NEWS
NEWS PREFACE Richard Barnes © Messe Berlin GmbH The Industry Heart is Beating Strongly As we arrive at the third edition of CE China next week, the global technical consumer goods industry finds itself in excellent health, despite a relatively slow start to the year, according to market research organisation GfK. The recent IFA Global Press Conference in Rome highlighted the strength of virtually all sectors of the industry – TVs, mobile devices, wearables, smart home, major domestic appliances and small appliances. Only the PC sector continues to see a drop in sales year-onyear, as the smartphone takes over some of the functionality of the PC in previous years. On a global scale, prices have been rising faster than volumes in most sectors, as consumers look for higher quality and more functionality in their products. This year’s CE China will again be a great “mirror reflection” of the global industry, enabling industry professionals from across Asia to obtain all the information they need in order to set their roadmap for the coming months and years Consumer electronics trends in 2018 CE China this year again will be presenting trends that will inspire millions of customers’ shopping decisions as well as innovations that go far beyond today’s horizons. Wireless loudspeakers with voice control were already booming last year. In the upcoming months, voice assistants will be found in many other types of devices as well. TVs, sound systems, sound-bars, and even headphones with integrated voice control will be among the most exciting new products this year. The number of devices available with voice control is just as large. Many household devices already react to the spoken word, and even lighting or air-conditioning systems in smart homes will obey voice commands in the future. Exciting innovations of a completely different kind are to be found among mobile devices. The latest generation of smartphones has particularly amazing camera features. Optical systems with two or even three lenses provide incredible picture quality and can even capture distant subjects or twilight scenes. CE China Daily is a CLEVERDIS Publication • 65 avenue Jules Cantini - Tour Méditerranée – 13006 Marseille, France • Tel: + 33 442 77 46 00 - Fax: + 33 442 77 46 01 SARL capitalised at e155,750 - VAT FR 95413604471 - RCS Marseille 413 604 471 info@cleverdis.com - www.cleverdis.com • Publisher: Gérard Lefebvre • Managing Director: Jean-François Pieri • Publishing Director: Jean-Guy Bienfait • Project Manager: Wenchao Wang • Chief Analyst: Richard Barnes • Editorial Coordination: Yingying Deng • Marketing Manager: Nathalie Meissner • Art Director: Hélène Beunat • With the participation of: Bettina Badon, Naila Ben Ghorbal, Borhan Moussa, Finn-Georg Sander • To contact them : first name.last name@cechinadaily.com • Cover: © Messe Berlin © CLEVERDIS 2018 - Registration of Copyright April 2018 Information presented in this publication is purely indicative in order to illustrate subjects contained therein. 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If any of these risks or uncertainties materialises or any of these assumptions proves incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the expectations outlined in these statements. Cleverdis assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements during the period of publication. Photo Credits and Copyright: All Rights Reserved. HOME APPLIANCE TRENDS: “SMART” IN EVERY WAY THANKS TO AI, VOICE CONTROL, AND CONNECTIVITY Trade visitors and consumers visiting the show will be impressed by the industry’s high performance and innovation again this year. Increased connectivity in appliances continues to stand out as a development feature, leading to ever smarter, more versatile products. The functionality of connected devices, already quite high, will be enhanced even more this year. This is because of two overriding trends in the home appliance industry in general: voice control and artificial intelligence (AI). Both are appearing more and more in major and small domestic appliances, making them more versatile, more efficient, smarter, and more userfriendly. With their high technical standard and innovative and comprehensive functionality, domestic appliances have in many cases long taken over the role of a personal assistant of sorts. The connectivity they need to communicate with smart applications has increasingly become part of the world of major and small domestic appliances. Connected appliances can exchange information with one another, record personal habits, and make and implement suggestions for improvement or optimization. That means that connected appliances save the user time, capacity and resources. They also provide many tips, such as for saving energy, caring for laundry, or new recipes and preparation methods. You’ll get the chance to see “all the latest” at this year’s CE China show! 2
NEWS LIFAAIR SMART AIR PURIFIER LA502 RECEIVES MENTION AT RED DOT DESIGN AWARDS 2017 Royole Moon Named Winner of Prestigious German Design Award 2018 in Entertainment Category Finland’s Smart Air Purifier LA502 received the distinction “Honourable Mention” at the 2017 Red Dot Design Awards in Europe. With Smart Air Purifier LA502, LIFAair, exhibiting this year at CE China, has created a particularly well-executed aspect of design work that the expert committee for the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2017 has recognised with the internationally sought-after seal of quality. An intelligent innovative system designed to empower people to breathe fresh air, the LA502 Smart Controller is equipped with a high-precision sensor for particles including PM2.5, carbon dioxide and formaldehyde. Professor Dr Peter Zec, Founder and CEO of the Red Dot Awards, stated, “The winners of the Red Dot Award: Product Design are pursuing the right design strategy. They have recognised that good design and economic success go hand in hand. The award by the critical Red Dot jury documents their high design quality and is indicative of their successful design policy.” LIFAAIR PRODUCTS MAY SAVE LIVES: NEW STUDY IN HONG KONG REVEALS MORE POLLUTION FATALITIES ON HAZY DAYS Royole Corporation has been named a winner in the Entertainment Category of the German Design Award for its Moon 3D Mobile Theatre. Royole Moon, designed and engineered for movies, gaming, and more, combines two Full HD 1080p AMOLED displays at over 3000ppi resolution that simulate a giant curved screen with stereoscopic 3D, and active noise-cancelling headphones. The combination delivers cinematic movie-watching and immersive gaming experiences anywhere the wearer desires. Moon’s design is truly innovative and unlike any other within its category due to Royole’s patented foldable design (the world’s first in a headset), ultra-soft headphone covers, and a premium breathable eye cover to ensure comfort, even after long periods of continuous use. The German Design Award is one of the most well-respected design competitions in the world and is held in high regard well beyond professional circles. It sets the highest standards when it comes to selecting the prize winners. In the nomination process, panels of experts from the German Design Council invite only those products and communication design services to participate in the competition that demonstrably set themselves apart from their competitors, due to their design quality. Since its premiere in 2012, the German Design Award has grown rapidly. At that time, approximately 1,500 entries were presented to the jury. This year there were more than 5,000 entries, 49% of them in the area of Excellent Product Design and 51% in the area of Excellent Communications Design. The jury of the German Design Award 2018 is made up of design experts from various disciplines. They come from the worlds of business, education, and science as well as the design industry and are recognized leading authorities in their respective fields. All awards are determined during a two-day jury session, with a total of 45 products/projects from both categories presented with the Gold Award Details of a study published on LIFAair’s website highlight an augmented risk of death for people with mental and behavioural disorders on days when air pollution reaches toxic peaks, according to a major study in Hong Kong. Researchers analysed a decade of death statistics and revealed a strong link, with the mortality risk rising 16% on the first day of haze and 27% on the second day compared to normal days. If the haze was accompanied by high ozone pollution, the risk of death increased by 79%. The scientists examined more than 284,000 deaths, including those among people with mental and behavioural disorders including depression, bipolar, schizophrenia and dementia. The new research tallies with other recent work that has found links between short-term increases in air pollution and suicides. However, scientists do not yet understand how air pollution may cause these effects and they are urging more research, as well as immediate help for those at risk CE China Daily • Thursday 26 th April 2018 3
