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NEW DELHI, June 26 (Reuters) - Google (GOOGL.O) has urged India's Supreme Court to quash antitrust directives against it for abuse of the Android market, two sources said, as its presses its legal battle against the competition watchdog in one of its most important markets. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said in October that Google, whose Android mobile operating system powers 97% of 600 million smartphones in India, had exploited its dominant position. Google is now asking the Supreme Court to quash the remainder of the directives, the first source with direct knowledge said. Google's Supreme Court challenge has not been previously reported. The CCI too has approached the Supreme Court, seeking to reverse the tribunal's decision to give Google partial relief, according to a third source.

Persons: India's, quashing, Aditya Kalra, Conor Humphries Organizations: of India, Google, U.S, Alphabet Inc, Supreme, Thomson Locations: DELHI, India

☆ Tesla's China expansion hits speed bump amid industry overcapacity
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"You could argue that as Tesla, I've got new products, I need to have a new factory to build them in," he said. "But viewed from the China government's point of view, all they see is a market that's oversupplied." Construction of Tesla's Shanghai plant took less than a year to complete after it broke ground on the site in 2019. U.S. luxury EV maker Lucid Group (LCID.O) is also keen to make cars in China but has been advised that the possibility was low, industry sources said. "China needed Tesla to open the market for retail consumers, but Tesla needs China, because the supply chain benefits of being here and the competitive bar that's set here makes Tesla a more competitive company globally.

Persons: Tesla, Bill Russo, I've, Elon Musk, Ding Xuexiang, Musk, it's, Dan Ives, EVs, Nio, Xiaomi, Automobility's Russo, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Jamie Freed Organizations: National Development, Reform Commission, Tesla, Wedbush Securities, Reuters, HK, Lucid, Thomson Locations: China, SHANGHAI, Shanghai, Beijing, CHINA, United States, Southeast Asia, Canada, India, South Korea, Indonesia

An appellate authority at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued the so-called show cause notices under India's foreign exchange laws for alleged illegal remittances of 55.51 billion rupees ($673.2 million). India alleges Xiaomi's local unit made illegal remittances to foreign entities by passing them off as royalty payments. The notices were issued to Xiaomi and officials including the chief financial officer of its India unit, the ED said in a statement. The banks received notices because they allegedly allowed foreign remittances described as royalty payments without conducting due diligence and obtaining necessary documentation, the agency added. Court documents show Xiaomi's frozen assets are spread across accounts at various banks including Deutsche, Citi and HSBC.

Persons: Xiaomi, Aditya Kalra, Shubhendu Deshmukh, Shounak Dasgupta, Jamie Freed Organizations: HK, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Citigroup, Reuters, Deutsche, Citi, Samsung Electronics, Thomson Locations: DELHI, India

☆ China to clamp down on AirDrop and Bluetooth file sharing for national security reasons
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s cyberspace regulator plans to issue new rules clamping down on the use of wireless file sharing functions such as Bluetooth and Apple’s AirDrop on national security grounds. The move comes after protesters in China used AirDrop during anti-government protests in October 2022 to share content, bypassing strict internet censorship. Weeks later, Apple moved to limit the use of the AirDrop function on devices in China. The aim of the regulation is to “maintain national security and social public interests” by regulating the use of close-range wireless communication tools such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and other technologies, it said. Other than AirDrop, Google’s Nearby Share allows users to transfer data between Android and Chrome OS devices via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Persons: Weeks, Apple, Xi Jinping, Oppo, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Bluetooth, Cyberspace Administration, The New York Times Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing

☆ China's Oppo debuts 'mixed reality' headset as Apple, Microsoft explore similar devices
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Chinese electronics giant Oppo debuted a mixed reality headset on Wednesday, pushing into an area in which U.S. technology companies Microsoft and Apple have taking a keen interest. The Oppo MR Glass Developer Edition is designed for developers to create apps and figure out the best uses for mixed reality technology. Mixed reality refers to technologies that encompass both virtual reality and augmented reality (AR). Oppo is bullish on the future of mixed reality and sees it as the next computing platform after the smartphone. In an interview with GQ this year, company CEO Tim Cook explained why people might want a mixed reality headset in the future.

Persons: Xu Yi, Oppo, Xu, Xiaomi, Tim Cook, Cook Organizations: Microsoft, Apple, Oppo, CNBC, Samsung, GQ Locations: China

☆ Xiaomi partners with Dixon Technologies to make mobile phones in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, May 31 (Reuters) - Contract manufacturer Dixon Technologies (India) Ltd (DIXO.NS) on Wednesday said it is partnering with Xiaomi Corp's (1810.HK) Indian arm to make and export phones for the Chinese firm. The news, which boosted Dixon's shares by 4%, comes after Xiaomi India revealed plans to start making wireless audio products in the country by partnering with electronics manufacturer Optiemus. India has been encouraging global companies to invest more in local manufacturing as a part of its efforts to become a powerhouse in the global electronics supply chain. Earlier in March, Xiaomi India President Muralikrishnan B. told Reuters that the company will open more stores beyond its current network of 20,000 retail partners and boost local procurement of mobile phone parts, in an effort to reduce costs. Reporting by Navamya Ganesh Acharya in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Sonia CheemaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Xiaomi Corp's, Muralikrishnan, Navamya Ganesh, Savio D'Souza, Sonia Cheema Organizations: Dixon Technologies, Optiemus, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, India, HK, Bengaluru

NEW DELHI, May 30 (Reuters) - India will start a pilot project this week to establish itself as an electronics repair hub by relaxing cumbersome import-export rules, a move that could draw tech majors such as Flex (FLEX.O) to expand such operations in the country. In the pilot phase, which will see participation from companies including Lenovo (0992.HK) and Cisco (CSCO.O), India will also permit re-export of the imported electronics goods to countries different from the original one - currently it is banned under foreign trade rules. "Repair outsourcing will incentivise electronic manufacturers to further expand their production capabilities in India. This is a critical step towards ensuring resilience to supply chain shocks," said Jafri, who estimated the repair industry in India to be worth $20 billion in five years. High repair costs in regions such as Europe and the United States are compelling companies to send goods overseas, Jafri said.

☆ Xiaomi to make wireless audio products in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DELHI/BENGALURU, May 29 (Reuters) - Xiaomi Corp's (1810.HK) Indian arm will start making wireless audio products in the country through a partnership with electronics manufacturer Optiemus in a push to further localise its operations, the company said on Monday. The push comes as the manufacturer of the Redmi brand of smartphones recently lost out to South Korean rival Samsung (005930.KS) as India's top smartphones company. Xiaomi, which locally manufactures most of the smartphones and TVs it sells in India, did not say when it will start making the audio products. It sells speakers, ear-buds, wired and wireless headphones in India. Reporting by Aditya Kalra in New Delhi, writing by Hritam Mukherjee in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Samsung not planning to replace Google with Bing in phones - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Microsoft shares were down about 1%. Samsung has suspended an internal review that explored replacing Google with Bing on its web-browsing app, which comes pre-installed on the company's smartphones, according to the report. Google, Samsung and Microsoft did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Google earns an estimated $3 billion in annual revenue from the Samsung contract, according to an April 16 report by the New York Times. Samsung considering a potential shift to Bing was first reported last month and had weighed on Alphabet's shares at the time.

☆ Temu accused of data risks after sister app was suspended for malware
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Stefani Reynolds | Afp | Getty ImagesThe U.S. has accused discount shopping site Temu of possible data risks after its Chinese sister app was pulled from Google's app store over "malware" — but analysts say they're not that worried. Google called it an "identified malicious app" and urged users to uninstall the Pinduoduo app, but the Chinese online retailer denied those claims. Kevin Reed chief information security officer, Acronis"There should be no need for biometric data to be stored on an e-commerce website or app. Data risksIn a report on Chinese "fast fashion" platforms published in April, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission accused Temu and Shein of posing possible data risks. Shein and Temu "primarily rely on U.S. consumers downloading and using Chinese apps to curate and deliver products," said the report.

☆ China's Oppo to shut down chip design unit as smartphone sales slump
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, May 13 (Reuters) - Chinese smartphone maker Oppo said it will shut down its chip design unit, citing uncertainties in the global economy and the smartphone industry. The company, one of China's best-selling domestic smartphone brands, said it will cease operations of its Zeku unit, which it set up in 2019. In 2022, smartphone shipments fell 14%, and total unit shipments fell below 300 million for the first time in a decade. In the first quarter, total smartphone shipments dropped 11% year-on-year to 67.2 million units, the lowest quarterly total since 2013, research firm Canalys said last month. Oppo is owned by BBK Electronics, which also owns Vivo, another top-selling Chinese smartphone brand.

☆ Apple posts record quarter in India; analyst says Cook eyes market to be bigger than China
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

During Apple's earnings call on Thursday, Cook said that Apple set a "quarterly record" for its India business and saw "very strong, double digits year-over-year" growth. In its fiscal second quarter, Apple reported total revenue of $94.84 billion. Gene Munster, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, told CNBC Thursday he estimates India accounts for just under 3% of Apple's total revenue. India's smartphone market is dominated by low-cost Android phones, such as those offered by Samsung and Chinese players like Oppo and Xiaomi. This category of smartphones accounts for 35% of total smartphone market revenue.

☆ Apple, Android rivals see Q1 drop in China phone shipments - research firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A customer talks to sales assistants in an Apple store as Apple Inc's new iPhone 14 models go on sale in Beijing, China, September 16, 2022. But its overall shipments in China fell to 13.3 million units, a 3% decrease from the same period in 2022. Despite being the best-selling brand in the quarter, Apple saw its total market share fall 3 percentage points year-on-year. Oppo and Vivo, Android brands that trail Apple as the second and third best-sellers, saw shipments fall 10% and 7% respectively. Honor and Xiaomi Corp (1810.HK), which specialize in low-end models, saw shipments fall 35% and 20% respectively, suggesting consumers shied away from phone purchases even at the cheapest prices.

☆ Tim Cook is bullish on India being the new China for Apple. These 3 charts show there's a long way to go.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This first store comes 14 years after Apple first opened in China, and Cook has sometimes compared the two markets. And so I'm very, very bullish and very, very optimistic about India," Cook told investors on an earnings call in 2017. In the same year, Apple only took 6% of the market share in India compared to Android's 94%. Apple has increased iOS device sales over the years to claim 17% market share from rivals, per Counterpoint Research's data. For Cook, India could offer similar tantalizing growth.

☆ India court rejects Xiaomi's challenge to $676 mln asset freeze - Live Law
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NEW DELHI, April 21 (Reuters) - A court in India's Karnataka state has rejected China-based Xiaomi Corp's (1810.HK) petition challenging the seizure of 55.51 billion rupees ($676.35 million) by the Enforcement Directorate, news website Live Law reported on Friday. India's federal financial crime agency froze Xiaomi's assets last year, alleging the company had made illegal remittances to foreign entities by passing them off as royalty payments. The company denies any wrongdoing. ($1 = 82.0725 Indian rupees)Reporting by Tanvi Mehta; Editing by Krishna N. DasOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

“From education and developers to manufacturing and the environment, we’re committed to growing and investing across the country,” Cook wrote on Twitter following the meeting. The California-based giant is the world’s second biggest smartphone maker behind Samsung (SSNLF), but its 6% share of the Indian market remains small. Apple has also been ramping up its manufacturing in India, where it first began making iPhones in 2017. In recent months, it has expanded production there after suffering supply chain snags in mainland China, which accounts for the bulk of its smartphone manufacturing. Last month, Foxconn CEO Young Liu also spent a week in the country and met with Modi.

☆ Apple opens its first store in India as it looks for a new generation of iPhone users
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Apple on Tuesday opened its first store in India, highlighting the importance of the market to the iPhone maker's future. The first store, called Apple BKC, is located in the populous city of Mumbai. Cook posted a photo of himself and staff at the new apple store on Monday. Apple BKC runs on 100% renewable energy, Apple said. Cook traveled to India for the opening of the store, nearly seven years after his first visit as Apple CEO.

☆ Tim Cook opens first Apple store in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“We’re excited to build on our long-standing history — supporting our customers, investing in local communities, and working together to build a better future.”Apple's newest store in Mumbai, India. AppleIn a separate statement Monday, Apple (AAPL) shared a peek of its new Mumbai store, located at a property owned by Reliance Industries, the conglomerate of Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani. Apple products are considered too expensive by many consumers in the country. In 2020, Apple launched an online store in India, allowing customers to buy its products and, for the first time, customize certain devices. Apple had previously planned to open its first physical store in the country in 2021, though that was derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

☆ China smartphone sales rise to more than 70% of Russian market
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A girl uses her smartphone on the street in Moscow, Russia August 1, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia NovozheninaApril 17 (Reuters) - Chinese smartphones made up more than 70% of the Russian market in the first quarter of 2023, consumer electronics retailer M.Video-Eldorado (MVID.MM) said, up from around 50% last year. "Demand for brands from China in quantity terms increased by 42% relative to last year, and their total share was over 70%," M.Video added in a statement on Monday. The Kremlin has also moved to allow Russian companies to ship in some products, including smartphones, without the license holder's permission in so-called parallel imports. Last year, M.Video and mobile operator MTS (MTSS.MM) began selling discounted and used smartphones, offering Russian consumers cheaper alternatives as Western sanctions contributed to economic contraction and falling wages.

☆ Apple to open first stores in India next week underscoring CEO Tim Cook's bullish view on the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A view of Apple's first company-owned store in India to be launched inside the Jio World Drive mall at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai. Apple is set to open its first physical stores in India next week, highlighting the country's importance to the U.S. tech firm's future in iPhone sales and manufacturing,The Cupertino giant will open a store in Mumbai on Apr. Apple CEO Tim Cook may travel to India to open the stores, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Apple is "putting a significant amount of energy" in India, Cook stressed at the time. The manufacturing push in India comes as Apple is looking to reduce its reliance on China, where it currently makes the bulk of its iPhones.

NEW DELHI, April 11 (Reuters) - Three public policy executives of the India team of Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) have resigned, sources told Reuters on Tuesday, in simultaneous departures as the country's biggest smartphone player faces several regulatory headaches. Public policy teams have increasingly critical roles in companies efforts to balance regulatory issues as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has boosted domestic electronics manufacturing while backing tougher regulations on tech firms. Binu George, who looked at corporate affairs and strategy, Surabhi Pant who worked on policy and public affairs, and Nikhil Kaura from the same team quit last week, two sources said. They were part of a seven-member team headed by Rajiv Aggarwal, a former bureaucrat who, before joining Samsung in December, led public policy at Meta (META.O) and Uber (UBER.N) in India. Samsung racked up sales of $10.3 billion in India in fiscal 2021-22, with smartphones making up $6.7 billion.

☆ Apple is finally opening its first retail store in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Apple is finally getting ready to open its first physical store in the country as it bets on India as a market and manufacturing base. Its previous plan to open a store in the country in 2021 was derailed by the coronavirus pandemic. Apple is preparing to open its first physical store in India, in the commercial and financial hub of Mumbai. The launch would come more than 20 years since the California-based giant first entered the Indian market through third-party resellers. In 2020, the company launched an online store in India, allowing customers to buy its products and also, for the first time, customize certain devices.

☆ A $200 Russian smartphone aiming to replace the iPhone isn't getting much love — fewer than 1,000 units have been sold since its debut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's AYYA T1 smartphone has sold just 905 units since its October 2021 launch, per Vedomosti. Russia's smartphone market is dominated by Chinese brands, with Xiaomi in the lead, per Statista. The AYYA T1 smartphone — touted as a homegrown alternative to the iPhone — hasn't been very popular. That's about 18% of the 5,000 AYYA T1 smartphones produced for the Russian market so far, per Vedomosti. Russian officials touted the AYYA T1 as a potential alternative to Apple's iPhone, the Moscow Times reported on March 23.

Multiple experts identified the presence of malware on the Pinduoduo app that exploited vulnerabilities in Android operating systems. Evidence of sophisticated malware in the Pinduoduo app comes amid intense scrutiny of Chinese-developed apps like TikTok over concerns about data security. Pinduoduo has previously rejected “the speculation and accusation that Pinduoduo app is malicious.”CNN has contacted PDD multiple times over email and phone for comment, but has not received a response. Google Play is not available in China, and Android users in the country download their apps from local stores. Engineers also found their access to big data, data sheets and the log system revoked, the source said.

☆ Investors ride out China uncertainty in convertible bonds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Georgina Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Funds that invest in Asian convertible bonds attracted inflows of $118.1 million in January and February, data from Morningstar shows, bucking the overall outflows recorded for the more than 350 convertible bond funds it tracks globally. Convertible bonds are hybrid securities with most, like a regular bond, paying a coupon. "Some Asian convertible bonds are attractive as they offer investors comparable or better yields for a shorter duration than straight bonds, as they come with an inexpensive equity option," said Girish Kumarguru, portfolio manager at alterative asset manager, China Everbright Assets Management (0165.HK). Compared to the 6% yield paid by its regular bond, convertible bond investors get less, with current pricing implying a yield of around 2.5%. "Measures to boost consumption in China should be favourable to Asian convertible bonds as there are numerous consumer-related issuers in this region," said Skander Chabbi, head of global convertible team at BNP Paribas Asset Management based in Paris.

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