Electric vehicle giant Tesla has made a strategic decision to halt its plans to build a manufacturing facility in Thailand. The company will instead concentrate on expanding its charging network within the country.

While initial talks suggested a $5 billion investment, Tesla prioritizes charging infrastructure

This shift in strategy follows previous discussions between Tesla and Thai government officials, including a high-level meeting between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin in November 2023. While initial talks suggested a potential $5 billion investment in a Thai factory, Tesla has ultimately decided to prioritize charging infrastructure development over local manufacturing.

This decision aligns with Tesla’s broader global strategy, which emphasizes expanding its charging network to support growing EV adoption. As the company continues to ramp up production at its existing facilities in China, the United States, and Germany, it appears that Tesla is opting to focus its resources on market development and charging infrastructure rather than establishing new manufacturing hubs.

(Via)

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Toyota has been showcasing various electric vehicle (EV) concepts in recent years, but it’s clear that their showrooms could benefit from an expanded range of electric cars. Currently, Toyota’s global EV lineup consists of the bZ4X SUV, the China-exclusive bZ3 sedan, and the Lexus RZ and UX 300e. However, a new addition to this lineup is in the works – an all-electric pickup truck that will be available in Thailand in limited numbers.

Toyota is also considering EV pickups for last-mile deliveries

The decision to trial the new EV pickup in Thailand is a strategic one, as pickup trucks account for nearly half of all vehicle sales in the country. Pras Ganesh, executive vice president of Toyota Daihatsu Engineering & Manufacturing, revealed that engineers are busy adapting Toyota’s electric pickups to suit local conditions. The first batch of these pickups will be deployed as taxis in Pattaya city in early 2024.

Toyota is also considering testing other EV pickups for last-mile delivery services. Furthermore, the company is enhancing its EV research and development capabilities in Thailand, one of its five global R&D centers.

While Ganesh didn’t specify which EV pickup will be tested in Thailand, there are two likely candidates. The first is the Hilux Revo BEV Concept, unveiled in Thailand last year, with no commercial sales date announced yet. The second option could be the IMV 0 concept, a new modular light commercial pickup that was described as “truly affordable and truly innovative.”

Launching an electric Hilux or IMV in Thailand would also help Toyota to compete with Chinese rivals such as BYD and Great Wall Motor. Furthermore, Toyota is considering Australia as another potential market for the electric Hilux.

As for the U.S. market, the Hilux Revo is unlikely to be available there since the ICE-powered Hilux is not sold in North America. However, Toyota recently revealed the production-ready EPU Concept at the Japan Mobility Show, which could potentially rival the Ford Maverick if it were to be launched in the U.S.

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Apple is reportedly in discussions with suppliers to establish new manufacturing facilities in Thailand to produce Macbooks. This decision is in line with Apple’s strategy to gradually reduce its dependence on China and increase its footprint in other Asian nations, given the ongoing trade conflict between the US and China.

This news originates from Thailand’s suppliers, who are currently collaborating with Apple to manufacture the Apple Watch. The suppliers who are in discussions with Apple already possess established manufacturing facilities in Thailand that are utilized by other brands. They are currently in talks with Apple to establish a distinct assembly and production line in their factories to manufacture Macbooks.

According to some suppliers, they have begun constructing production facilities in Thailand for Apple’s MacBook, with an expected completion date by the end of this year. Initially, Apple had requested the establishment of new factories in Vietnam, but these suppliers proposed using existing spaces in Thailand instead. One of the suppliers stated that although Apple had approached them regarding setting up a plant in Vietnam, they presented a better alternative of utilizing their extensive space and production capabilities in Thailand. 

The suppliers further stated that though MacBook assemblies happen in Vietnam, some of the components could be supplied from the Thailand plant. Also, suppliers have assured Apple the logistics and customs clearance would take no more than three days. 

Why choose Thailand?

Apple is planning to move away from China to avoid the pressure from the ongoing US-China trade sanctions. The company is planning to set up Vietnam as its base in Asia and is already producing iPads and Airpods in the country. 

However, Thailand also looks like a plausible choice as the country offers a highly competitive manufacturing market with abundant raw materials, low-cost labor, and innovative technologies.

Moreover, the Thai government also encourages the manufacturing sector as it accounts for the majority of Thailand’s total exports and generates a large volume of jobs, amounting to almost six million workers in 2021 alone. As of the fourth quarter of 2021, the share of the manufacturing sector in the Thai economic contribution was 34%, preceding other major industries like service and trade.

Why are brands leaving China?

During the 1990s, when globalization became popular countries across the world started offshoring their manufacturing and service industries to nations that offered low-cost and cheap labor and resources. China topped the list of offshore nations and blossomed into a global manufacturing hub as it presented the perfect blend of a skilled labor force and a prospering middle class interested in purchasing Western products, making it an ideal choice for both manufacturing and marketing. 

However, due to the US-China trade war, companies are now trying to move their production to friendly countries where they don’t need to worry about getting caught in the geopolitical line of fire. 

Apple has already begun shifting its base from China to Vietnam and India. Many famous brands like Samsung, Hasbro, Volvo, Adidas, and more have shifted their major base from China to Vietnam and other countries.

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(via)

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Tesla has just officially launched two new electric models in Thailand. The new cars are two of its popular electric cars, including the Model 3 and Model Y, that are now available for orders as of today (7th December 2022).

The known EV maker has just announced the two models in the region, with the Model 3 starting from 1,759,000 baht (roughly 50,115 US Dollars) and the Model Y will start from 1,959,000 baht (roughly 55,810 US Dollars). Furthermore, the company has promised that the deliveries for these cars will be done sometime by the first quarter of 2023. Tesla is also planning on setting up new Supercharge service points as well, which are also expected to be installed in the first quarter of next year.

As per official notes, at least one of the installations will be in the central areas and the plan will include expansion to 10 points by the end of 2023. Talking about the EVs themselves, the Model 3 is an electric sedan that will offer a maximum operational range of 681 kilometers with a top speed of 261 km/h. This car can also reach 0-100km/r in just 3.3 seconds. On the other hand, the Model Y is an electric SUV that will offer a maximum operational range of 623 kilometers. It as a top speed of 250 km/h and can go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds.

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(Via)

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Foxconn Group, the company known for being a contract manufacturer for Apple, is rapidly trying to increase its footprints and has already announced its plans for entering the rapidly growing electric vehicles market.

The National Petroleum Corporation of Thailand (PTT) has announced that its electric vehicles factory in the country, which is a joint venture with the Foxconn Group, will start mass production in the first quarter of 2024.

If the reports are to be believed, then both these companies are planning to invest around $1 billion in setting up this new factory in Thailand. The National Petroleum Corporation of Thailand estimates annual production of about 50,000 vehicles initially which will later be expanded to a capacity of about 150,000 vehicles.

It’s noteworthy that Foxconn isn’t limiting the electric vehicles production business to Thailand but it is spreading it across regions. Just a few days ago, the company announced that it is partnering with the Indonesian Investment Ministry along with other firms for the development of electric vehicles in the region.

Prior to that, the Taiwanese company had also signed an agreement to acquire its first electric vehicle manufacturing plant in North America. It is a part of $280 million in deals with U.S. electric vehicle startup Lordstown Motors that also include a share purchase. It is also considering setting up electric vehicle plants in India, Europe, and either North or South America by the year 2024.

A few months ago, Foxconn unveiled three prototype EV models that the company aims to release in commercial quantities sometime this year. The three new prototypes are a culmination of Foxconn’s partnership with Taiwan’s Yulon Motors.

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After a few leaks, Vivo has now finally launched its new V-series smartphone in Thailand — Vivo V23e 5G. This is a 5G variant of the Vivo V23e that was first launched in Vietnam earlier this month as the successor of the Vivo V21e.

The smartphone features a 6.44-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with 2400 x 1080 pixels screen resolution. Internally, the device is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 810 processor, coupled with 8GB of RAM.

It packs 128GB of internal storage and comes with a microSD card slot that allows you to further expand the storage capacity up to 1TB. There’s also an on-screen fingerprint sensor as an additional security measure.

The phone features a triple-camera setup on the back that consists of a 50-megapixel main sensor with f/1.8 aperture, an 8-megapixel wide-angle sensor with f/2.2 aperture, and a 2-megapixel sensor with f/2.4 aperture. On the front side, the device has a 44-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

Connectivity options on the device include Dual SIM, 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.1, USB Type-C port, and GPS. It runs the Android 11 operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own FunTouch OS 12. The device is powered by a 4,050mAh battery that comes with support for 44W fast charging technology.

The Vivo V23e 5G comes in two color options in Thailand — Sunshine Coast and Moonlight Shadow. The phone is priced at THB 12,999 which is around $390 and is now available for pre-order with sales set to start from 1st December.

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Thailand smartphone sales in Q3 2021 saw a 14% YoY decrease, mostly due to the peak of COVID-19 infection rates in the country in August, which in turn led to the slowing of the economy. But on the bright side, 5G smartphone sales during the same period were the highest ever.

Counterpoint Senior Research Analyst Glen Cardoza commented saying that Thailand’s government and industry have made sure to continue with 5G ecosystem improvements. However, OEMs have suffered due to supply constraints coupled with unfavorable consumer sentiment in Q3 2021. Decreasing shipments saw consumer demand increase for the sub-$150 band, with the realme C series and Samsung’s entry-level A-series devices selling quite well.

Samsung, as a result, led smartphone shipments in the country in Q3 2021 thanks to offerings like the A12, A02, and A22. The company managed to grab a share of 22% with OPPO and Xiaomi following with 17% each.

But amid the decrease in shipments, online channels shined with a QoQ increase, reaching 24% of total sales. This growth will likely be carried forward to Q4 2021 as well. A major contributor to the rise in online sales is the 9.9 online festival sales in September. Platforms like Shopee, Lazada, and JD Central, as a result, performed quite well.

But Q4 2021 will not be doing well in the online channel alone as Thailand has shown quite the potential to absorb the COVID-19 impact. This could mean that the country’s smartphone market could do better than other SEA countries.

OEMs have begun launching 5G SA (standalone network) compatible models as 5G infrastructure becomes a priority. Thailand’s digital transformation is progressing well, with an emphasis on Industry 4.0. With their experience and investments in the country, technology companies like Huawei are at the forefront. Because of all of these considerations, 5G will become more widely adopted, not just for smartphones but also for smart homes and other IoT devices.

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Xiaomi has just entered into a strategic partnership that will have it sell its products through on-demand delivery service, foodpanda. Now, hundreds of electronic products from the company will be available for purchase on the foodpanda shops in Singapore and Thailand.

For those unaware, foodpanda is currently Asia’s largest food and grocery delivery network outside of China. The brand has now entered into a partnership with the Chinese tech giant and will offer a vast variety of consumer electronic products and appliances for on-demand deliveries in its shops in Singapore and Thailand. Furthermore, the foodpanda application will also be pre loaded in new smartphone from Xiaomi in 10 markets within Asia.

Notably, this marks Xiaomi’s first quick commerce partnership in Asia outside of China. So, you can now purchase hundreds of products like smart devices, audio, mobile accessories, household appliances, and more, which will all be delivered to your doorstep within just 30 minutes. Interestingly, the partnership also marks foodpanda’s move in diversifying and expanding to the non grocery category that will seek to fulfill every need of its customers.

The partnership arrives as more customers in both regions have shift their spending habits to the mobile platforms. foodpanda recorded a whopping 18 fold rise in orders for computers and mobile devices this year, compared to 2020. Additionally, the delivery service has even partnered up with 1,000 electronics stores across Asia in 2021 alone to offer more than 289,000 products from local brands to major tech giants like Huawei, Logitech, Asus, TP Link, Remax, Philips, and more.

According to Abhishek Sahay, Senior Director of New Verticals at foodpanda, “On demand deliveries are increasingly an essential part of people’s everyday lives. Beyond traditional e commerce, brands are now already looking for the next phase of growth — with quick-commerce, foodpanda shops provides a new way for retailers to deliver their products to customers almost instantly, whenever they need it. We’re proud to be Xiaomi’s first quick commerce partner in Asia, helping them connect more instantaneously with their customers in the region.”

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Continuing its bull run, Xiaomi has now become the leading smartphone in Thailand. As per the report from Canalys, China-based Xiaomi captured 21 percent of the market share in the second quarter of this year, surpassing Samsung for the first time.

OPPO managed to take the second position with a 19 percent market share while Samsung slipped to the third spot. Vivo and Realme are ranked fourth and fifth, completing the list of the top five smartphone brands in Thailand.

Xiaomi managed to take the pole position in Thailand as the company’s shipments in the second quarter increased by 200 percent year-on-year. Interestingly, Xiaomi was the only brand to have positive shipment growth as OPPO, Samsung, Vivo, and Realme registered a decline of 2%, 15%, 31%, and 28% respectively.

The smartphone shipments for Xiaomi are also growing tremendously in Latin America, Africa, and Western Europe, witnessing 300%, 150%, and 50% respectively. Now, the company is facing tough competition from OPPO and Vivo as they are set to start an extensive campaign to increase their market share.

Globally, Xiaomi has become the second-largest smartphone brand, overtaking the technology giant Apple with a massive 83 percent jump in shipments. It also emerged as a leading brand in Europe with 12.7 million units shipped in Q2 2021, registering a 14 percent year-on-year growth. Not just that, for the month of June 2021, the company dethroned Samsung to become the world’s leading smartphone brand.

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The Thailand smartphone market has showcased a huge potential for growth after the region recorded a year on year growth of 18 percent in terms of shipments in the first quarter of this year.

According to a Counterpoint Research report, there were multiple factors that supplemented this growth. This included the pent up demand that was carried forward from the final quarter of last year, which paired with an aggressive scheme and offers from smartphone brands and their channel brands, especially in the online mediums. While the region is recovering from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic from 2020, there is a healthy demand for smartphones by the consumers.

As per Senior Research Analyst Glen Cardoza, “The top six brands are aggressively trying to capture more market share but there are other brands at play as well. The declining volumes of Huawei and HONOR, and the upcoming Transsion brands like Infinix and TECNO are all variables that continue to add volatility to this strong smartphone market. Brands like Xiaomi and realme are trying hard to capitalize on their online prowess to improve their presence.”

Notably, the chip shortage has also affected this region as well, with shipments being behind and sales not taking advantage of the full potential of the market. Although, Thailand did see a 49 percent year on year surge in online sales in Q1 2021, with Chinese smartphone manufacturers taking the lead in this channel.

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Last month, Samsung had unveiled the Galaxy A32 5G smartphone in the European market and now a couple of weeks after that, the company has launched this budget 5G smartphone in Thailand.

The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G, which packs 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage, is priced at 9,999 baht in Thailand, which roughly converts to $333. It is being offered in four color options — Black, Blue, Violet, and White.

Coming to the specifications, the smartphone features a 6.5-inch HD+ display with 1600 x 720 pixels screen resolution. Under the hood, the device is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 720 chipset.

In the camera department, the phone features a quad-camera setup on the back that includes a 48-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 5-megapixel macro lens, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.

On the front side, the device has a 13-megapixel snapper housed inside the Infinity-V notch. The phone comes with support for features like a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and Dolby Atmos surround sound.

It is running the latest Android 11 operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own One UI 3.0 custom user interface on top. The device is powered by a 5,000mAh battery that supports 15W charging.

In related news, the Samsung Galaxy A32 4G has passed through the FCC certification process, which hints that the device could soon get launched. We expect more information about that surface online in the coming days or weeks.

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Samsung has officially scheduled its first-ever Unpacked event of 2021 for January 14. The company is expected to announce the Galaxy S21 series comprising of Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra at this virtual launch conference. It is also reported to unveil the Galaxy Buds Pro as well as Galaxy SmartTag. Ahead of it, the firm has started taking pre-orders in multiple regions across the world. However, the offer in Thailand is more intriguing than any other.

The Thailand division of Samsung is running an exciting promo called ‘RESERVE THE EPIC’ for the Galaxy S21 series on its official website. According to the description, the first 100 customers who order a pre-defined model, can get the device for only ฿21 ($0.70) by trading-in a digital camera.

Since the page reads ‘pre-defined model’, the exact Galaxy S21 model is a mystery. It can be any of the three but still not bad for less than a dollar and an old working digital camera, which can be either DSLR, DSLR-like, mirrorless, compact, or action. Additionally, these 100 customers, as well as the next 1,000 customers, will get a 1-year Samsung Care+ plan worth ฿2,939 ($98). 

That said, in order to stand a chance to claim this offer, interested customers will have to register on the campaign page before 6:00 PM (local time), January 14. Customers who register will receive a unique code on their email ID. They will have to use that code when pre-ordering the device between  10:00 AM, January 21 – 11:59 PM, January 28.

Having said that, if you are from Thailand, then make sure to check Samsung’s official website and social handles to stay up to date regarding this offer. 

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy S21 series pricing for South Korea leaked

(Via)

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The Thai smartphone market saw a slight decline in the second quarter of 2020. In Q2, the smartphone market saw a total of 4.3 million units being shipped, which is an increase of 21.2 percent quarter on quarter, but a drop of 8.8 percent year on year.

Generally, the second quarter is known to record an increase in shipments due to the season. However, this period was hampered by the Coronavirus pandemic that caused various governments to induce local lockdowns. Various OEMs had to quickly adapt to the new situation and focus more on online channels of distribution and ran multiple promotional campaigns as well.

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Since the outbreak caused the physical outlet and regular stores to shut down. Smartphone manufacturers had to take to online platforms and leverage social media for marketing along with promotions and sales. According to an IDC report, the smartphone market will make a recovery. However, the market in Thailand will face another decline in the third quarter of 2020 due to seasonally low demands during that period alongside other economic factors.

Although, the fourth and final quarter is expected to see a bump in shipments as the new iPhones start shipping, especially considering that Apple is opening a new store in the country, which is the second in Thailand. This would also help build the Cupertino based giant’s presence in the market while making retail activities reach regular levels again.

UP NEXT: Apple might miss the target for 2020 despite scaling up the production of its 5G iPhones: report

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Huawei, the Chinese telecom giant, and the Thai government have worked together to jointly launch a facility aimed at developing the 5G infrastructure in the Southeast Asian country.

According to an NHK report, the Thailand 5G Ecosystem Innovation Center had its opening ceremony take place in Bangkok earlier this week. In the event, Thailand’s Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Buddhipongse Punnakanta, attended in place of the country’s Prime Minister Chan-o-cha. The government official also thanked the Chinese company for its cooperation in setting up the new center.

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The newly built facility houses equipment to test products and even allows visitors that want to get a sensor of how 5G services work. This includes exhibitions involving medical robots and face recognition-based surveillance systems. The Chinese tech giant has invested 15 million US Dollars to the joint project and is even sending its engineers to the country to help with personnel training. In other words, apart from just providing 5G infrastructure, Huawei is also planning on stimulating its local economy by creating new job opportunities or prospects as well.

This arrives amid the rising US pressures, as the Trump Administration has recently reinforced regulations against Huawei. Furthermore, the company has also been facing increasing scrutiny over alleged ties with the Government of China, so gaining positive relations is crucial for the company. Huawei has also been focusing on other Southeast Asian regions as well and plans on increasing its presence throughout. Buddhipongse also stated that his country is open to cooperating with any country.

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After launching the Reno4 and Reno4 Pro in China in June, OPPO finally brings both the handsets to international markets in late July with sales starting from August. The Pro variant had a launch event earlier today for India but the availability and pricing for other regions are yet to be announced. At around the same time, the regular model launched quietly in Thailand for THB 11,990 ($384) in a single 8GB + 128GB storage variant.

Just like the global Reno4 Pro, the Reno4 global variant is different front the handset that originally launched in China. This phone features a plastic composite rear panel instead of glass and therefore it weighs only 165g. It comes in two color variants namely Galactic Blue and Space Black.

Further, it is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G with 4G connectivity, compared to Snapdragon 765G (5G) on the original. Also, it sports a 48MP (wide) + 8MP (ultra-wide) + 2MP (macro) + 2MP (depth) quad-camera setup opposed to triple camera setup on the Chinese model. 

However, the 32MP (wide) + 2MP (depth) dual selfie camera, which nests in an oval-shaped punch hole at the top left corner of the handset’s 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display is same as the Reno4 Chinese variant.

Another difference is that it is backed by a slightly larger 4,015mAh battery but only supports 30W VOOC 4.0 Flash Charge via USB Type-C port. Whereas, the original version packs a 4,000 mAh battery with support for 65W SuperVOOC 2.0.

Last but not least, the software on this phone is ColorOS 7.2 based on Android 10, which is exactly the same one found on the Chinese variant.

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(Via)

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The Coronavirus pandemic has been caused for major concerns across the globe and especially in Asia. The Southeast Asian region has one of the higher human population density, which has made combatting the viral outbreak difficult. However, Thailand has successfully managed to keep the virus at bay, with the help of Huawei as well.

Despite being one of the first countries to be affected by the COVID-19 back in January, the region only has 3,200 confirmed cases of infection with only 58 deaths. Although, the country is still remaining vigilant and is prepared for the second wave of infections. One entity that it is relying on is Huawei Technologies, which is supporting the nation with its 5G technology.

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The Chinese tech giant had recently worked with Thailand National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC). In the collaboration, unmanned vehicles were used at the Siriraj Hospital. These driverless vehicles had the primary task of offering contactless delivery of medical supplies around one of the country’s oldest and largest hospitals.

Siriraj Hospital stated that the pilot project’s goal is to enhance the logistics system within the hospital. The infrastructure in terms of transportation and medical supply distribution also helps reduce workloads and helps lower the risk of infection for frontline workers considerably. At the moment Thailand is the first country in the ASEAN to deploy commercial 5G services.

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(Via)

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With the on-going COVID-19 pandemic and the cases rising around the world, one of the most effective ways to prevent the infection is personal hygiene and sensitizing things and products that you come in contact with.

Spotting the opportunity, Samsung has launched a new UV sterilizer for smartphones, accessories, and electronic products. As per the company’s claim, it can kill up to 99 percent of germs and bacteria using UV-C radiation.

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The Dual UV setup in the device can eliminate pathogens and bacteria on both the sides of a device in a single go. It’s large in size, measuring 22.8 x 12.8 x 4.9cm, and thus, it can accommodate larger devices like the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Samsung says that it should thoroughly disinfect both sides of your phone in just about 10 minutes. Its functionality isn’t limited to just disinfection. The new Samsung UV Sterilizer also doubles up as a wireless charger and supports 10W charging.

It seems to be an extension of the phone sanitizing service that Samsung is already offering in about 19 countries across the world through its own Samsung Service Centers and Samsung Experience Stores.

As for the Samsung UV Sanitizer, it is currently only available for purchase in Thailand for a price of 1,590 baht, which roughly converts to $50. We expect the company to make this product available in other countries soon, but there’s no confirmation yet.

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(Source)

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Realme entered the South East Asian markets in the last quarter of 2018. Since then, the brand has been growing in those regions steadily. The latest report by Counterpoint Research for Q1 2020 reveals an astonishing growth rate for the company. Realme is currently the fastest growing brand in South East Asia region with 173% YoY growth.

Realme initially debuted in India as a sub-brand of Oppo in early 2018. In the last quarter of the same year, the brand entered Sout East Asian countries like Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

Within a quarter in Q1 2019, Realme entered the top 10 brands in the above-mentioned countries except for the Philippines. In the same quarter, the brand debuted in Myanmar and also entered the top 10 brands at the same time.

Then, in Q2 2019. Realme became one of the top 5 brands in Vietnam and Indonesia, followed by top 10 in the Philippines in the third quarter of 2019.

Later in Q4 2019, the brand entered the top 5 in  Phillippines, Myanmar and even Cambodia where it made its entrance for the first time. Lastly, it took Realme more than a year to step into the top 5 brands in Thailand, compared to other nations.

The global smartphone market declined by 13% in Q1 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. The South-East Asian smartphone market also witnessed an 11% decline in the same period.

However, Realme was the fastest growing brand globally as well as in Sout East Asia with 157% and 173% YoY growths respectively in the first quarter of 2020.

UP NEXT: Realme X3 SuperZoom Hands On & First Impressions: Affordable Periscope Zoom Camera!

(Source)

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The world’s first 108MP camera smartphone was the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro aka Mi Note 10. Late last month, an FCC listing leak suggested the company to launch a new version of this device called Mi Note 10 Lite. Now, this device has also received NBTC certification in Thailand suggesting an imminent launch.

The NBTC listing of Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite reveals it to come with model number M2002F4LG. Other than that, it confirms support for only 4G networks, which is obvious as the previous leak suggested it to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 730.

The FCC leak also exposed most of the handset’s primary specifications including those of display, camera, battery, and software.

The handset is expected to sport a 6.47-inch display but the type of the panel is a mystery for now. For optics, it will feature a quad-camera setting consisting of a 64MP primary sensor paired with an 8MP unit (probably ultra-wide), a 5MP shooter (could be macro), and a 2MP camera (most probably for depth sensing).

As for the battery, it is tipped to come with a 5,260 mAh cell with support for 30W fast charging. Last but not least, it will run Android 10 with MIUI 11 on top of it.

Anyway, Xiaomi is yet to announce a launch date for Mi Note 10 Lite and since it has now got NBTC certification, Thailand could be the first market for this device.

UP NEXT: ZMI Portable Fan with up to 12 hours battery life launched for 59 yuan ($8)

(Via)

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Huawei’s market share in many countries is declining because of the trade ban on the company by the United States. However, the company remains unscathed in Thailand, where the company’s share in the market grew.

The Chinese giant claims that its market share in Thailand grew to 20 percent in the first five months of 2019, compared to 15 percent last year. Also, Huawei is set to increase its Thai marketing budget by 30 percent this year.

The move to increase market budget is a key move for the company because the country is a strategic market in the region, according to Ingmar Wang, country director of Huawei Thailand’s consumer business group.

Also, the company will keep launching new products powered by the Android operating system as a first priority. It is noteworthy that the company has made its own mobile OS but is yet to set a timeline for the launch of its own HongMeng OS, which is said to be still in development.

Ever since the news of the ban on Huawei by the US broke, there have been many rumors about Huawei’s products but the company responded immediately to clarify. The company has confirmed that despite the ban, Huawei smartphones and tablets will keep functioning normally in all aspects, with continued support from Android.

Further, the company will continue to provide security updates and after-sale services to all existing Huawei smartphones and tablet products that have been sold, or that are still in stock in stores globally.

The situation of Huawei with the United States is a bit confusing at this time as US President Donald Trump recently said that the ban on US firms supplying technology to Huawei would be lifted, but the US Commerce Department said the ban would remain.

Several distributors of Huawei, including Synnex, Jaymart, TG, Com7, and CSC, as well as two big operators (AIS and True), showed support for Huawei by announcing a warranty campaign. The special warranty of two years offers full refunds for new Huawei customers if the phone stops supporting Google and Facebook’s applications.

Mr. Wang, Country Director of Huawei Thailand’s consumer business group said that the company plans to invest 160 million baht in 5G testing projects in Thailand and 700 million baht in cloud services. Advanced Info Service and True Move H Universal Communication performed 5G network tests using the Huawei Mate 20 X 5G which will be launched in Thailand in the near future.

(Via)

Up Next: Honor claims to have shipped more than 15 million units of the Honor 8X series smartphone

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Months after HMD Global announced the Nokia 9 PureView flagship smartphone, the device has now been announced in Thailand. The phone will go on sale in Thailand from 5th July, exclusively through online retailer Shopee Mall. In Thailand, the Nokia 9 PureView is priced at THB18,900, which roughly converts to $615.

The Nokia 9 PureView was originally announced at the Mobile World Congress 2019 in February this year. The highlight of the smartphone is that it comes with five camera sensors on the phone’s back panel, enhancing the photography experience.

The smartphone comes with a glass rear and an aluminum frame. It is an IP67-rated water-resistant and dustproof device. It is fitted with a 5.99-inch OLED display that carries support for 2880 x 1440 pixels quad HD+ resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio, HDR10, and Always-on display.

The display of the phone is shielded by Gorilla Glass 5. This is also the first Nokia smartphone that comes with an optical in-display fingerprint sensor. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 845 SoC, coupled with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage.

The rear shell of has dual-LED flash enabled Nokia 9 PureView has five cameras and a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor. The Penta-lens setup of the phone includes two 12-megapixel RGB sensors and three monochrome 12-megapixel sensors.

All the five camera sensors of the Nokia 9 PureView (Details) can function simultaneously to capture a single image of 50-megapixel powered a dedicated image co-processor. With the help of the ToF sensor, the Nokia 9 PureView can capture a depth map with up to 1200 layers of depth data for up to 40 meters away from the camera.

Sitting at the front side of the phone is a 20-megapixel camera with f/1.8 aperture with Tetracell pixel binning technology that can merge four pixels into one for brighter images in low-light conditions. The front camera also carries support for AI Face Unlock.

The smartphone offers pure Android experience of latest Android 9 Pie OS. Like other Android One phones, the Nokia 9 will be treated with OS updates for two years and security patches for three years. It is powered by a 3,320mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 as well as 10W wireless charging support.

Up Next: HMD Global to launch two 5G phones in Q3: one flagship and a likely Nokia 8.1 successor

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In a surprising move, Sony Corp is closing its smartphone plant in Beijing China. To reduce the burden from its loss-making smartphone business, the Japnese electronics giant is moving production facility to its plant in Thailand.

While talking about expenses reduction, the spokesperson clarified the decision is not related to the US-China trade war. Sony aims to halve expenses and turn loss bearing business into a profitable by the next year.

As like most of the smartphone manufacturers, Sony’s smartphone sales are also dwindling from the past few quarters. The company is bearing huge loss, and even market share is down to less than one per cent due to acute competition from Chinese manufacturers. Sony is bracing for a loss of 95 billion Yen (US$863 million) in the financial year 2018-19.

With no intention to sell the smartphone business, the company aims to focus and rebuild once again to garner from the upcoming fifth-generation wireless technology. Sony believes smartphones to act as a hub for all the new technologies in the future, and even facilitate networking across cars and other devices.

Only three Japanese smartphones manufacturers – Sony, Sharp Corp and Kyocera Corp left after last year Fujitsu Ltd’s sell-off to Polaris Capital Group.

• Read More: Sony Mobile To Shut Down Businesses In the Middle East, Africa and Turkey

However, Samsung is also planning to cease operations in China amid declining smartphone sales. Apple is also struggling to maintain its market share in China as more consumers are moving towards local companies such as Huawei and Xiaomi.

source

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Huawei, ZTE, Qualcomm and a few other companies are the big players in the 5G technology field. Many companies are partnering with different countries in testing new 5G technologies. Among them, Huawei is facing problems in some countries due to the US ban on using their equipment. Moreover, the US has even urged its allies to restrict from using the Huawei 5G equipment while testing the new technology.

In an advancement, US oldest ally in Asia, Thailand has joined hands with the Huawei for 5G testbed. Despite sustained pressure from the US for not using the Huawei equipment, Thailand is doing the exact opposite. It will be the Chinese company’s first testing in Southeast Asia. Although, Thailand is also concerned about security and has said that cooperation does not mean that they are not looking into the security issues.

“We keep a close watch on the allegations worldwide. However, this 5G testbed project is a testing period for the country,” Pichet, Thailand Minister of Digital Economy added. “We can make observations which will be useful to either confirm or disconfirm the allegations.”

While talking about the new 5G test bed at Kasetsart University’s Sriracha campus in central Chonburi Province, Pichet said that the government is quite concerned about the allegations on Huawei. Moreover, other companies like Nokia, Ericsson, and Thai telecoms operators are also working at the same site for 5G technology. Thailand is working onto bringing the commercial 5G services by 2020. Currently, it is leading the path to the latest technology alongside Singapore.

Pichet Duriongkaveroj further added that some Japanese telecom operators are also keen on working for 5G trial in the country.

US Embassy in Bangkok has said that the United States “advocates for secure telecoms networks and supply chains that are free from suppliers subject to foreign government control or undue influence that poses risks of unauthorized access and malicious cyber activity”. The spokesperson continued saying, “We routinely urge allies and partners to consider such risks and exercise similar vigilance in ensuring the security of their own telecoms networks and supply chains, including when awarding contracts,”

• Read More: Huawei says it is open to supervision by European governments regarding security issue

Huawei which rely on business from outside of China is mending ways to secure some contracts. Already they have secured more than 30 commercial 5G agreements globally. The Chinese company is also in talks with some telecom operators for local partnerships.

Although, Huawei representatives at the testing site refused to say anything on the matter.

(Source)

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Vivo has excellent plans for the year 2019, and they are soon announcing the Vivo V15 Pro and Vivo V15. Recently, both the devices with a Pop-Up style selfies camera received the NBTC cetification in Thailand. Surprisingly, the Vivo V15 received certification a week after the Vivo V15 Pro. The new Vivo V15 will also carry a brochure of similar specs including the same 32 MP Pop-Up selfies camera.

As per the rumors, Vivo is set to announce both the devices in India on February 20, a few days before Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 in Barcelona.

As per the NBTC certification, the smartphone codenamed Vivo 1819 will be named as Vivo V15. Although, no other details have been revealed via Thailand’s certification agency. As per old rumors and leaks, it will feature various AI-powered enhancements in 32 MP Pop-Up selfies camera. It will carry similar specs to vivo V15 Pro with some minor changes.

Additionally, Vivo V15 Pro will come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 Octa-Core processor and 6GB RAM. It is an incremental upgrade over the Snapdragon 660 SoC which is present in the Vivo V11 Pro. It will come only in 128GB storage variants with an option of memory expansion via microSD card.

In-camera department, Vivo V15 Pro will get an impressive 48MP+8MP+5MP triple camera setup on the rear side. While it will host a 32MP Pop-Up selfies camera on the front side. There will be a 3700 mAh non-removable battery with Dual Engine Fast charging technology.

• Read More: Vivo V15 Pro with Snapdragon 675 appears on Geekbench

It is expected to be available at the price of INR 30000 ($425) in India. Similarly, a rough estimate can make Vivo V15 to sale at INR 25000($350).

The recent certifications have made it clear that the new devices are launching soon.

What are your expectations from the Vivo V15?

(Via)

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