Insights + interviews
Hyper-connected personal technology and devices to feature at IFA 2018
The Active Age attended the IFA Global Press Conference 2018 and learnt about personal technology trends and developments coming up this year.
GfK shares about technology trends in Asia Pacific
Asian consumers are embracing the connected lifestyle, supported by their personal lifestyle devices such as smartphones and wearables. By 2030, two-thirds of the global middle class will be living in Asia. An average individual checks their phone about 100 times a day and spends about 140 minutes looking at the screen and content.
One of the immediate developing trends is that of making purchases digitally. 71 percent of APAC shoppers are using smartphones to help them with their shopping decisions. 90 percent of the younger demographic explore, research and purchase on their mobile device; demonstrating a comfort level with current security levels on their mobile device. Interestingly, the rising adoption of biometric enhanced devices are providing a boost to online shopping. This is coupled with the growing number of NFC-enabled devices that support mobile payments beyond the smartphone device. What this means, is that customers are carrying a wallet capable of helping with purchases without actually carrying physical cash. The connected lifestyle is helping us pay more easily for physical purchases, such as those at supermarkets, convenience stores and even F&B outlets. The ability to store credit cards digitally is impacting how online merchants are doing outreach to potential customers.
Consumer technology brands are competing to get our devices talking to each other through artificial intelligence. Worldwide, consumers are certain that the smart home will change the way we interact with our home appliances. Asia is making AI affordable – by high adoption and purchase rates – connecting their home appliances through technologies such as smart speakers. 35 million smart speakers were sold in December 2017 in China. Companies such as Hisense and Xiaomi in China have started connecting the smart home appliance ecosystem with a “central control”, usually a smartphone-based app, that can control, monitor and track across multiple devices.
Consumers are increasingly demanding services on-demand and this is placing pressure on device manufacturers to meet the demand. These consumers are also redefining value and are willing to pay more for higher quality products but spends less overall on purchases. Innovation is still a key driver of purchase.
*All data points were shared by GfK at the IFA Global Press Conference event.
IFA, Partner of the Future since 1924
IFA will be held in Berlin, Germany from 31 August – 5 September. The event will cover the latest in consumer electronics including television, multimedia, domestic appliances, and smart devices. There will also be keynotes by global speakers about trends concerning consumer electronic insights.
IFA Next – a showcase of curated startups – will include a forum, and exhibition in one location. It will showcase new innovations separate from the main exhibition.
IFA Global Markets – a marketplace for suppliers, component manufacturers, OEMs and ODMs – will support business matchmaking and sales deals at a dedicated space at STATION Berlin near Potsdamer Platz.
There will be a new event called Smart Country to facilitate the procurement of technology by Governments and Government-linked organisations.
Shift AUTOMOTIVE, a 2-day event, will share about the latest developments about new automotive technologies and how it changes the ways we live and drive. The event is a joint venture of the Geneva International Motor Show, Palexpo, IFA, and Messe Berlin. The first Shift AUTOMOTIVE will take place on 4 and 5 September 2018, alongside IFA in Berlin.
More information can be found, and registration can be done at their website, at www.b2b.ifa-berlin.com.
Here are some of the highlights shared by the various brands that participated at the IFA global press conference.
Philips continues to drive developments in connected health with sleep ecosystem devices
Time scarcity is the new normal. We are constantly being reminded with notifications and reminders, that add to the frustration and impatience to the person. Sleep becomes the compromise, it’s what we give up in order to make more time for other things. 40% of adults between 25 – 54 years old do not get the recommended 7 – 9 hours of sleep. Chronic lack of sleep leads to more health-related problems. Philips is looking to provide consumers with the tools to track and quantify their health leading to behaviour change. Connected health is Philips’ answer for consumers and by providing high quality, clinical information to the consumer can help us make better personal health decisions.
Philips shared information about several new “sleep ecosystem” devices at the recent IFA Global Press Conference event in Rome, Italy.
SmartSleep is the first sleep technology that is clinically proven to enhance sleep. it’s a wearable headband paired with the SleepMapper mobile app that tracks, monitors and reacts to your sleep patterns. The SleepMapper mobile app provides a report the following morning to help you understand your sleep patterns better. It logs sleep details, patterns and improvements over time. The app provides tips, suggestions to aid the development of a good and effective sleep routine. The Philips Somneo connected Sleep & Wake-up Light makes both the wake-up and falling asleep process more effective with sunrise and sunset features.
Used together, SmartSleep, the Philips Somneo and the SleepMapper app allows you to optimise your sleep by understanding your personal data, patterns and habits. Regular usage can help you understand your requirements better and eventually improve your sleep cycle.
Fitbit launches their lightest smartwatch, the Fitbit Versa.
The Fitbit Versa launches with their new Fitbit OS 2.0 that provides a personalised dashboard with a more simplified, and holistic view of your health and fitness data. The dashboard includes “stats at a glance” that gets more personalised over time with use. Stats include daily and weekly health and fitness stats, historical activity, heart rate, and exercise summaries; and provides reminders, celebrations, logging, insights, sleep summaries and social challenges.
The smartwatch is Fitbit’s lightest in their current line-up and offers features such as 4+ days battery life, 24/7 heart rate tracking, onscreen workouts, automatic sleep stage tracking, wallet-free payments, and on-device music. The Fitbit Versa comes in an ultra-thin, anodised aluminium case, alongside a bright, colourful touchscreen with sharp graphics.
Fitbit shares that the Versa was named after the versatility that they hope customers will appreciate, whether through accessories, or how it can be used throughout the day as a companion, from working out to sleeping.
Fitbit Versa is available at selected retailers including Axtro Sports, Best Denki, Challenger, Courts, Harvey Norman, Metro, e-Gadgets and Lazada. Versa retails at SGD 318 in black with a black aluminum case, gray with a silver aluminum case, or peach with a rose gold aluminum case. The Fitbit Versa Special Edition retails for SGD 358 with accessories ranging from SGD 49.90 to SGD 139.90.
Huawei shares about the photography capabilities of their new P20 Pro
The Huawei P20 and P20 Pro recently launched globally, quickly setting a benchmark for smartphones in terms of both design and camera features. Huawei’s new flagship, the P20 Pro boasts a three lens camera setup – a 40-megapixel RGB colour lens, an 8-megapixel telephoto lens and a 20-megapixel monochrome lens. It has an AI system that recognises 19 different scenes that only activate in specific situations. There is a 5x hybrid zoom, supported by a 4D predictive, motion-activated autofocus system. This feature keeps items in focus by tracking them in real time.
The Huawei P20 and P20 Pro is currently available at retail and online at Lazada for SGD 898 and SGD 1,148.
