Shopping on a TV; using sign language online; analysing Facebook in Asia; marvelling at Groupon surviving in China – those are just some of the things we’ve been doing this week. Now that our cabal of bloggers is bigger than ever, we have more selections for you this week:
Willis’ and Andrew’s pick: Xiaomi-Tencent Partnership/Investment Rumors Persist; Announcement Coming Next Week?
Willis: This is not exactly news per se, but if this were to be true, it will raise many eyebrows within the Chinese tech industry. Why so? Because Tencent is arguably one of the best software companies in China and with access to a fast growing hardware startup like Xiaomi, there are many ways to integrate its software with the best-selling Android smartphones. It may not be good news if Tencent decides to spam its products on Xiaomi device; but knowing Xiaomi founder Lei Jun and his design aesthetics, I don’t think that will happen. More importantly, both Tencent’s WeChat and Xiaomi have ambitions to expand abroad so it will be very exciting to see how both products will complement and increase each other’s chance of success outside of China.
Andrew: Tencent and Xiaomi – sounds like a winning combination. With Tencent’s wide range of social and gaming products available for Xiaomi to tap into, it looks pretty promising for Xiaomi’s advancement in the Chinese market. I’m a Xiaomi phone user and I have to say that i’m impressed with the company’s ability to manufacture good and affordable smartphones. Now, I can’t wait for July 30.
Steven’s pick: 5 Reasons Alibaba’s Smart TV Shopping Platform Won’t Work
The biggest new development of the week, for me, was Alibaba revealing that it has created a smart TV OS that will appear in a set-top box as well as upcoming smart TVs from numerous Chinese manufacturers. Part of the reason for the shift in strategy is to bring e-commerce into China’s sitting rooms. But my colleague Paul, who saw a live demo of the smart TV OS at a Beijing event, is not at all convinced. Find out why.
Minh’s pick: Abandon Ship! Report Claims Groupon’s China Venture Has Lost 9 VPs in the Past Year
I have to say, I’m not surprised. I’ve never really believed in Groupon’s model, given that it is more about subtracting value than adding value. And since China’s not only got its own Groupon clones as well as various genres of e-commerce increasing at a clip, is it possible that the top executives up at Groupon China are getting disillusioned? And there’s more Groupon China news below…
Roy’s and Lucas’s pick: Groupon’s China Site Gets $30 Million Funding From Joint-Venture Partners
Lucas: With only a 2.7 percent market share in the China daily deals market, I find it strange that both Tencent and Groupon are still funding this company. I feel that this may be the last chance for Groupon China to prove that it’s still capable of attracting new customers and try to capture at least 10 percent of that fragmented and market.
Roy: With new management and more funding, is this finally the beginning of success for Groupon’s China venture?
Dewi’s pick: Why High-End Smartphones Do Not Lead the Southeast Asia Market
In Indonesia, there are lots of cheap Android phone makers like Smartfren (a telco), Cross, and Lenovo. They achieve high sales growth since Samsung’s prices are relatively high and iPhone clones are rarely found. This article emphasizes that more people living in Southeast Asia don’t care about exclusive phones, and instead go for a cheap and economic smartphone.
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