Chapter 2: Analysis I

Products

Micromax

Overview
Towards realizing the vision of Micromax Electronics to become one of the leading
handset manufacturers in the world, Micromax India Software Operations (SISO) is
an important cog in the wheel.

Telecom Team at SISO is involved in designing and building software for the mobile
terminals encompassing the current and future technologies, and the applications
therein, for Micromaxs latest mobile handset equipments.

Phones

Apples position as the pre-eminent mobile phone maker in the country seems to be
under threat and it is an indigenous brandMicromax, that has the Korean giant
looking over its shoulder. In fact, one analyst firm suggests that Micromax has, in
fact, already overtaken Samsung in terms of mobile phone shipments in Q2 2014; a
claim that is denied by Samsung. But the fact that we are even talking about it shows
how close the two are.
Apple is catching on with Micromax and Samsung as the new schemes make it
possible for apple to increase its sales in India.
As per research firm IDC, in the last quarter of 2014, Samsung was the market leader
in terms of overall mobile phone shipments, with a 19 per cent share. Micromax with
13 per cent of the market share followed this. However, Samsung was the clear leader
in terms of smartphone shipments with 38 per cent of the market, while Micromax
came second with 16 per cent marketshare.
Micromax recently launched its newest phone as on 17
th
August 2014 as below:



Micromax brings its all new octa-core smartphone dubbed Canvas Knight Cameo
A290 to the Indian market for Rs 11,490. This new budget smartphone looks like a
toned down version of the Canvas Knight flagship, and also runs the latest Android
flavour of 4.4 KitKat, like some recent Micromax phones.

The Knight Cameo is powered by 1.4GHz octa-core processor coupled with 1GB of
RAM. It sports a 4.7-inch IPS display featuring 1280 x 720 pixels of resolution. On
the camera front, it gets an 8MP rear shooter with flash and 5MP front-facing camera.
The 8GB onboard storage is expandable up to 32GB.

The Cameo supports a slew of connectivity options like 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and
USB. All of this is fuelled by a 2,000 mAh battery. That battery is very similar to
the Canvas Knight A350 review which didnt exactly have the best battery life in the
market, and we do hope that Micromax has managed to implement better power
saving features in the Cameo.

Going by the price bracket, it could compete with the Moto G, and the Asus Zenfone
5, and it could be one of the first octa-core smartphones to become mainstream given
the price. So far we have only seen the likes of Intex and WickedLeak launch octa-
core phones in this price range. The Cameo definitely has the edge among that bunch.

Tablets

New data has shown that Micromax is the market leader of Indias tablet market
which has witnessed a surge in sales mainly due to the entry of new tablet vendors as
well as the introduction of offerings from existing vendors at low to medium price
points.
Micromax was followed by Samsung and Apple respectively.

Indias overall tablet market recorded sales of 0.55 million units in 2Q 2012 (Quarter
ended June 30, 2012). Micromax leads with an 18.4 percent share, followed by
Samsung at second position with 13.3 percent and Apple at third position with 12.3
percent, in terms of sales (unit shipments) during the second quarter of 2012.
A statement on behalf of CyberMedia said although Indias tablets market was still at
a nascent stage, it had become competitive due to the entry of new vendors with entry
level offerings. The data showed that as of the second quarter of 2012,close to 90
vendors launched new tablets into the market, and the average price of a tablet
haddropped to a little above Rs 13,000 from Rs 26,000 in 1Q 2012, as a majority of
vendors in early 2012 launched their products in the Rs 5,000-10,000 price
range.Faisal Kawoosa, Lead Analyst, CMR Telecoms Practice said, During 2Q
2012, 47.4 percent of tablet sales were from new entrants in the market with a strong
focus on addressing application areas in the Education and Entertainment segments.
This trend demonstrates clearly that vendors are positioning their devices at Indias
youth.
Some of the key trends in terms of specifications of media tablets in India noted in 2Q
2012 are in the table below.
India Quarterly Media Tablets Market Review for 2Q 2012*: Trending

*Source: CyberMedia Research (CMR) India Quarterly Media Tablets Market
Review, 2Q 2012, September 2012.
As Android devices become increasingly popular with users across the world,
competition is increasing in the India Tablets market with more and more vendors
launching devices based on the Android OS. The share of devices based on other
operating systems like Windows, iOS and QNX are expected to rise in future in view
of the recent announcement of the Microsoft Windows Surface Tablet, the global
launch of the Apple iPad 3 and reduction in BlackBerry Playbook prices, Kawoosa
added.
Going forward we see vendors launching segments specific segments such as
Healthcare, Retail and e-Governance. In terms of tablet use cases, the popular
categories are Internet browsing, Email, Entertainment, Gaming, Social Networking,
Information (Cricket, Flights etc). Clearly, the Indian user is also taking to the tablet
as a content consumption device, added Tarun Pathak, analyst, CMR Telecoms
Practice.

Datacard
This segment doesnt have Apple or Samsung in it. Micromax is one of the strongest
players in the market.
Micromax aunched a new 3G data card MMX377G in India. MMX377G is the first
device in the country, which is powered by MediaTeks MT6280 3G/HSPA+ thin
modem platform.
The latest 3G USB modem from Micromax MMX337G supports upto 14.4 Mbps
downlink and upto 5.76 Mbps uplink. It comes factory unlocked i.e. supports any
2G/3G SIM (though sooner or later some operators may bundle this data card under
their 3G services). It also supports voice, phonebook, SMS and auto installation plug-
&-play. There is a special YouTube tab that enables prompt access to the weekly top
10 music videos and micromaxonline.com exclusively. The mini gadget comes with
a microSD slot which is expandable upto 32GB. The new device is very affordable at
Rs 1699 (on Snapdeal you can get extra 6% off right now).
Commenting on the new launch MediaTeks General Manager Business
Development, Dr. Finbarr Moynihan, said, Micromax 377G dongle is the first device
in India powered by MediaTeks MT6280 3G/HSPA+ thin-modem platform. The
chipset supports HSPA+ data rates, receive diversity and comes as a highly-
integrated, single-chip baseband and RF SoC (System on Chip) that offers small size,
low power and leading data modem performance ideal for 3G data dongles, resulting
in a high-quality browsing experience for consumers. We are delighted that Indias
leading mobile brand has chosen MediaTek to power its latest 3G data card.

Micromax TV

Your average upper middle-class kid toting a branded mobile phone invariably tends
to scoff at Indian brands offering the same experience and features as his expensive
smartphone at dirt cheap priceswith a little help from our Chinese neighbours, of
course. As a gadget reviewer trained to appreciate quality of workmanship/materials
and fine engineering, I should be inclined to concur. However, I beg to differ in this
case. In a nation where wealth is greatly concentrated in the metros, these affordable
mobile and tablet manufacturers reach out to a much wider demographic beyond these
few cities and provide access to an experience that would otherwise be out of their
reach.
If you draw parallels with the pharmaceutical industry, this is akin to Indian
manufacturers' reverse engineering, say, a $70,000-a-year cancer drug and making it
affordable enough for developing countries. While the idea of cheaper smartphones
and tablets may not be as profound, it's good to know that these Indian brands truly
enable modern technology to be the great social leveller it's touted to be. Micromax is
one such brand empowering the working class and broke college kids across India to
consume technology in the same way as the more fortunate ones do.

Design and build quality

While the 42 Micromax LED42K316 LED TV may not charm your pants off with its
looks, the TV's sharp silhouette harbours an inoffensive shape devoid of any rounded
edges or elaborate accents. Unfortunately, any pretence of understated subtlety is
dashed by the visibly and palpably cheap plastics. The matte finish of the rear half
and the glossy piano black plastics on the front fascia look cheaper than what you'd
expect from a display costing almost half a lakh. However, I must admit that the
transparent plastic extension to bezel at the bottom gives it a fair bit of character.

Verdict and Price in India

Micromax's main USP, and arguably the sole reason for its success, is its penchant to
deliver top-end features and functionality at bottom-end prices. Micromax
LED42K316 LED TV, however, deviates wildly from that winning formula. At an
MRP of Rs 47,990 (and the best street price of Rs 46,490 that I could find), it is
priced dangerously close to similar offerings from established players such as
Samsung, Sony, LG, and Panasonic. Just think about it: why would a consumer spend
almost half a lakh on an unproven brand when he can buy a 42 LED from LG (LG
42LS4600) for nearly the same price, give or take a few hundred rupees? I just don't
see the incentive here for someone to put their money down on this particular TV, and
not the other half-dozen alternatives from well-known LCD TV players.
Micromax clearly doesn't offer better build and design, or improved image quality to
compel a purchase. Neither is it highly regarded for cutting edge R&D or solid after
sales service. The only reason why it would have made sense, is if it were cheap
significantly cheap, to be honest, considering its poor performance. Bottomline? Don't
buy this TV unless you stand to get a massive discount. Even then, I'd recommend
pulling your couch closer and buying a smaller, but higher quality TV set.

Expertise in the Handset Technology
Engineers at SISO are involved in building mobile handset software for a variety of
standards, established and emerging, such as GSM/GPRS dual mode handsets,
CDMA 2000 1x (and variations thereof such as EV-DO, EV-DV etc.),WCDMA
protocol stacks, dual mode handset software (CDMA2000 1x and WCDMA) and all
important interoperability issues.

The much touted applications such as multimedia environments and functionalities in
the third generation wireless standards (3G) are a key focus area at SISO.
Customization of CDMA phones to cater for an Indian scenario is one of the high
priority things at SISO. Work is going on towards developing user interfaces for
software applications in local languages. To deliver world class quality software, the
testing team rigorously tests and evaluates the product, before delivering it to the
customer.

SISO believes that "Innovation is not only useful, it is the only way to move up the
technology value chain in the rapidly changing wireless business environment".
Engineers are encouraged and motivated to think and patent new, innovative and
useful ideas relevant to the business environment the work so far has resulted in
numerous patent filings.

Technical info GSM

Concept of GPRS

General packet radio services (GPRS) is a
standardized packet-switched data service for GSM
network.
With the packet-switched technology, GPRS
increases data transmission speed from 9.6kbps to a
maximum of 114kbps for uses in the mobile Internet.
It will allow GSM operators to take a share of the rapid growth of Internet usage and
position the cellular service as a mobile access to the information society

For end-user GPRS Presents:
Always in connection with P or X.25 networks
Increased performance for up to 114 Kbps
Fast set-up/access time

End-user's Benefit

"Better price than current WAP" and "faster
data transmission speed" are the highly valued
features of GPRS

GPRS Radio Resources

Several end-users will share GPRS radio
resources, resulting in much better channel utilization than with circuit-switched data
communication. The user may remain connected as long as desired but is only
charged for the volume of data received and/or transmitted. GPRS uses radio channels
to packet-switched or circuit-switched traffic.

For the purpose of data communication purposes, packet-switching is superior to
circuit-switching due to its ability to transmit bursts of data. There is no need to
reserve, establish or keep a path open for data.

This results in faster call set-up time and allows users stay online indefinitely, while
only being charged for the amount of data actually transferred.





















Apple

Mac
Main article: Macintosh

MacBook Air: Consumer ultra-thin, ultra-portable notebook, introduced in 2008.
MacBook Pro: Professional notebook, introduced in 2006.
Mac Mini: Consumer sub-desktop computer and server, introduced in 2005.
IMac: Consumer all-in one desktop computer, introduced in 1998.
Mac Pro: Workstation desktop computer, introduced in 2006.

Apple sells a variety of computer accessories for Macs, including Thunderbolt
Display, Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, Wireless Keyboard, Battery Charger, the
AirPort wireless networking products, and Time Capsule.


iPad
Main article: iPad

On January 27, 2010, Apple introduced their much-anticipated media tablet, the iPad,
running a modified version of iOS. It offers multi-touch interaction with multimedia
formats including newspapers, magazines, ebooks, textbooks, photos, movies, TV
shows videos, music, word processing documents, spreadsheets, video games, and
most existing iPhone apps. It also includes a mobile version of Safari for web
browsing, as well as access to the App Store, iTunes Library, iBookstore, contacts,
and notepad. Content is downloadable via Wi-Fi and optional 3G service or synced
through the user's computer. AT&T was initially the sole US provider of 3G wireless
access for the iPad.
On March 2, 2011, Apple introduced the iPad 2, which had a faster processor and two
cameras on the front and back, respectively. It also added support for optional 3G
service provided by Verizon in addition to the existing offering by AT&T.[ However,
the availability of the iPad 2 has been limited as a result of the devastating earthquake
and ensuing tsunami in Japan in March 2011.
On March 7, 2012, Apple introduced the third-generation iPad, marketed as "the new
iPad". It added LTE service from AT&T or Verizon, the upgraded A5X processor,
and the Retina display (2048 by 1536 resolution), originally implemented on the
iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. The dimensions and form factor remained relatively
unchanged, with the new iPad being a fraction thicker and heavier than the previous
version, and minor positioning changes.
On October 23, 2012, Apple introduced the fourth-generation iPad, marketed as the
"iPad with Retina display". It added the upgraded A6X processor and replaced the
traditional 30-pin dock connector with the all-digital Lightning connector. The iPad
mini was also introduced, with a reduced 7.9-inch display and featuring much of the
same internal specifications as the iPad 2.
Since its launch, iPad users have downloaded 3 billion apps, while the total App Store
downloads is over 25 billion downloads.

iPod
Main article: iPod

The iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, iPod Classic, and iPod Touch.
On October 23, 2001, Apple introduced the iPod digital music player. It is the market
leader in portable music players by a significant margin, with more than 350 million
units shipped as of September 2012, and has evolved to include various models
targeting the wants of different users. Apple has partnered with Nike to offer the
Nike+iPod Sports Kit, enabling runners to synchronize and monitor their runs with
iTunes and the Nike+ website.
Apple currently sells four variants of the iPod:
iPod Shuffle: Ultra-portable digital audio player, currently available in a 2 GB model,
introduced in 2005.
iPod Nano: Portable media player, currently available in a 16 GB model, introduced
in 2005. Earlier models featured the traditional iPod click wheel, though the current
generation features a multi-touch interface and includes an FM radio and a pedometer.
iPod Touch: Portable media player than runs iOS, currently available in 32 and 64 GB
models, introduced in 2007. The current generation features the Apple A5 processor,
a Retina display, and dual cameras on the front (1.2 megapixel sensor) and back (5
megapixel iSight), the latter of which supports HD video recording at 1080p.
iPod Classic: Portable media player, currently available in a 160 GB model, first
introduced in 2001.

iPhone
Main article: iPhone

At the Macworld Conference & Expo in January 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the
long-anticipated iPhone, a convergence of an Internet-enabled smartphone and iPod.
The original iPhone was released on June 29, 2007 for $499 (4 GB) and $599 (8 GB)
with an AT&T contract. On February 5, 2008, it was updated to have 16 GB of
memory, in addition to the 8 GB and 4 GB models. It combined a 2.5G quad band
GSM and EDGE cellular phone with features found in handheld devices, running
scaled-down versions of Apple's Mac OS X (dubbed iPhone OS, later renamed iOS),
with various Mac OS X applications such as Safari and Mail. It also includes web-
based and Dashboard apps such as Google Maps and Weather. The iPhone features a
3.5-inch (89 mm) touchscreen display, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi (both "b" and "g").
At Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 9, 2008, Apple announced
the iPhone 3G. It was released on July 11, 2008, with a reduced price of $199 for the
8 GB version, and $299 for the 16 GB versions. This version added support for 3G
networking and assisted-GPS navigation. The flat silver back and large antenna
square of the original model were eliminated in favor of a curved glossy black or
white back. Following customer complaints, the previously-recessed headphone jack
was changed to a flush jack for compatibility with more styles of headphones.
Software capabilities were improved with the release of the App Store, providing
applications for download that were compatible with the iPhone. On April 24, 2009,
the App Store surpassed one billion downloads. At WWDC on June 8, 2009, Apple
announced the iPhone 3GS. It provided an incremental update to the device, including
faster internal components, support for faster 3G speeds, video recording capbility,
and voice control.
At WWDC on June 7, 2010, Apple announced the iPhone 4, which the company
describes as the "biggest leap we've taken" since the original model. It features an all-
new design, a 960x640 display, the Apple A4 processor also used in the iPad, a
gyroscope for enhanced gaming, 5MP camera with LED flash, front-facing VGA
camera and FaceTime video calling. Shortly after its release, reception issues were
discovered by consumers, due to the stainless steel band around the edge of the
device, which also serves as the phone's cellular signal and Wi-Fi antenna. The issue
was corrected by a "Bumper Case" distributed by Apple for free to all owners for a
few months. In June 2011, Apple overtook Nokia to become the world's biggest
smartphone maker by volume.
On October 4, 2011, Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S, which was released in the United
States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan on October
14, 2011, with other countries set to follow later in the year. It features the Apple A5
processor, and is the first model offered by Sprint (joining AT&T and Verizon
Wireless as the United States carriers offering iPhone models). On October 19, 2011,
Apple announced an agreement with C Spire Wireless to sell the iPhone 4S with that
carrier in the near future, marking the first time the iPhone was officially supported on
a regional carrier's network. Another notable feature of the iPhone 4S was Siri voice
assistant technology, which Apple had acquired in 2010, as well as other features,
including an updated 8MP camera with new optics. Apple sold 4 million iPhone 4S
phones in the first three days of availability, making it the most successful launch of
any mobile phone to date.
On September 12, 2012, Apple introduced the sixth-generation iPhone, the iPhone 5.
It added a 4-inch display, 4G LTE connectivity, and the upgraded Apple A6 chip,
among several other improvements. Two million iPhones were sold in the first
twenty-four hours of pre-ordering and over 5 million handsets were sold in the first 3
days of its launch.

Apple TV
Main article: Apple TV

The current generation Apple TV.
At the 2007 Macworld conference, Jobs demonstrated the Apple TV, (previously
known as the iTV), a set-top video device intended to bridge the sale of content from
iTunes with high-definition televisions. The device links up to a user's TV and syncs,
either via Wi-Fi or a wired network, with one computer's iTunes library and streams
from an additional four. The Apple TV originally incorporated a 40 GB hard drive for
storage, includes outputs for HDMI and component video, and plays video at a
maximum resolution of 720p. On May 31, 2007 a 160 GB drive was released
alongside the existing 40 GB model and on January 15, 2008 a software update was
released, which allowed media to be purchased directly from the Apple TV. In
September 2009, Apple discontinued the original 40 GB Apple TV and now continues
to produce and sell the 160 GB Apple TV. On September 1, 2010, alongside the
release of the new line of iPod devices for the year, Apple released a completely
redesigned Apple TV. The new device is 1/4 the size, runs quieter, and replaces the
need for a hard drive with media streaming from any iTunes library on the network
along with 8 GB of flash memory to cache media downloaded. Apple with the Apple
TV has added another device to its portfolio that runs on its A4 processor along with
the iPad and the iPhone. The memory included in the device is the half of the iPhone
4 at 256 MB; the same as the iPad, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 3G, and iPod touch
4G.[172] It has HDMI out as the only video out source. Features include access to the
iTunes Store to rent movies and TV shows (purchasing has been discontinued),
streaming from internet video sources, including YouTube and Netflix, and media
streaming from an iTunes library. Apple also reduced the price of the device to $99. A
third generation of the device was introduced at an Apple event on March 7, 2012,
with new features such as higher resolution (1080p) and a new user interface.