IFA 2016
uploaded directly via the touchscreen or remotely by mobile phone or tablet. During Sony’s press conference, Sony
president and CEO Kazuo Hirai introduced the company’s newest audio lineup as an example of its dedication to creating ‘compelling and differentiated’ products. He also touched on the PlayStationVR virtual reality (VR) system, and went on to elaborate on various initiatives as Sony continues to identify opportunities for innovation within consumer electronics, such as the Seed Acceleration Program, Life Space UX, AI and robotics. He commented: “We want our products to be at the ‘last one inch,’ at the closest point to you. Our relevance to you lies in continuing to offer emotional value through a wide range of products which are intimately
involved in enhancing what you see, hear, experience and enjoy.” Panasonic reaffirmed its approach to
smart home with its booth at IFA, focusing on safety and security over technology for technology’s sake. The booth included multiple Smart Home products including a glass break sensor, water leak and motion sensors, a range of indoor, outdoor and perimeter cameras, a smart plug to turn off electrical devices remotely, an access keypad and keychain remote to arm and disarm the Smart Home. Panasonic UK managing director Andrew
Denham commented: “Our line from the beginning has been ‘Internet of Things that matter’. You want to have smart technology
Facts and figures
GfK highlighted some of the trends and growth patterns across the electricals markets during IFA 2016
In Western Europe the MDA market increased by 5% both in volume (units sold) and value during the first six months of 2016. For the first time, the built-in appliances market has reached 40%
of the total MDA, corresponding to an annual revenue of nearly €13 billion. With growth of more than 7% in the past 12 months, this market is now out-performing freestanding appliances in Europe. Innovation plays a big role in the growth of connected appliances, with this sector achieving a market share of up to 3% in Europe (about US$1 billion annually), and more than 5% in Asia (about US$3 billion annually). The rising stars are smart washing machines and refrigerators, where “connectivity” is a value feature, adding an average 50% to the price tag compared with conventional household appliances.
UHD and streaming driving CE In consumer electronics, UHD continues to be the biggest driver in the TV market, but more consumers are becoming switched on to HDR. In Europe 23.3 million TVs were sold in the first half of 2016, a
4.8% year on year increase. Alongside the switch off of SD television in France, the European Football Championship also had a positive effect on the European markets. Worldwide, sales of UHD devices rose in the first half of 2016 to 20.8 million (first half of 2015: 11.0 million). This represents an increase of 89%. In Europe, sales of UHD devices rose to 4.1 million in the first half of 2016, up from 1.6 million in the same period last year. Revenues almost doubled at €4.1 billion. The stronger growth in volume in this category is accompanied by lower average prices. Alongside UHD, many of the latest models are equipped with additional technical innovations. These include HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology, which offers improved contrast and greater differentiation of brightness settings. This goes hand in hand with an expanded color range (Wider Color Gamut), bringing more nuances of color than was previously possible on TV screens. Streaming is the key trend in virtually every area of the audio
market. Consumers are increasingly accessing music files from NAS servers, the cloud, laptops, smartphones or tablets or using increasingly influential online music service providers. Following the strong upswing of in-ear Bluetooth models in 2015, the Bluetooth headband segment showed stronger growth again in the first half of 2016, with sales revenues up 85% in Western Europe.
that you actually use, and you keep using; that’s what it’s all about.” The Toshiba brand is set to return to TVs
in Europe under the stewardship of Turkish manufacturer Vestel. Toshiba TV Europe sales and marketing
director Liam La Cumbre explained: “There is a long heritage and history between the two companies. For Vestel, the opportunity to work with Toshiba, a very well recognised brand, it was a good opportunity to extend that relationship. This is very much about collaboration. It’s a good match. “Vestel’s strengths are in manufacturing,
R&D, adaptability and procurement. So they can use that strength along with Toshiba’s strengths, and in 2017 you will see a very new range of products coming.”
The Bluetooth in-ear models also continued to prosper, with a 39% growth in sales revenue. Soundbars sales figures continue to rise, with €3.2 billion generated
worldwide in 2015. In 2016, the market is set to rise a further 8% to €3.5 billion. As in the headphones segment, the soundbars also show a strong
trend towards Bluetooth functionality: in the first half of 2016 almost 90% (previous year: 80) of all soundbars sold in Europe had Bluetooth functionality and more than 12% (previous year: 7) are already equipped for multiroom play. In particular, individual soundbar solutions with no external subwoofer enjoyed increasing popularity in Europe with a growth in sales revenue of 43%, making up around one third of the total turnover. In 2015 sales of compact systems and smart audio products
comprised 18.7 million devices worldwide, while in 2016 that number is expected to drop slightly by -6%. However, multiroom and streaming solutions are revitalizing the market. They are gradually changing the way consumers acquire and listen to music. In Europe, sales revenue of smart audio products (multiroom-enabled systems) rose by 26% in the first half of 2016. With regard to compact systems, the trend is moving towards networked and streaming-enabled systems. In total, the sales revenue volume in Europe reached €563 million in 2015. Despite the good development of connected compact systems, the overall European market saw a slight decrease in sales revenue of 5% in the first half of 2016.
Connectivity and problem solving in SDA Around 50 small domestic appliances are sold around the world every second – and this trend is on the rise. Innovations continue to be a strong factor in the growth of the small domestic appliances sector. More and more new product groups and ‘problem solvers’ are tapping into markets that are not yet fully saturated. Around 30% of international growth (without USA and Canada) is achieved through innovations. Sales of cordless handstick vacuum cleaners, for example, have increased by 42%, achieving a value of €850 million. Sales of robotic vacuum cleaners also rose by 18% to €496 million. Connectivity is playing an increasingly important role in the market
for small domestic appliances. Not only robot vacuum cleaners, but also electric toothbrushes, bathroom scales, fully automatic coffee machines and multicookers can now be controlled via smartphones or tablets. Trends such as guided cooking are no longer a distant reality. After taking over the major domestic appliances sector, the smart home and connectivity trend has now also taken hold of the small domestic appliances market.
October 2016
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