Viewpoints

Spotify, Podcasting and the India Gambit

Spotify has made a sharp pivot to new frontiers, beyond just music. By acquiring two podcast businesses, Gimlet Media Inc., a popular podcast network,  and Anchor, a platform providing tools for creators, Spotify is recognizing the potential for non-music content, and staking a claim on the future of podcasting.  Both acquisitions are prudent as well. …

R&D
Press

41 smartphone brands exit, 15 entered India in 2018: Report

As many as 41 smartphone brands, including Zuk, Acer, Datawind, LeEco, and Comio shut shop while 15 companies like Realme and Pocophone entered the Indian market in 2018, market research firm CyberMedia Research (via The Economic Times) has said, adding that these brands exited due to the hyper-competition. “China-based Realme was a standout hit in …

Press

Over 40 smartphone brands exit India market owing to hyper-competition

As many as 41 smartphone brands exited the India smartphone market in 2018 owing to hyper-competition, while 15 brands entered the market eyeing growth prospects that India has to offer, according to data shared by Cybermedia Research. Mirroring the same pattern, more exits than entry of smartphone players is expected in 2019 as major brands …

Press

Domestic brands like Lava, Micromax eye international expansion; renew focus on entry-level smartphones

Indian handset players such as Micromax and Lava, fighting for survival in their home market, are looking to shore up revenue and drive volumes through international expansion. But analysts say that a better bet will be to increase focus on the under-$100 (around Rs 7,000) smartphone segment and on feature phones, which still offer huge …

PUBG
Press

There is no stopping PUBG, Fortnite games among Indian youngsters

“Ye PUBG wala hai kya?” Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked a mother who raised concerns about her son being too involved into online games during the “Pariksha pe Charcha 2.0” event here on Tuesday. The ground reality is that online, multi-player games have taken over the millenials big time in India, sending the earlier individual …

Press

Budget 2019 should provide policy thrust for AI, Blockchain: CMR

The Union Budget of 2019 should look at providing a policy thrust for emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain, among many others, CyberMedia Research said in a note on Wednesday. This move will result in new business opportunities across the spectrum, and fostering India’s leadership therein, according to CMR. “The Budget should …

Press

Need special package to keep local phone brands ringing: ICEA

India’s top handset body has called on the government to create a special package to help revive local handset makers who have been pushed to the fringes in the market dominated by Chinese players besides Samsung on end, and Reliance Retail’s JioPhone on the other. The special package would help Indian companies tap the $250-billion …

Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Devices

With Huawei Mate 20 Pro, Huawei outsurpasses Apple and Samsung

As the second-largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, Huawei has come a long way, pushing technological boundaries, and bringing industry-leading features to the market. While some of the earlier Huawei phones were not so memorable, the recent offerings by Huawei have set a mark. With the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, Huawei has come up with …

Press

Dual-screen phones: Things to consider before buying

Hot on the heels of foldable phones announced by Royole and Samsung, smartphone makers are pushing a new category—dual-screen phones. Unlike foldable screens which are made of a single giant screen that can be folded from the middle, dual-screen phones have two separate screens—on both the front and back panels (remember the Nokia Communicator?). Smartphones …