Shenzhen, the manufacturing hub of China, where companies go to make a fortune or lose millions. Learn the many advantages of establishing a business in this busy tech city.
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Are Smartwatches Only For Smart People?
This is a smart world. Everything we use has some kind of intelligence. This trend was kick started by the arrival of smartphones in the market, calling an end to both desktop computers and traditional phones.
If you really think about it, Smartwatches are a logical extension of Smartphones. Instead of lugging a big slab of material like a Smartphone around, you now have a sleek device strapped around your wrist smartly doing whatever it is supposed to do.
Frankly, a 5” screen just to view emails is a bit too big for any pocket. It doesn’t fit into the back pocket of my tight jeans nor can I carry it in my hand.
Smartwatch seems to be a valuable addition to my vast collection of devices and abracadabra. What should you then look for while buying a smartwatch?
Look and Feel
Smartwatches come in all shapes and sizes. Some are clunky and fat while others are just too feminine for my taste. I prefer something which is well ……smart looking.
Colors must go with your clothing. If you are the flashy kind, you can choose from a range of bright colors. For the sober kind, metallic grey and darker shades are available.
Overall, smartwatch should fit on your wrist without looking like a piece of rock.
Which Features Should You Look For In A Smartwatch?
The Smartwatch industry is at a stage of infancy. The software and firmware are unreliable and seem to be hurriedly put together. This is true even for big names such as Sony.
First off, your Smartwatch must be able to respond to voice commands. You should be able to activate your emails and notification without touching the watch.
Features from Google Glass would go well with a Smartwatch. Secondly, you should be able to use Android as well as iOS apps in the same device.
Though a standalone Smartwatch should be preferred, you must realize that a small and compact appliance cannot do everything. Presently most Smartwatches are merely an extension of smartphone.
As long as connectivity between a Smartphone and Smartwatch is seamless, you should not worry about this limitation. Bluetooth is the preferred technology for communication between the two.
A decent calendar with notifications, push emails and SMS, weather reports are some features which are bare minimum. Heart beat monitor with GPS and a stop watch would be a plus for sports buffs. For the socially connected, Facebook and Twitter notifications are essential.
The Future Of Smartwatch
Who knows, future Smartwatches may come with rocket thrusters which can place you into geostationary orbit in space. Certainly, days are not far when these devices can perform all that Smartphones do today and much more.
Wearability and ease of use should improve with time. The entry of big players like Google, Sony and Samsung into Smartwatches clearly indicates that the future of this device is bright and you can look forward to many interesting innovations.
From the business point of view, small players with big ideas can develop smarter watches and reap the benefits. You must remember that in this modern world only ideas matter – design, manufacturing and even distribution can be handled with ease.
Are Smartwatches are only for smart people? In fact it’s meant for folks like us – too smart but too lazy to pick up our Smartphones.
Should You Manufacture Your Smartphone In China?
This is an interesting subject to think about. Chinese goods are always looked upon with contempt.
They are cheap, unreliable and not meant for the American or European market. At least that’s the general opinion.
Obviously, Chinese smartphones just can’t compete with the greats like iPhone and even Samsung.
This is where you go wrong. Lately, there have been many Chinese smartphone manufacturers who have started competing head-on with big names.
Are Chinese Goods Made Of Poor Quality?
Did you know that 85% of iPhones are assembled in China?
If iPhones assembled in China can be of such high quality, there is no reason why other smartphone manufacturers cannot produce quality goods.
At the same time, it’s also true that most Chinese manufactured products are inferior. There are several reasons why there is such a variance in quality.
The foremost reason is quality control. Local Chinese manufacturers in their hurry to roll out their smartphones avoid or downright ignore quality control aspects.
This is a recipe for disaster. However, these enterprises justify their casual attitude claiming that the rock bottom cost of their devises compensates for the poor quality.
The consumer in China is also not bothered as long as the price is cheap. These manufacturers fail miserably when they try to sell in mature markets like US and Europe.
The quality of a product clearly depends on our attitude and emphasis. Choosing the right partner and manufacturer in China is critical to your success.
The second reason for churning out poor quality devices is the quality of components and raw material.
Sourcing the right components is an important factor in the overall quality of finished product. This aspect is tougher than it looks.
Discriminating between bad and good suppliers requires knowledge of the local market and environment.
There are many fly by wire operators who simply vanish after pocketing the advance. Chinese market is quite tricky and many US and European enterprises have burnt their hand here. You should therefore be extremely careful while choosing suppliers.
The third reason impacting quality is the actual manufacturing process. The factory facilities can make or break a product.
Seasoned outsourcing experts are aware of this fact and therefore choose manufacturing and assembly partners with extreme care.
Cost is sometimes a reason why some may turn to unknown Chinese manufacturers. This is not a good practice since culturally the locals are known to cut corners, eventually leading to sub-standard products.
The Culture Factor
More than anything else, you have to understand the culture and mindset of the local Chinese businessmen.
There is a tendency to make a killing from a single contract and there is a lack of long term commitment.
This psychological barrier has to be somehow breached if you want to produce quality products in China.
One way is to get US or European management to handle the manufacturing processes in China.
These professionals know the Chinese market well and can ensure that your product is manufactured using quality components and in a proper factory environment.
In the end, the cost incurred in engaging a professional unit can be easily justified and compensated by superior quality products.
This is an interesting subject to think about. Chinese goods are always looked upon with contempt.
They are cheap, unreliable and not meant for the American or European market. At least that’s the general opinion.
Obviously, Chinese smartphones just can’t compete with the greats like iPhone and even Samsung.
This is where you go wrong. Lately, there have been many Chinese smartphone manufacturers who have started competing head-on with big names.