As super apps slowly become a reality, the global spend via conversational commerce will reach $135 billion by 2027, rising from $39 billion in 2023, a report showed on Tuesday.
In 2027, 47 per cent of spend will be attributable to OTT-based channels, including WhatsApp and WeChat.
“Specifically, as superapps increasingly provide multiple services within a single interface, including payments, commerce and messaging, greater engaging commerce interactions will be orchestrated,” according to Juniper Research.
The Asia-Pacific region will account for 75 per cent of total spend over conversational commerce channels in 2027.
This will be driven by country-specific apps such as WeChat, LINE and KakaoTalk embedding in-house payment solutions.
The research identified that the versatility of these apps, which combine features from WhatsApp, Twitter, PayPal and Uber, will be key to developing a strong digital marketplace; offering an improved user experience.
“As the development of ‘superapps’ will create a new ecosystem for business messaging, communication service providers must ensure that they have strong, proactive partnerships with the most popular superapps to maximise their role in the conversational commerce value chain,” said research author Elisha Sudlow-Poole.
–IANS
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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The fintech revolution is likely to spur digital lending in India, which is expected to surpass traditional avenues of lending by 2030, a report showed on Tuesday.
This will be driven by unsecured small-ticket size segment and the secured collateral-based high-ticket size market, according to the latest white paper by Experian India in collaboration with the Digital Lending Association of India (DLAI).
As co-lending becomes the predominant operating model in India, more traditional lenders will collaborate with fintechs to reach a higher degree of maturity and amalgamation of core competencies.
Open data will create level-playing field for fintech and traditional lenders, according to the white paper.
“Traditional lenders have always dominated asset-backed lending. With increased digitisation, this segment may become accessible to fintech lenders, allowing them to capture a sizeable portion of the lending pie,” said Saikrishnan Srinivasan, Managing Director, Experian Credit Information Company of India.
The research highlighted that the next 100 million customers are likely to have a vastly different profile and expectations than those currently in place.
For MSME borrowers seeking business loans, those with credit scores higher than 700 are catered to more by fintechs than by other lenders, paving the way for the co-lending model to flourish.
“With the release of this whitepaper, we are excited to offer a comprehensive look into the impact of fintech-led digital lending in India,” said Siddharth Mahanot, Chairperson-Knowledge Committee, DLAI.
–IANS
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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Danish brand Jabra is known for its enterprise-focus audio line, including wireless headphones and earphones. The company has a parallel line of consumer-centric products aimed at working professionals. Fresh in this line is the Jabra Elite 5, which was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show 2023. These wireless earphones are brimful of features, including hybrid active noise cancellation, wireless charging, multi-point connectivity, and IP55 rating for water and dust protection. On paper, the Jabra Elite 5 seems to be a value-for-money proposition in the premium wireless earbuds segment. Is it? Let’s find out:
Design
The Jabra Elite 5 has a no-frill design, on both the case and earbuds, which may look boring to some. Starting with the case, it is a rectangular tower-shaped unit made of plastic. Coated in black colour, the case has Jabra branding on the front followed by LED light for case battery and charging indication. On the rear, there is a USB type-C port for wired charging. The Jabra Elite 5 supports wireless charging and the company makes it clear by engraving Qi sign on the bottom of the case.
Open the case by flipping the top and you see the earbuds resting and charging. The earbuds do not go deep down in the storage cavity and it is a good thing because this way you do not have to make efforts to take the earbuds out from the case.
Coming to the earbuds, these are not the best-looking units but seem purposefully constructed for good in-ear fit and feel. That said, the earbuds latch to the ears and do not come off accidentally. These are lightweight, making them suitable for extended usage. The ear tips, however, could have been better. They are made of hard material and cause discomfort after long sessions. The earbuds boast button controls, which may seem archaic compared to gesture and touch controls in modern-day earbuds but beat both these kinds in terms of precision and accuracy – no accidental touches.
Features
The Jabra Elite 5 is a pair of wireless earbuds with an extensive features list. Unlike most other wireless earbuds, these are focused on both audio and call experiences and boast dedicated features for each of these functions. For example, there is an auto-answer call feature that allows you to answer calls by simply putting in one or both earbuds.
In a related function, there is auto-mute microphones feature that puts the call on mute if you remove earbuds from your ear. These call-related experiences are on top of generic audio functions such as auto-pause, which pauses music or media playing on the connected devices if you take off one or both earbuds. The addition of calls-related features on top of audio-related features makes the Jabra Elite 5 one-of-its kind wireless earbuds geared toward novel experience.
Multi-point connectivity is another feature worth mentioning. You can pair the Jabra Elite 5 with two supported devices simultaneously. The earbuds are smart enough to direct the audio from the device in use. For example, the earbuds automatically shift audio from laptop if you are in a video conference to smartphone if there is a voice call. The experience is smooth overall, but there is scope for improvement. The earbuds prefer connection with the first paired device and priorities audio from it in all occasions. This, sometimes, causes conflict and requires manual intervention.
Important to note the features and customisations are available through Jabra Sound+ app, which is available on Play Store and App Store for Android and Apple smartphones.
Performance
Audio quality is one area where the Jabra Elite 5 leaves one asking for more. The earbuds’ 6mm audio drivers are good but not the best. The earbuds deliver quality audio, but at the cost of loudness. That said, the volume is on the muted side and fails to energise the spirit even if you put on a happy song like ‘I ain’t worried’ by OneRepublic from Top Gun Maverick. There are equalisers to fine-tune the output based on personal preferences and there is a noticeable difference in output in each available EQs setting. However, none of the EQs solve the loudness issue.
The Jabra Elite 5 might not be the best wireless earbuds for audio experience, but these are the ones to beat in terms of call experience. With ANC, you can answer the calls even in loud environments and be confident about no distractions from ambient noise. Besides, the earbuds feature three-microphone on each unit that work well to pick voice sans ambient noise for clear in-call experience on both ends.
Rounding up the package is the modest on-battery time of six hours (ANC-on), which is close to the company’s claimed seven hours. With a charging case, the earbuds can go up to 28 hours.
Verdict
The Jabra Elite 5 is aimed at working professionals on the go and it does impress on core capability with astounding call experience and related features. It would have been an all-rounder if the audio experience for music and media has been on par with call experience, if not better. That said, the Jabra Elite 5 at Rs 14,999 is good for niche audience but not for masses.
Samsung has launched the latest range of ‘Odyssey Gaming monitors’ at a starting price of Rs 75,000 for consumers in India.
The latest monitors include — Odyssey OLED G8, Odyssey Neo G7 and Odyssey G7.
Odyssey OLED G8 monitor comes in silver colour, at a price of Rs 1,75,000, Odyssey Neo G7 is available in white colour, for 43-inch and black colour for 32-inch at Rs 1,00,000 and Rs 1,30,000, respectively, and Odyssey G7 comes in black at a price of Rs 75,000.
“The new range of monitor caters not only to gaming enthusiasts but also provides an excellent cinematic experience through its smart entertainment hub. The unmatched refresh rate and sleek design of the screens are the primary requirements of a modern-day user who prefers speed over delays and latency,” Puneet Sethi, Vice President, Consumer Electronics Enterprise Business, Samsung India, said in a statement.
The monitors are engineered and designed to provide faster refresh rates, a better gaming and viewing experience, an improved audio system, and higher pixel density all while being housed in a premium slim metal design, said the company.
Moreover, with its Smart Entertainment feature, the new gaming monitors provide a next-generation gaming experience as well as entertainment on the same screen.
In addition, consumers can convert the gaming monitor into a smart TV with just a click with the inbuilt entertainment hub feature, the company mentioned.
–IANS
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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(Reuters) – Apple Inc is facing challenges as it tries to increase production in India, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the iPhone maker’s operations.
The Cupertino, California-based company has been shifting production away from China after the country’s strict COVID-related restrictions dented supply chains across industries and as trade and geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington escalated.
At a casings factory in southern India run by conglomerate Tata Group, only about half of the components from the production line are in good enough shape to be sent to Apple’s supplier Foxconn, FT reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.
This 50% ‘yield’ does not meet Apple’s goal for zero defects, FT reported, adding that the company’s process of expanding in India has been slow in part due to challenges in logistics, tariffs and infrastructure.
Apple and Tata Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Apple has bet big on India since it began iPhone assembly in the country in 2017 through Wistron Corp and later Foxconn, in line with the Indian government’s push for local manufacturing.
Last month, India’s trade minister said that Apple wants India to account for up to 25% of its production from about 5 – 7% currently.
(Reporting by Sneha Bhowmik in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
PRI ECO GEN NAT .MUMBAI DCM4 Saregama India Ltd. Saregama Brings Back the Old World Charm with a Collection of Vinyls Launches Limited edition LP Vinyl records by legendary artistes like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Md. Rafi and Kishore Kumar Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Business Wire India Saregama is proud to announce the launch of LP vinyl record collection featuring most iconic songs by the legendary artistes like Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, and Asha Bhosle. These legends are synonymous with the golden era of Bollywood music and their contribution to Indian music is immense, and their songs continue to be popular even today. These vinyl records aim to bring back the charm of the golden era of Indian music and will be a treat for music enthusiasts of all generations. The connoisseurs of music will now be able to experience the magic of these legends in its original form, just as it was meant to be heard. The vinyl records are a true celebration of the rich heritage of Indian music and a testament to the enduring popularity of these legends. Saregama is dedicated to promoting and preserving the cultural heritage of India, and the launch of this vinyl collection is a significant step in that direction. We invite music lovers to join us in celebrating the music of these legends and to own a piece of music history. A dedicated vinyl record features 10 original tracks of each artiste . The disc is formatted to support 33+1/3 R.P.M speed with a 12-inch diameter featuring 10 original tracks. Check these vinyls out on saregama.com. About Saregama India Saregama India Limited, formerly known as The Gramophone Company of India Ltd is a RPSG group company owning the largest music archives in India and one of the biggest in the world. The ownership of nearly 50 per cent of all the music ever recorded in India also makes Saregama the most authoritative repository of the country’s musical heritage. Saregama has also expanded into other branches of entertainment – publishing, film production and digital content. About RPSG Group RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group is one of India’s fastest growing conglomerates with a significant global presence. The Group’s businesses include power and energy, carbon black manufacturing, retail, IT-enabled services, FMCG, media and entertainment, and agriculture. To View the Image Click on the Link Below: Saregama’s collection of LP Vinyls (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire India and
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
