methods. With the MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) and mom-and-pop stores also joining the digital retail payment mainstream, there has been a big jump in such transactions.

Against this backdrop of rising volumes and to protect the country’s only digital retail payment system from monopolies and other threats, NPCI introduced a set of guidelines this year under which third-party app providers “are required to ensure that the total volume of transactions initiated through their respective UPI applications does not exceed 30% of the total volume of transactions in the country during the preceding three months.”

Being a non-profit organization, NPCI’s ability to improve and expand its technological base or build a more robust and dynamic digital payment network is limited. It has been five years since the development of UPI in India, but it has not seen much technological progress. Therefore, on August 18, 2020, the RBI announced a framework for authorization of a pan-India NUE for retail payment systems. Further, it invited applications for an NUE licence by February 26, 2021. However, this deadline was extended to March 31, 2021, because of the pandemic. Six consortiums of businesses have applied for the licence (see chart). However, there is no clarity yet on how many licences the RBI will allocate.

Consortiums in Race for NUE Licence

Source: Counterpoint Research

What is NUE?

The introduction of the “for-profit” NUE will open business opportunities for domestic and foreign players. Unlike before, the players will earn interest on the balance that the consumers maintain for their daily shopping. Further, the players will be allowed to charge fees for online transactions. A single domestic player will not be allowed to hold more than 40% investment in the capital of an NUE. A foreign entity can hold only 25%.

NUEs can improve the digital payment ecosystem in the following potential areas:

The shared responsibility between NPCI and NUEs will open opportunities for an improved digital payment ecosystem.
Moving towards a privately-held setup with government guidelines will promote healthy competitive efficiency.
The competitive atmosphere will also encourage research, development, and innovation. The players will work towards customer convenience and safety. The payment system will be more interactive and interoperable.
The introduction of an alternative to NPCI will dilute the latter’s monopoly characteristics and concentration of risk due to cybercrime and other threats.

Challenges

The state-owned banks are trying to double-dip into the payments space by enlisting as applicants for the NUE licence while already being NPCI stakeholders. This puts a question mark on the competitive spirit which the NUE seeks to promote.
How the RBI will tackle any conflict between NPCI and NUEs is still unclear.
The ruthless competition among multiple NUEs will eventually lead to zero-pricing scenarios. Therefore, the banking parameters need to offset the cost.
Banking entities will always dominate in these consortiums due to their payment infrastructure.

While we will have to wait for the RBI to allot the licence(s) before commenting further on the issue, one thing we are sure about is that this framework will be an international milestone for the digital payment ecosystem, defining standards for subsequent such endeavours.

Online Channel Share Increases to 43% in the Indian Smartphone Market in Q2 2020 As Consumers Preferred Contact-Less Shopping Experience

Amazon held its highest ever 47% share among online channels
Flipkart led the sub-INR 10,000 segment with more than 50% share in online channels
Xiaomi remained the top online smartphone brand with a 44% share
Samsung grabbed 25% share in online channels, its highest ever share in a quarter
OnePlus was the top premium smartphone brand on Amazon
realme remained the top brand on Flipkart

New Delhi, Hong Kong, Seoul, London, Beijing, San Diego, Buenos Aires –

August 13, 2020

Online Channels held a 43% share in Q2 2020 in the India online smartphone market, according to the latest research from Counterpoint Research. The increase in online channels share is due to a shift in consumer behavior, who are now preferring contact-less shopping experience and practicing social distancing. The quarter also saw Amazon reaching its highest ever share of 47% among online channels, compared to Flipkart’s 42%. The share of online channels in overall smartphone shipments reached 43% during the quarter as consumers preferred contact-less shopping experiences. Looking forward, we see online channels remaining strong this year and taking a 45% share in the Indian smartphone market in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on the current market scenario and innovative business models have emerged.

Commenting on the COVID-19 situation and market dynamics, Senior Research Analyst Prachir Singh said: “The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on the overall smartphone market, April being a washout month. Online channels’ shipments also declined compared to the last year. However, due to the current circumstances, consumers are preferring online platforms. We have already witnessed pre-COVID level shipments at the end of Q2 2020 due to the pent-up demand created in the market by the nationwide lockdown. Brands are aligning their product as well as channel strategies to drive up volumes. Multiple financing options and attractive offers have made the devices more affordable for consumers. During the quarter, multiple brands adopted an online-to-offline (O2O) business model and hyperlocal delivery to help their offline channel partners.”

Commenting on the Q2 2020 findings, Research Analyst Shilpi Jain said: “Online channels remained strong in Q2 2020, grabbing a 43% share in the overall Indian smartphone market. Pent-up demand and changed consumer behavior due to the current circumstances, accompanied by attractive offers and promotions by online platforms, were the main reasons for the increased share. During the quarter, Flipkart organized Big Savings Day Sale to drive up volumes. Due to the preference for online channels, no offline-exclusive model was launched during the quarter. However, during the same period, 11 online-exclusive SKUs were launched.”

Commenting on the brand performance, Jain said: “Xiaomi remained the market leader in online channels with 44% market share. Xiaomi Redmi 8A Dual was the top model for the brand in online channels. Samsung was quite aggressive on online channels and increased its share to 25%, its highest ever share in online channels. Strong shipments of M-series smartphones led to this increase. realme remained the top brand on Flipkart. In Q2 2020, offline channels captured 57% market share. We believe that offline channels will fare better during the latter half of the year. Vivo remained the top brand in offline channels, followed closely by Samsung. Vivo Y91i was the top model for offline channels.”

Exhibit 1: India Online Smartphone Market Share by Channel – Q2 2020

Source: Counterpoint Research Market Monitor Q2 2020

Exhibit 2: India Online Smartphone Top Brands Share – Q2 2020

Source: Counterpoint Research Market Monitor Q2 2020

Market Summary for Q2 2020:

While smartphone shipments in the online segment declined by 46% YoY, the offline segment declined by 54% YoY.
Amazon became the top online smartphone channel for the first time, with a 47% share. Xiaomi, Samsung, and OnePlus drove the shipments for Amazon.
Amazon saw strong shipments of Xiaomi Redmi 8A Dual, Samsung Galaxy M30s, and Galaxy M31. Among the top ten smartphone models on Amazon, nine were from Xiaomi and Samsung.
The INR 15,000 – INR 20,000 price band contributed the most and reached its highest ever share on Amazon. Samsung Galaxy M31 and M30s were the top models in this price band on Amazon.
OnePlus remained the top premium smartphone brand on Amazon.
Flipkart’s share declined; however, the platform led the sub-INR 10,000 price band with more than 50% share in the overall online smartphone market.
realme remained the top brand on Flipkart. Among the top ten models on Flipkart, five were from realme. Newly launched Narzo 10 series drove the shipments for the brand.
realme, Xiaomi, Samsung, and Poco contributed most for Flipkart and accounted for more than three-fourths of its total smartphone shipments.
Poco maintained its strong performance in online channels in Q2 2020 as well. Poco X2 was the second-highest shipped model on Flipkart.
The top 5 brands captured more than 88% of the total online market.
Xiaomi alone captured more than 44% of the total online market in Q2 2020. Its Redmi 8A Dual, Note 8 series and Redmi 8 drove volumes, contributing to more than three-fourths of Xiaomi’s total online shipments.
Samsung increased its share in online channels to 25%, driven by its Galaxy M-series models. Top five online models for the brand were all Galaxy M-series and they contributed to almost 90% shipments for the brand.
Vivo hosted sales on both the leading online platforms, offering discounts on its models. The brand maintained its top position on offline channels, driven by Y91i and Y11.
Six out of the top ten online models were from Xiaomi, followed by Samsung with three models. Xiaomi Redmi 8A Dual was the best-selling device in Q2 2020.
OnePlus drove the shipments in the online premium smartphone segment, capturing more than 50% share, followed by Apple with a 25% share.

The comprehensive and in-depth Q2 2020 Market Monitor is available for subscribing clients. Please contact us at press(at)counterpointresearch.com for further questions regarding our latest research and insights, or press enquiries.

Analyst Contacts:

Prachir Singh

Shilpi Jain

Tarun Pathak

Follow Counterpoint Research
press(at)counterpointresearch.com

Edge Computing Space Gets Crowded as Hyperscalers Move on 5G MEC Opportunity

In recent months, several hyperscale cloud providers have signed deals with major MNOs, signalling their intent to target the Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) space.

In December, Amazon launched its new AWS Wavelength 5G edge computing platform and announced that Verizon will be running Wavelength on its new edge computing platform, 5G Edge. This follows the partnership between AT&T and Microsoft announced earlier in 2019, which integrates Azure cloud services into AT&T’s 5G network edge. To date, Microsoft has partnered with eight managed service providers which will enable enterprises to connect to its Azure cloud, including Reliance Jio, which is building data centers for Microsoft in its home Indian market. Google and IBM are also signing similar deals with MNOs.

AWS Wavelength

AWS’s Wavelength embeds cloud compute and storage services at the edge of MNOs’ 5G networks. This enables developers to build next generation ultra-low latency applications using familiar AWS services, APIs, and tools which they can potentially use across other 5G networks around the world, thus providing a consistent developer experience. First customers using AWS Wavelength include Mapbox, Vario and games company Bethesda. AWS is also collaborating with Vodafone, SK Telecom and KDDI to launch AWS Wavelength across Europe, South Korea and Japan in 2020 with more global partners expected later in the year.

AWS’s Wavelength software will be installed on Verizon’s own computing resources located inside the MNO’s network and developers pay for access to those computing resources. Verizon claims that the partnership with Verizon is non-exclusive, which may suggest that it will offer similar cloud solutions with other hyperscalers such as Microsoft’s Azure, etc. However, Verizon has seemingly ruled out using third-party edge computing infrastructure offered by companies such as Vapor.io, EdgeConneX, etc.

In addition to partnering with MNOs, the hyperscalers are investing in developing their own edge infrastructure as well as leveraging the facilities of other big data center providers such as Equinix. The company recently launched a $1 billion-plus joint venture to operate data centers in Europe for Amazon and Microsoft. Other major cloud companies are also leveraging Equinix’s data centers to increase their edge presence.

To bolster this expansion, Equinix announced this month that it was acquiring US start-up Packet, which provides bare-metal “Computing-as-Service” hardware to more than 20 data center locations worldwide. The acquisition will allow it to offer dedicated “single-tenant” servers (often preferred by enterprises for regulatory and security reasons) rather than the multi-tenant servers more common in the cloud and will enable it to expand its existing data center footprint to central offices, tower base stations and C-RAN hubs.

Start-ups lining up

The AWS Wavelength deal with Verizon is not good news for the various telco-backed start-ups hoping to build an industry-based standard middleware platform, such as Deutsche Telekom-backed MobileEdgeX and Ericsson’s Edge Gravity.

Nor is it particularly good news for the host of micro data center providers eyeing opportunities with MNOs such as Vapor io, EdgeConneX, EdgeMicro, DataBank, Compass Datacenters, Baselayer, Switch, DartPoints, vXchnge and 365 Data Centers. For example, Vapor.io is proposing using its “Vapor Chamber” to provide edge facilities at MNOs’ C-RAN hubs (Exhibit 1). The company recently raised $90 million from backers Berkshire Partners and tower giant Crown Castle.

However, Verizon’s deal with AWS suggests that MNOs (or at least the major MNOs) will insist that MEC services should run on MNO-owned hardware located at their own edge premises. As a result, it is likely that these small players may need to re-focus on other opportunities, such as private networks, for example.

Exhibit 1: Vapor Edge Telecom Architecture

MNOs versus Hyperscalers

The edge is now shaping up to be a future battleground between telecom operators and the hyperscalers. Telcos believe that the fact that they own real estate at the edge (central offices, C-RAN hubs, etc.) gives them an advantage which means that the Internet companies will be forced to partner with them. However, there is mounting evidence that AWS, Microsoft et al. are moving fast and developing their own edge infrastructure. There is therefore a real risk that MNOs could lose edge business opportunities to the Internet companies if they prevaricate.

As recent events show, it seems that the big MNOs believe that they have more to benefit than to lose by partnering with the likes of Amazon, etc. Given the impact these giant Internet companies have already had on their businesses, Counterpoint believes that they should be wary of such partnerships, as the danger is that they will be relegated to the role of connectivity provider. However, there is also the chance that 5G MEC could be disruptive for the hyperscalers themselves, particularly as most enterprises do not want all their operational data going to AWS or Azure clouds. This could therefore be an opportunity for the telcos to offer an alternative, neutral, edge platform. However, the industry must move quickly and overcome challenges regarding standards, etc. if they are to seize the opportunity – a seemingly tall task at present!

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