Does the world really need another cool and trendy smartphone maker from China? At least one entrepreneur seems to think the answer is yes, with the launch of a new brand called OnePlus at an event last week in Beijing. Normally I wouldn’t give too much attention to this kind of launch, since everyone in China is rushing these days to try and copy the trend Xiaomi, which itself is trying to copy the success of global tech giant Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL). But the fact that such a new company like OnePlus could attract so much attention for its event, including a blogosphere plug from global chip giant Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM), is making me hedge my bets that perhaps this could be a company to watch. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on January 17. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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China’s Nu Skin (NYSE: NUS) Probe Drags Down Herbalife,USANA Too (English article)
Xiaomi to Invest in Video Sharing Site Xunlei – Source (English article)
China Microblog Users Fall By 28 Mln, Or 9 Pct, In 2013 (Chinese article)
Shanghai Disneyland (NYSE: DIS) Starts Recruiting For 2015 Park Opening (Chinese article)
Jingdong Plans IPO In Second Half Of 2014 To Raise $2 Bln – Source (Chinese article)
The microblogging space was buzzing with a bit of the past, the present and the future last week, with executives from some of China’s top gadget and Internet companies all hyping their various agendas in cyberspace. In a blast from the past, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) co-founder Steve Wozniak was all over the place in microblog postings from a number of tech companies executives he visited on a trip to China.
In the present, meanwhile, TCL (HKEx: 1070; Shenzhen: 000100) Chairman Li Dongsheng was at the CES trade show in Las Vegas and also attended a board meeting of Imax (NYSE: IMAX), using both opportunities to hype a new home theater tie-up with the US-based large screen movie format specialist. In the future, Long Wei, the low-key founder of leading online restaurant critic site Dianping, was hyping his company’s recent global expansion, perhaps hinting at more to come. Read Full Post…
Anyone who thinks the trendy Xiaomi is just trying to copy the playbook of global tech giant Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) may have to reassess that comparison, following the latest reports that the fast-rising Chinese smartphone maker is preparing to enter the ultra low-end segment of the market. Word that Xiaomi will launch a smartphone costing just 300 yuan, or $50, looks a bit suspicious to me, as I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smartphone costing so little. Such a move would also contrast sharply with Apple, which has made a very conscious decision to stay in the premium end of the market. Read Full Post…
Fast-rising smartphone maker Xiaomi is known for its savvy marketing tactics, but the company has been on the defensive in the blogosphere this past week after a rare tactical blunder that saw it come under attack from disappointed fans. Meantime, the former CEO from the literature unit of online entertainment company Shanda was openly discussing his recent bout with depression on his microblog, following rampant speculation about the reasons for his abrupt departure from the company last month. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on January 11-13. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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China’s Fosun (HKEx: 656) Picked To Buy Portugal Insurer In Privatization (English article)
VNO Users To Reach 50 Mln In 2015 – Regulator (English article)
US Judge Opens Way For China’s Wanxiang Bid For Fisker (English article)
Xiaomi To Roll Out Super Low-Cost 300 Yuan Smartphone In 2014 – Report (Chinese article)
It’s the time of year when we get to see where gadget makers are placing their future bets, as they strut their newest wares at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s biggest show of its kind. This year all of China’s “big 3” smartphone aspirants are at the show in Las Vegas, with Huawei, ZTE (HKEx: 763; Shenzhen: 000063) and Lenovo (HKEx: 992) each focusing on different areas for future development. Interestingly, I couldn’t find any official mention of attendance at the event by fast-rising smartphone maker Xiaomi, even as it gets ready to embark on a global expansion in 2014. Read Full Post…
The start of a new year is seeing 2 of China’s top smartphone and telecoms equipment makers lay out their new goals for 2014, with the fast-rising Xiaomi aiming to continue its explosive growth as the more mature Huawei targets more modest gains. Meantime, another leading telecoms player, ZTE (HKEx: 763; Shenzhen: 000063), is also detailing a major reorganization aimed at rekindling growth as it tries to diversify beyond its core business of building networks for big telcos. All of these plans are consistent with previous signals from each of the 3 companies, and in that regard aren’t very surprising. But they do provide a hint of where priorities will lie in the new year. Read Full Post…
Many companies from traditional sectors have been taking a serious look at the Internet these days, worried that failure to develop a solid web strategy could result in their eventual demise. For sectors like retail and some other traditional product categories, I agree that strategy makes sense as the Internet radically changes the way that these industries operate. But I find the recent Internet obsession by the CEO of Vanke (HKEx: 1036; Shenzhen: 000002), one of China’s leading real estate developers, a bit more difficult to understand, since property doesn’t seem like a sector that can easily migrate to the web. Read Full Post…
It’s quiet outside as markets reopen on this first work day after the New Year, so I thought I’d start off 2014 with some predictions for the year ahead in the sectors that I cover. Generally speaking, I do think the first half of the year will see a continuation of strong momentum that began in late 2013 for many sectors. But that momentum will slow as we near the mid-year mark, and 2014 could end with a whimper as the Chinese economy continues to slow and Beijing pushes for higher quality growth. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on January 2. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Revlon (NYSE: REV) To Exit Operations In China, Cut 1,100 Jobs (English article)
China Approves $353 Mln Of Share Sales As IPOs Resume (English article)
Xiaomi Sets Target Of 40 Mln Smartphone Sales For 2014 (Chinese article)
New VNO Licensees To Be Restricted To Specific Areas (Chinese article)
Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU) In Deal To Restore Apps To Apple Store (Chinese article)
