One year since the Covid induced lockdown, many industries were forced to shut shop due to the deadly pandemic. This has also transformed the digital industry in a never before seen manner, with phone and laptop manufacturers enjoying a huge demand ever witnessed. During this time, video conferencing applications have taken the centre stage with all businesses using the platform. Apart from this, a digital transformation that would have taken nearly ten years has happened within a span of a year. We need to understand that 2020 has changed the tech industry by leaps and bounds than what we could all have imagined. On the one year of the anniversary of the lockdown, let's have a look at how the tech industry changed and evolved, also regarding the kind of gadgets that have been introduced.
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The rise in Television prices
As reported earlier, the prices of television units in India have witnessed an exponential rise and it is expected to rise over the next two quarters. The shortage of open-cell panels in the global market accounts for 70% of the cost of TV manufacturing. For those who are looking forward to buying a TV, better buy one immediately or wait till December when the prices are expected to stabilise.
Delay in the launch of smartphones
It is already known that renowned smartphone brands such as Apple had to delay the launch of its iPhone12, as it couldn't meet the production-related targets. Several other firms such as - Google, Xiaomi and others had faced production and supply chain-related issues, with the devices having arrived later than expected.
On the other hand, brands like Redmi Note 10 Pro and Realme's X7 series are already being sold and the market has begun stabilising. In addition, Apple's iPhones are expected to arrive in the second half of the year, at their usual times, along with Samsung's foldable phones.
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Cheaper iPhones available
Following the delay in the production of iPhones, the company's previous products have become much more affordable after iPhone12 was announced. This has resulted in the company taking a lion's share of the market in India. In other words, this is a piece of good news for Indian buyers who are looking forward to purchasing Apple products. Already, Apple's 2020 iPhone SE edition and iPhone 11 have become popular in India thereby helping Apple double its market share.
Samsung leading in the race
The delays faced by Apple allowed Samsung to push the launch of its products ahead of the timeline. As a result, the newest Galaxy S21 series was launched in January, much ahead of its schedule thereby giving the South Korean MNC a big lead. The products launched by Samsung used to arrive in March prior to the Mobile World Congress (MWC). Samsung is also introducing new variants such as Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold smartphones this year.
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Smartbands to smartwatches
In India, the smart band market had flourished with millions of fitness bands being sold annually, prior to the Covid induced lockdown. However, now people are seen moving towards smartwatches, thanks to Xiaomi and Realme, the devices are available on a cheaper basis. These days, a smartwatch can be purchased for as low as Rs 4000.
Tech events that can be cancelled
The Mobile World Congress (MWC), one of the biggest tech events held annually is being held over a video conference similar to the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) held in January. Earlier the MWC was cancelled along with Computex and IFA Berlin which were the other two big tech events. Now, with the Covid related cases witnessing a second wave it is likely that these events would be held virtually in 2021.
