Slowdown hits sales of cars, biscuits in 2019, but not smartphones

The economic slowdown may have clipped sales of cars and biscuits in 2019, but smartphones bucked the trend as urban and rural users continued to buy, and even upgrade to, expensive handsets - a trend likely to pick up pace in the coming year.

The growth in smartphone adoption was further fuelled by the government's push to position the country as a global hub for manufacturing and coax Apple and other leading brands to produce and export more phones from India.

Experts say that phone shipment is expected to see high single-digit to double-digit growth in India as smartphones aiding everything from shopping to banking to social media and, yes, perfect selfies!

Counterpoint Research Associate Director Tarun Pathak expects India's smartphone market to grow by 9 per cent this year, and in double digits (by 12-14 per cent) in 2020.

By 2022, over 700 million people are expected to have a smartphone in India, and over a billion devices will be sold over the next four-five years, he said.

A back of the envelope calculation shows that over 115 million units smartphones were shipped in India in the first three quarters of 2019 with Xiaomi, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and realme making up the top five tally.

Interestingly, there has been a significant rise in the average selling prices (ASP) of smartphones this year - rising from Rs 5,000-10,000 to Rs 10,000-15,000 now.

As per International Data Corporation (IDC), while more than 80 per cent of the market is sub-$200, the $300-500 category has witnessed multi-fold growth with flagship devices of players like Xiaomi, Oppo and OnePlus.

According to IDC India Associate Research Manager (Client Devices) Upasana Joshi, this segment is essentially for the "upgraders" who aspire for flagship-like design and specifications at nominal prices.

The government on its part brought a new electronics manufacturing policy to woo global investors to target manufacturing of one billion mobile phones by 2025. It also relaxed foreign direct investment (FDI) for single brand retail - a move that made Apple announce willingness to open its maiden retail store in India.

Also, corporate tax rate was reduced to 22 per cent and a lower 15 per cent rate offered to new manufacturing units.

This massive outreach helped as Apple began making iPhone XR in India, while Salcomp committed investments to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore. Salcomp - which the world's largest manufacturer and a major supplier of chargers to Apple for iPhone - has inked an agreement to take over the facility of Nokia in a special economic zone (SEZ) near Chennai that was closed for nearly 10 years. The facility will be made operational from March 2020, and is expected to employ about 10,000 people.

For consumers, 2019 saw smartphones sporting more cameras with powerful sensors, higher memory and even a folding form factor. Ending months of wait, Samsung brought to India its 'Galaxy Fold' featuring a foldable display and priced at Rs 1.65 lakh. Motorola has also introduced its foldable 'Moto Razr' though there is no clarity on its India availability.

Another area of action for smartphone makers was the smart TV space. Players like OnePlus, Motorola and Nokia launched their smart TVs - and priced them aggressively - to compete with giants like Sony, LG and Samsung.

Xiaomi India Head of Online Sales and Categories Raghu Reddy said the smart TV accounted for 18 per cent of the total TV market in India in the first quarter of 2018, which expanded to 43 per cent a year later.

Another area of ultrasonic growth was the wearables category. While previous years saw a number of fitness bands and smart watches making their way into the Indian market, 2019 was the year of 'hearables'. This category, according to Faisal Kawoosa (founder and Chief Analyst at techARC), will make up two-thirds of the wearables sales in 2020 by volume.

While smartphone manufacturing and consumption is scaling new heights, industry experts flag certain challenges.

In a recent meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the industry sought clarity over recent reduction in export incentives and demanded rationalisation of tax structure, including GST on handsets.

"...we still depend on imports of many essential parts... which will take few more quarters before everything starts to be sourced locally. The hindrances to this are non-availability of resources, skilled labour, infrastructure etc," IDC India's Joshi said.

For further long-term growth, it is essential to build a strong and robust ecosystem of manufacturing, lowering dependency on imports and giving attractive export subsidies to these brands, she added.

That said, consumers' voracious appetite for smarter, more powerful phones riding on newer technologies like 5G will keep players busy in 2020. realme India, for one, plans to bring in 5G products for Indian consumers as early as the first quarter of 2020 and advises prospective buyers and tech enthusiasts to "stay tuned" for Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.

Kawoosa, however, believes that 5G smartphones will hit Indian market in "good numbers only after second half of 2020". "Though some brands may want to score marketing points and introduce them immediately in April-June quarter after MWC'20. For 2020, most of the brands will have 5G flagships in their portfolio which should be priced in Luxe (above Rs 50,000) and premium (Rs 25,000-50,000) segments," he said.

Customers may have to wait at least seven-eight quarters after 5G smartphones are introduced in India to get their hands onto more affordable options, especially in the Rs 10,000-25,000 segment, he noted.

March of technology, obsession for social media and shopping, and Netflix binging will ensure that next year 'rings in' cheer for handset makers. And there will definitely be an over 100MP camera for the 'selfie' generation.

Year in review: Best smartphones of 2019 in terms of design and aesthetics

Smartphone design trends 2019: Once a game of specifications, the smartphone market came a long way this year. Besides offering the best mix of specifications and features, mobile phone makers now are also making efforts on their products' design language — that might have been one of the key differentiators for smartphones launched in 2019. From a reflective gradient design to 3D curved body and obstruction-free profile, the smartphones launched in 2019 experimented with different designs while also enhancing the overall product build.

Business Standard lists top five best-looking smartphones launched in 2019 with a distinct design language:

Oppo Reno 2

The Reno 2 (review) perfected the smartphone design to become one of the best of the year 2019 in terms of looks. The phone has a dual-colour-tone design that looks absolutely gorgeous, especially in the luminous black colour. Moreover, its design is accentuated by better ergonomics and a light-weight build. The phone’s premium glass-metal sandwich construction complements its design, and the use of Corning Gorilla Glass on the front and back makes it resilient to everyday abuses. Additionally, the phone has an obstruction-free profile with no notch or cut-out on the front, and no camera bump or capacitive fingerprint sensor on the rear. The phone’s design feels natural and it is comfortable to hold and operate. Its overall design is accentuated by a ‘Shark Fin’ mechanical pop-up selfie camera module that houses the front camera and earpiece.

Oppo Reno 2

Build Display Processor Battery Camera Launch price

Glass-metal 6.5-inch AMOLED fullHD+ Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 4000 mAh Rear: 48MP + 13MP + 8MP+ 2MP

Front: 16MP, sharkfin pop-up Starts at Rs 37,000

Samsung Galaxy S10+

Ergonomics and design go hand in hand. A phone may be really good only if it has a good design and sound ergonomics for easier handling. Thankfully, the Galaxy S10+ (review) has both – great ergonomics and impressive design. Made of glass and metal, the phone has Gorilla Glass 6 on the front and Gorilla Glass 5 on the back. These give it a premium look without compromising on durability. Moreover, its light-weight build and compact form factor make it easy to use. The Galaxy S10 Plus is a balanced smartphone with nothing out of place to diminish its overall charm.

Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

Build Display Processor Battery Camera Launch price

Glass-metal 6.4-inch dynamic AMOLED QHD+, Gorilla Glass 6, HDR10+ Exynos 9820 4100 mAh Rear: 12MP + 12MP + 16MP

Front: 10MP + 8MP Starts at Rs 73,900

Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro

The Redmi K20 Pro (review) has an impressive design that most other smartphones in the midrange flagship segment lack. Made of glass and metal with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on the front and back, the phone has a glacier-inspired (blue-colour edition that we reviewed) arc-shaped gradient reflective design on the back which looks mesmerising and distinctly different from any other iteration of the gradient reflective design. On the front, the phone has an obstruction-free profile with no cut-out area for notch or punch-hole. Overall, Xiaomi has done a great job in keeping the phone’s design minimal yet functional. The phone looks modern and has a dazzling design. It fits perfectly in your hand and feels comfortable to hold and operate with its compact and lightweight build.

Redmi K20 Pro

Build Display Processor Battery Camera Launch price

Glass-metal 6.39-inch AMOLED fullHD+, Gorilla Glass 5, HDR10 Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 4000 mAh Rear: 48MP + 8MP + 13MP

Front: 20MP pop-up Starts at Rs 27,999

Asus 6z

This phone stands true to its tagline ‘defy ordinary’ — at least in terms of design. The 6z (review) boasts an obstruction-free front profile with no cut-out area for notch or punch hole. However, it is not the display but its motorised flip-camera module accommodating the phone’s dual-camera set-up that adds novelty to the overall design language and makes it look different from others. Moreover, for durability, the phone uses Gorilla Glass on the front and back. Though a tad heavy, the phone’s motorised flip camera module is definitely an eye catcher.

Asus Zenfone 6

Build Display Processor Battery Camera Launch price

Glass-metal 6.4-inch LCD fullHD+, Gorilla Glass 6 Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 5000 mAh 48MP + 13MP motorised flip Starts at Rs 31,999

Honor 20

This phone has a no-frills design with a glass body and a metallic chassis. The Honor 20’s (review) back is covered with a curved reflective glass that renders different colour hues and shapes when exposed to light and looked at from angles. The reflective glass properties are more prominent in the blue variant than the black one that we reviewed. The phone’s front is dominated by a punch-hole screen, which adds to both style and substance. The capacitive fingerprint sensor placed under the power button on the right side of the chassis adds to the phone’s functionality without compromising its minimal design language.

Realme X2 Pro Black Friday sale now live: Price, discount offers, and more

Chinese smartphone brand Realme’s recently launched premium smartphone, the Realme X2 Pro, goes on sale under the company’s Black Friday sale at the Realme online store today. The phone comes in 8GB RAM + 128GB storage and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage variants, priced at Rs 29,999 and Rs 33,999, respectively. As part of the company’s introductory offer on the phone, the Realme X2 Pro gets a 10 per cent instant discount (up to Rs 500) on HDFC Bank debit card transactions. The phone is also eligible for Bajaj Finserv’s no-interest equated monthly instalment (no-cost EMI) scheme. Additionally, the phone comes bundled with a Reliance Jio offer that includes benefits worth Rs 5,500 in the form of additional data and coupons.

At its price, the Realme X2 Pro has something in store for everyone — a premium design, 90Hz super AMOLED screen, Dolby-tuned stereo speakers, ultra-fast charging and quad-camera set-up on the back. Here are five reasons why you should consider this smartphone:

Design

The Realme X2 Pro boasts a premium glass-metal construction. It has curved Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back for protection against everyday abuses. Sandwiched between the glasses is a metallic chassis made of aluminium alloy, which is sturdy and has a matte texture for firm grip. Besides, the phone has a gradient design on the back that reflects different hues of colours when exposed to light and looked at from different angles.

Display

The Realme X2 Pro has a 6.5-inch fullHD+ AMOLED display stretched in a tall 20:9 aspect ratio. The display supports a 90Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ and 100 per cent DCI-P3 colour gamut. The screen, with a good refresh rate, enhances user experience by rendering transitions in user interface smoothly. The HDR10+ feature is complemented by a bright display panel (up to 1000 nits) that makes it a suitable choice for multimedia enthusiasts. The DCI-P3 colour gamut allows the screen render colours that look close to natural. Moreover, the phone has a dark mode with a darker colour palette for system background colour.

Multimedia

The Realme X2 Pro has a Widevine L1 certification, so its screen can use its native resolution to render content from over-the-top platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix in high definition. Moreover, it boasts Dolby-tuned stereo speakers that are loud and crisp. These speakers enhance the phone’s overall multimedia experience. Additionally, the phone has 3.5mm audio out port that makes it convenient to use with wired headsets.

Camera

The Realme X2 Pro has a quad camera module on the back, featuring a 64-megapixel primary sensor, a 13MP telephoto sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, the phone has a 16MP shooter for selfies.

The phone’s primary sensor is based on pixel-binning technology to take 16MP shots. However, there is a dedicated ultra 64MP mode, which allows you to use sensor’s native resolution to capture images. The phone’s telephoto lens adds 2x optical zoom capability to the phone’s imaging. Moreover, the phone also supports up to 5x hybrid zoom and 20x digital zoom. The ultra-wide sensor, on the other hand, doubles up as a macro lens for close-up shots. It also supports auto-focus, which few other phones with the ultra-wide sensors have.

For low-light photography, the phone has nightscape mode. It works for both rear cameras and front camera.

Charger

The Realme X2 Pro comes bundled with a 50W superVOOC charger, which has insane fast charge speed – it replenishes the phone’s completely drained out battery to 100 per cent in less than 35 minutes.

Coolpad Cool 5 review: Decent budget smartphone with not-so-good imaging

Chinese smartphone maker Coolpad recently launched the Coolpad Cool 5 smartphone in India at a price of Rs 7,999. The phone comes in gradient blue and midnight blue colours. Business Standard took the phone out for a spin to test how it fares on key parameters. Here are the findings:

Design and display

With its thin bezel and dewdrop screen, Coolpad Cool 5 rocks the standard design of budget smartphone nowadays. It has a glossy back with black shade merging into the violet, which looks good but is susceptible to fingerprint marks. You get a plastic case inside the box, in case you opt for it. Apart from that, the phone has a fingerprint scanner and a 13 megapixel (MP)+2 MP dual camera, along with an LED flash slotted on the top left rear.

Upfront is a 6.22-inches HD+ screen with 1520 x 720 pixels resolution and an aspect ratio of 19:9 with good viewing angles. The display is vibrant and bright enough even under broad daylight. On the right you have the volume and power buttons while the SIM slot is on the left. Up top is a 3.5mm headphone jack while on the bottom, you get a micro USB port flanked by speaker grills.

Overall, the build is compact and you can easily use the phone with one hand. It's slightly on the heavier side but not at all uncomfortable.

One minor issue is that the back navigation key is placed on the left-hand side while it is on the right-hand side in most other phones. That slight inconvenience takes a little getting used to.

Coolpad Cool 5 review: Decent budget smartphone with not-so-good imaging

Camera

Coolpad Cool 5's camera is a big disappointment. The primary camera is 13-megapixel, paired with 2-megapixel depth sensor, and the front camera is 16MP sensor, but you can be forgiven for doubting these credentials after looking at the output. In most cases, the images have artificial colouring and come out grainy and pixelated if you zoom in a bit. The 'smart photo' feature seemed to smoothen things out, though not in a good way. In low light, it only gets worse. In terms of modes and options, you get beauty mode, FaceCute, bokeh, time-lapse and portrait.

Performance

The Coolpad Cool 5 is powered by Mediatek MT6762 Helio P22 octa-core processor. Coupled with 4GB RAM, the phone works smoothly without overheating for long hours. I faced no problems while multi-tasking either. You can play light games with ease but heavier games like PUBG can lag at times. On the storage front, you get a 64GB storage that can be expanded to 128GB using microSD card. The phone comes preloaded with Android 9 Pie, which looks neat but has bloatware installed. Thankfully, most of the accompanying apps (bloatware) can easily be removed. As mentioned earlier, the phone has a fingerprint reader on the back which works fine as does the face unlock.

Battery

Like many of its budget peers these days, the Cool 5 has a USB-C port, which is a plus. The 4,000 mAh battery means the on-battery time is good enough for at least a day for all day-to-day usage, with gaming sessions peppered in between. You can prolong the battery life by using the Power Manager. This should be preferable to charging the phone which should take you more than a couple of hours, at least. The battery is thus one of the positives in this phone although the charging time could be cut down considerably.

Verdict

The Coolpad Cool 5 is a good-looking device with more-than-decent battery backup and processor -- even though it can't run heavy games that well. But in any case, not many budget smartphones can. Where it really falters is camera quality. Although it'd be unfair to expect top-notch camera from a budget smartphone, Cool 5's competitors, like Redmi 8A and Realme 5, perform much better in this respect. In the age of social media that we live in, this would be a big disadvantage for Coolpad.

Are you a little slow in typing on phone? Here's how you can do it faster

For many of us, our approach to typing on a smartphone is something we stumble upon. Unlike composing words on a typewriter or computer keyboard, there is no widely taught, proper way.

If speed is the goal, however, a study of around 37,000 people suggests that one particular approach is better than others: writing with two thumbs and embracing autocorrect, but avoiding predictive text.

“That is basically the trick of typing quickly,” said Per Ola Kristensson, a professor of interactive systems engineering at the University of Cambridge and one of the authors of the study, which was presented at a human-computer interaction conference in Taipei on Wednesday.

The study focused on the stubbornly persistent Qwerty keyboard, which was originally designed to minimize mechanical typing jams in typewriters. Despite questions about its utility and the emergence of alternate systems, much of the world still relies on the setup.

To conduct the study, researchers asked volunteers from around 160 countries to memorize a series of sentences and write them both on desktop keyboards and mobile phones.

There has never been another typing study on this scale, according to the researchers, but they said that when they compared their findings with smaller studies, the gap in speed between the two devices appeared to be shrinking. When smartphones first came out, people typed about 20 to 25 words per minute, said Anna Feit, a researcher in human-computer interaction at ETH Zurich and another author of the study. Now people average 37 to 40 words per minute, she said.

As the authors write in their study, the average person is nearly 70 percent as fast on a phone as on a laptop. One remarkable typist hit 85 words per minute on a mobile device.

Pedro Lopes, a professor of human-computer interaction at the University of Chicago, who was not involved in the study, said the results signaled a “paradigm shift.” That change is even more evident among young people. On average, subjects between the ages of 10 and 19 were about 10 words per minute faster on smartphones than people in their 40s.

One unexpected finding was that a significant number of subjects used a two-finger typing system on full-size computer keyboards. However they approached typing, those who used predictive text generally wrote more slowly. Examining word predictions and making a choice is far slower than using autocorrect, Dr. Kristensson said.

Jack Dennerlein, an ergonomics researcher at Northeastern University’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences, said the study reinforced what other studies have shown: Two-handed typing is faster than one-handed typing.

But the limits on speed involve more than the kind of keyboard or the dexterity of the individual. There is also the element of imagination, said Dr. Kristensson, who is an inventor of gesture typing, a swiping technique intended to save time. No matter the system, people cannot exceed 120 words a minute, he said, because they cannot come up with what to say that quickly. “Typing rates are bounded by our creativity,” he said.

Regardless of speed, most of us are not that original. Half of the words people text are the most frequently used 200 words in English, he said.

Flipkart Big Billion sale: Deals on phones from Xiaomi, Realme, Vivo & more

Home-grown e-commerce platform Flipkart's annual festive season sale, Big Billion Days sale', started on September 29 and will go on until October 4. Under this, the company is offering several deals, discounts and offers on several products, including smartphones. As part of Flipkart Big Billion Days, you can get up to 10 per cent instant discount on smartphones using Axis Bank credit and debit cards and ICICI Bank credit cards. Besides, the online e-tailer is also offering exchange offers, subsidised complete mobile protection plan, interest-free equated monthly instalment scheme, and more.

Here are some of the best deals on smartphones available under the Flipkart Big Billion Days sale:

Samsung Galaxy S9+ (6GB/64GB)

Flipkart Big Billion sale: Deals on phones from Xiaomi, Realme, Vivo & moreThis 2018 flagship smartphone from the South Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung is on sale at a discounted price of Rs 34,999, which is 50 per cent lower than its prevailing retail price of Rs 70,000. The phone has a 6.2-inch QHD+ infinity super AMOLED screen with curved edges. It is powered by Exynos 9810 mobile processor, mated with 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. The phone has dual 12-megapixel cameras on the back, and an 8MP camera on the front. Powered by 3,500 mAh battery, the phone supports wireless charging, also.

Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro (6GB/128GB)

Redmi K20 ProA midrange smartphone with flagship specifications is available at a discounted price of Rs 24,999, which is 13 per cent lower than its retail price of Rs 28,999. The phone has a 6.39-inch AMOLED screen of a fullHD+ resolution with in-display fingerprint technology for phone unlock mechanism. It boasts an all-screen design and has a pop-up selfie camera module, featuring a 20MP sensor. The phone has triple camera set-up on the back, featuring a 48MP primary sensor, 13MP ultra-wide sensor and an 8MP telephoto lens. Powering the device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 mobile processor, a 4,000 mAh battery and a Google Android Pie operating system.

Google Pixel 3a (4GB/64GB)

Google Pixel 3aAn affordable offering based on the Google Pixel 3-series, the Pixel 3a is currently available at a discounted price of Rs 29,999, which is 25 per cent lower than its prevailing retail price of Rs 39,999. The Pixel 3a has a 5.6-inch fullHD+ OLED screen. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 mobile processor. The phone has a 12.2MP camera on the rear and an 8MP camera on the front. Powering the device is a 3,000 mAh battery.

Realme 5 Pro (4GB/64GB)

Realme 5 ProThis quad rear camera-based smartphone is currently available at Rs 12,999 on all pre-paid transactions, a Rs 3,000 lower than its retail price of Rs 15,999. The phone has a 6.3-inch fullHD+ screen with teardrop notch on the top, accommodating the phone’s 16MP selfie camera. Powering the phone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 mobile processor, 4,035 mAh battery and Android Pie-based Color OS 6 operating system. The phone supports VOOC 3.0 fast charging. It’s quad camera set-up on the back has a 48MP primary sensor, 8MP ultra-wide lens, 2MP macro lens and a 2MP depth sensor.

Vivo Z1 Pro (4GB/64GB)

Vivo Z1ProThis punch hole screen-based smartphone is currently available at a discounted price of Rs 12,990, which is 18 percent lower than its retail price of Rs 15,990. The phone has a 6.53-inch fullHD+ resolution screen. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 mobile processor, a 5,000 mAh battery and an Android Pie operating system. The phone has triple camera set up on the back; a 16MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, the phone has a 32MP selfie camera, placed inside the punch-hole screen.

Apple to Samsung: 75 new smartphone models to kick off festive season sales

Amid a potential slowdown, the country’s smartphone makers are gearing up for bumper sales ahead of the festival season. To draw consumers, at least 75 new smartphone models have been lined up and that may add momentum to the already growing sector.

Initial estimates — based on trends of the past two months — suggest that during the July-September quarter smartphone shipments may touch an all-time high. While last year, during the corresponding quarter, nearly 42.6 million units were shipped in, this year the number may surpass 45 million, analysts estimate.

Prabhu Ram, head of industry intelligence group, CyberMedia Research, says smartphone shipments will grow 8-10 per cent year-on-year during the quarter. “Smartphone brands have lined up many exiting launches, backed by attractive offers. Online shopping festivals will further pique customers’ interest,” he said.

The euphoria is clearly visible in activities of the smartphone majors. Market leader Xiaomi is planning to launch Redmi Note 8 and 8 Pro, extension of its flagship Note series. Second-largest player Samsung has lined up launches under its current online-only series M that directly competes with Xiaomi. The Korean giant will also launch new models under its yearly flagship Galaxy S series in September.

Samsung’s rival in the super premium segment — Apple — is not behind. New iPhone models are expected to be unveiled in the country by October — days ahead of Diwali. OnePlus, another heavyweight in the premium category that frequently beats Apple and Samsung in their own turf, is launching OnePlus 7T — replacing the bestselling OnePlus 6T this month.

Vivo, Oppo, and Realme, the third-, fourth- and fifth-largest players currently, have their own flagships lined up. Vivo Z2 Pro, Z1X Pro, and Z5, Realme XT, and Oppo Reno 2 series are in the pipeline. Other leading brands like Nokia, Huawei, and Honor are coming out with Nokia 6.2, 7.2, and 8.2, Huawei Mate 30 series, and Honor 9X series, respectively, during the festival season.

Lenovo is relaunching its mother brand after it withdrew Lenovo smartphones from the market over a year ago. The Chinese major is planning to lap up its dual-brand strategy this season — with Lenovo and Motorola — targeting different sets of consumers.

While a flurry of launches usually hit the market every year during the September-October period, analysts say the enthusiasm this year is in stark contrast in comparison with the conditions in the overall consumer goods market that is going through a slowdown in sales.

The uniqueness of the country’s smartphone market is probably acting as a saving grace. Unlike other consumer goods categories like packaged food and beverages, cars, and personal care items, smartphone buyers consider e-commerce channel to be a key shopping outlet. The share of online channel ranges between 35 per cent and 40 per cent of all smartphone sales compared to less than 2 per cent for fast-moving consumer good items, and nil for automobiles.

In the coming weeks, online retailers are expected to further raise the pitch with shopping festivals, discounts, and cashback offers. Last year, these measures led to record sales of handsets during the season.

Navkendar Singh, research director at IDC, said, “We should expect continued aggression by online heavy brands and e-tailers in the next few months fuelled by new launches and price reductions of last few launches, leading up to the festive season.”

Moreover, rapid expansion of footprint in the offline retail space by leading players like Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo in the past few years may lead to fierce competition for shelf space. Singh said this will make the retail channel very critical for any brand’s success in the weeks ahead.

Samsung, which has recently bounced back with a strong proposition in the online space, is eyeing double-digit growth in sales in premium category, said Ranjivjit Singh, chief marketing officer, Samsung. Raghu Reddy, head of categories and online sales for Xiaomi, said he expects the market to grow by 8-9 per cent during the festival season.

Smartphones beat slowdown as sales up 10%; Xiaomi tops Indian market

Raghu Reddy, head of categories and online sales for India’s leading smartphone company Xiaomi, is unfazed by the slowdown that has gripped the consumer goods market. 

His confidence is not unfounded. According to the IDC India data, smartphone shipments grew by 10 per cent during the April-June quarter to reach 37 million units, the highest for the quarter. June quarter growth is traditionally the slowest, when shipments usually remain lower than the second half of the year.

The feat comes at a time key players in sectors such as automobile and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) have struggled to repeat last year’s performance. Volume growth in FMCG fell to 6.2 per cent in April-June this year from 13.2 per cent three quarters ago. Growth in rural market remained dismal at 5.9 per cent, which was lower than urban after several years.

Offtake of passenger vehicles, a barometer of consumer sentiment for big-ticket items, fared worse in over a decade. It fell by 18.4 per cent during the quarter. Country’s largest automaker Maruti Suzuki’s sales fell for six consecutive quarters till July. In June, its volume sales fell by 17 per cent and it plunged by a whopping 36 per cent — the highest in two decades — in July. Hyundai Motor India, the second-largest player in the sector, witnessed a 10 per cent drop in sales in July, after a 3.2 per cent dip in June.

Smartphones beat slowdown as sales up 10%; Xiaomi tops Indian market

Smartphone players, however, are way ahead. Xiaomi, which continues to lead the segment with 28.3 per cent market share, grew by 5 per cent. While Samsung, the second-largest player by volume, grew by 16.6 per cent, Vivo and Oppo expanded their shipments by 31.6 per cent and 41 per cent in June quarter, respectively. Realme, a sub-brand of Oppo and currently the fifth largest player, grew by a whopping 602 per cent year on year.

According to analysts, one of the key factors that differentiates smartphones from other products is their expose to the e-commerce market.

“The online channel continued its growth momentum fuelled by multiple launches, attractive offers, and affordability schemes such as EMIs or cashbacks. This resulted in YoY growth of 12.4 per cent for the online channel,” said Upasana Joshi, associate research manager, Client Devices, IDC India.

While the share of sales through online channel in smartphones ranges between 36 and 40 per cent, for FMCG, it’s a meagre 1-3 per cent. For passenger vehicles, it is nil. So is for real estate that is holding an inventory of 1.3 million units.

The significance of smart devices in daily lives has also played a role in the growth of smartphone segment. Prabhu Ram, senior analyst at CyberMedia Research, said new buyers and consumers upgrading smartphones will keep smartphones out of a slowdown in coming months. The new breed of consumers with aspirations will play a key role in this, he said.

Reddy, who oversees business that is larger than most smartphone companies in the country, said in a recent interview: “People cannot live without smartphones. If an existing phone stops working, one would buy a new one. We believe it would be the last sector to get impacted.”

He predicted that the smartphone market would continue to grow at 8-10 per cent during the coming quarters.

Faisal Kawoosa, chief analyst at analyst agency TechARC, however, is cautious. Smartphones, like other consumer goods, can be impacted by the ongoing slowdown, he said.

“We shall have to see the market behaviour in the next two quarters, which are festive driven.”

Samsung Wireless Battery Pack: Perfect accessory for Galaxy S10 smartphones

I am not a big fan of wireless chargers for the simple reason that are not fully wireless. Also, their charging is slow and they unnecessarily heat up devices which might damage batteries in the long run. Besides, a wireless charger of a reputable brand costs as much as a budget smartphone — around Rs 5,000. While wireless chargers might not yet be ready, wireless power banks, such as the Samsung Wireless Battery Pack, could be a nice accessory for supported devices.

There could be plenty of choices among lesser brands, but Samsung’s wireless battery pack is the only such product from a big brand at present. Being a power bank, it has a built-in battery of 10,000 mAh, which is good enough to charge your phone (with a 3,500 mAh battery) at least twice on a one full charge. Importantly, it has fast-charging support for both wired and wireless charging.

Being a Samsung product, this battery pack works as intended with most supported Samsung devices like the Galaxy Watch Active, Galaxy Buds and Galaxy S10 Plus smartphone. It takes around two hours to charge the 4,100 mAh battery of the Galaxy S10 Plus wirelessly, and around 15 minutes less when you do it via wired output. What’s more, you can charge two devices simultaneously — one wirelessly and the other using a wire.

Unfortunately, wireless fast-charging seems to work only with supported Samsung devices. When tested with Huawei and Apple smartphones that have a wireless charging feature, the power bank took more than three hours and it lost its power very quickly.

But the power bank’s wired charging worked flawlessly. Besides charging the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus quickly, its fast-charge function worked with most phones that support Quick Charge technology. It, however, seems to have a problem with Apple smartphones.

At Rs 3,699, the Samsung Wireless Battery Pack is a must-have power accessory for people using Samsung’s current-generation devices, such Galaxy S10-series smartphone, Galaxy Bud earphones, Galaxy Watch Active wearable, etc.

Xiaomi Mi A3 goes official; brings triple cameras, AMOLED screen, and more

Chinese technology company Xiaomi on July 17 unveiled in Spain its third iteration of Mi A-series smartphone. Named the Mi A3, the phone gets a mixed bag of upgrades in terms of design and performance. The phone is a mid-range offering with premium glass build, triple camera module on the back and stock Android operating system. Besides, it also has AMOLED screen with in-display fingerprint sensor, big capacity battery with fast charge support and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on the back and front.

Xiaomi Mi A3 specifications and features

Except for the display, the Mi A3 seems to be an all-round upgrade compared to its predecessor. It has a 6.088-inch AMOLED screen with dot-shaped notch on top. Unfortunately, the screen has HD+ resolution, which is a downgrade from the fullHD+ in predecessor. On the other hand, the screen gets in-display fingerprint sensor technology and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

The phone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 system-on-chip, paired with 64GB and 128GB internal storage configurations. Both the storage variants come with 4 GB of RAM. It has a microSD card slot for storage expansion (up to 256GB). Being a part of Android One programme, the Mi A3 comes loaded with stock Android Pie operating system. Powering the phone is a 4,030 mAh battery, which supports 18W fast charge. Unfortunately, the phone comes bundled with a 10W charger, and the 18W fast charger is sold as a separate accessory.

Imaging is covered by triple camera module on the back, featuring a 48-megapixel primary sensor of f/1.79 aperture, an 8MP ultra-wide fixed focus lens of 118-degree field of view (FoV) and f/2.2 aperture, and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, the phone has a 32MP selfie camera. Both the front and rear cameras support artificial intelligence based scene recognition. The rear camera module is capable to detect from up to 27 different scenes, whereas, the front camera supports 12 different scenes.

The Mi A3 has 3.5mm audio port, which was missing in its predecessor. It also has USB type-C port for charging and data transfer. The phone comes in three colours – more than white, not just blue and kind of grey. The phone's price starts from 249 euros, which translates to around Rs 19,000 in Indian currency. Important to note, the phone's specifications and features are of global model, which was unveiled in Spain. The phone might launch in India in future and some of the specifications and features might change.