Mobile Accessory Market to Reach US$81.5 Billion at the End of 2015

Mobile phones have been increasing in number since its adaptation and acceptance as a necessity in today’s modern world. Different varieties and model of mobile phones are constantly being introduced in the global market. The demand has since soared higher. Along with this, mobile phone accessories which enhance a phone’s feature have also been doubling sales and supply.

According to a market review released by The Peterson Group, distributor and wholesaler of mobile phone accessories and laptop peripherals from Taiwan, smartphone penetration is driving a shift of accessory design to smart accessories that attract higher level of consumer interaction, product value and brand recognition. Statistics in the study conducted in the review shows that a consumer is estimated to spend $100 for mobile phone accessories every year. The same study also concludes that mobile phone accessories are more likely to be replaced than the smart phone device itself. It does not even matter if the replacement or the new mobile accessory is fraud. Trend is more important than the quality. This conception is popular among developing cities especially in mobile-driven societies such as Jakarta, Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Now that 2015 is about to end, more reviews are being released regarding the latest statistics in the market.

ABI Research, for instance, expects that global revenue for mobile accessories will reach US$81.5 billion at the end of the year and is forecasted to grow to US$101 billion in 2020. This is a big leap from the forecasted $20 billion last 2012. Protective carrier cases and power banks have the largest market share among these accessories considering the amount of shipments across the globe. This is to be followed by chargers, screen protectors and headsets.

“The thinness and lightness of a smartphone makes a protective case a necessity, and new features with cases, such as wireless charging and digital payment, will likewise drive the protective cases market”, says an analyst of ABI Research.

In the next couple of years, headset is also expected to outcompete other mobile accessories as it gradually develops into wireless and Bluetooth connected. The highest average sales price in mobile accessories is commanded by the headsets category since consumers feel more comfortable making large investments in headsets.

Asia-Pacific has the highest number of consumers of mobile phone accessories amounting to more than 50% of the total shipment.

How to Know If Your Phone Is Fake

With millions of units dispensed every year, Samsung, iPhone, LG, Lenovo, Alcatel, Nokia and other mobile brands have reached global recognition and are known to conduct fierce competitions among themselves. These brands have also dominated stalls, kiosks, and franchise stores across the globe. With each new release, people flock mobile phone stores to purchase.

However, other leading brands are not the only rival mobile manufacturers have. Mobile phone business gives big profit despite the competition. Fraudulent manufacturers of counterfeit mobile phones are also benefitting on the industry’s high revenue.

The Peterson Group, distributor and wholesaler of mobile phone accessories and laptop peripherals in Taiwan had recently participated in a buy-bust operation in one of the largest supplier of counterfeit mobile phones in Jakarta, Indonesia. The authorities along with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology regulations board of the country have discovered 5 stalls in Pasar Pagi Mangga Dua selling fake units of Samsung Galaxy and iPhones. Legitimate brands were also found but it was later confirmed that these are stolen products procured by pickpocketers.

So how do you avoid being scammed into buying fake mobile phone units? Here are some tips:

1.            Research

Know your phone. You should only buy a phone made by a trusted manufacturer. Before committing to a purchase you should know the phone's specific model number, available colors, features, what software and hardware comes included and what warranty is offered with the product. Information about a specific model of phone can be found on the manufacturer’s website or through a registered retailer. Once you have this information it will make the job of identifying fake much easier

2.            Look into the Appearance

Do a closer inspection of the phone you will be purchasing as for the first glance, it can look identical to the real ones. Fraudsters cannot completely copy every aspect of the phone. There should be a difference in color, location of the buttons and size and spelling of the brand names. This is why a personal encounter with the phone would be very beneficial.

3.            Don’t Forget to Check the Features and Functionality

Fraud copies are made in cheap materials and sub-standard components. Processing speeds may be lower, the images taken are pixelated or the operating system just doesn’t function smoothly. It is important to compare technical features to ensure the phone is genuine.

Counterfeit Mobile Accessories Increasing in Number

Jakarta, Indonesia – The government of Indonesia has admitted to have loopholes in its security. The demographic location of the country makes it hard for the authority to seal and guard more than 17,000 islands from fraudsters who are illegally transporting fake products in and out of the country. Counterfeit medicines, illegal drugs and gadgets have the highest number of fakes. The latter of which have been too dominant and mainstream that it can be found in the streets of the suburbs of the capital, lined side by side on the pavement, with policemen seemingly oblivious of the haggle of the vendors and passersby. It has already been an accepted fact in the country to have those kinds of products scattered around and the authorities neither tolerate nor discourage the people anymore.

Warnings continue to be carried on, though, by international organizations. Along with legitimate manufacturing companies, raids are being operated and thousands of fraudsters have been caught red handed.

The Peterson Group, a Taiwan-based company which distribute mobile phone accessories and laptop accessories across Asia noted that the international commerce sector has tightened their licensing programs and inspection process to carry out more operations and jail few more thousands fraudsters.

In Singapore, two men were arrested last August 21 for their suspected involvement in the wholesale distribution of counterfeit mobile phone accessories. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested men aged 24 and 53 who refused to give their names in the media. In total, about 76,200 pieces of trademark-infringing accessories such as phone casings, batteries, power banks, screen protectors, headphones, Bluetooth receivers, speakers and power adapters - with an estimated street value of about S$941,000 - were seized.

The authorities are considering taking serious views on intellectual property rights for the infringement and will not hesitate in punishing the two if found guilty. The problem though is that both of them do not want to divulge the other members of their party who deal with them in selling counterfeited accessories. Investigations are still ongoing.

A key way of ensuring safety and quality is to only buy mobile phone accessories from a registered manufacturer and trusted retailer and having confidence that those accessories are genuine and have been tested to ensure they are safe for users, which includes testing to ensure they meet national and international standards.

Consumers are advised to be more cautious of buying these products as it can be harmful and dangerous after few times of usage.

Future of Mobile Accessories

The fast changing world has become too unpredictable that all of us are already expecting things which may seem only possible in our imagination. Technology is changing in high rate that everything is becoming more modernized. Mobile phones are not to be left behind when it comes to the latest application and future expectations. In order to be able to optimize the latest in technology in your mobile phones, your accessories should be able to complement with the latest feature as well. 

Analysts have also predicted a lot of improvements among technologies in mobile phones. Many manufacturers and distributors are already supplying advanced accessories in the hopes of leading the aggressive competition. The market is even fiercer in developing cities where imitations and fraudulent copies are trending to be able to keep up with the latest in developed nations. Both gray and black markets are extensive especially in the suburbs and downtown streets of Jakarta, Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Bangkok, Thailand and Beijing, China.

High quality legitimate accessories are also being distributed despite the widespread of fraud ones. Among Asian distributors, The Peterson Group, Taiwan based supplier of mobile phone accessories and laptop peripherals, has been known to provide standardized modern technologies which a lot of retailers have rated to adhere to the latest craze. In an interview with its CEO, Sander Peterson, they are continuously expecting more advancement in the near future. Among these expectations are:

1. Wireless Gadgets

Technology is now integrating wireless devices such as headsets operating through Bluetooth connection or health wrist bands which monitor your physical physique in real time. If Bluetooth is not available, WiFi connection is the convenient replacement.  Almost all gadgets already have their own wireless copies. Soon, this trend will soon wipe out the use of hassle cords.

2. Key-less Gadgets

If you think wireless is the limit of Bluetooth capacity, think again. In a review of future possibilities, analysts predict that smart devices would soon enable an ever-widening of wearable technology such as wrist-worn health fitness monitor to smart watches. Possible hologram technologies wherein keypads would appear in mid-air are also expected soon. Currently, hotels and other industries are in the process of using swipe technologies for locks and other transactions instead of keypads.

3. Cashless Beacon

The new chip cards in replacement of credit cards are already being implemented in the United States, which, its inventors claim, is created to prevent credit scams and online theft. This inspired the possible creation of gadgets which can be used in payments and other financial transactions connected to mobile phones.

Amazing Facts about Data Cards for Laptops

Gone were the times when computers were bulky and internet connections require physical wires and cumbersome plugs. It was the time when computers can only stay in one place: either at home or in the office.

Web technology and computer hardware has come a long way since then, allowing us to take the web with us wherever we go, whenever we need it. The internet has revolutionized the way us, humans think and has driven us to greater innovations and inventions, even to the point of making it possible for us to access the world through microchips and devices as small as our own fingers.

Mobile broadband usually refers to the ability of the internet to connect to laptops and netbooks. Providers even designed these broadband to connect to any laptop through the flash drive port.

Data cards are available from 1G to 3G networks. With the fast growth of the 4th generation network, it is expected to soon dominate the market as well. These data cards or mobile broadband sticks are mostly distributed by telecommunication operators but there are also independent vendors which supplies international data cards. Huawei and Intex are some of the most famous international brands. Wholesalers for mobile phone accessories and laptop peripherals such as The Peterson Group, Taiwan-based distributor, also sell these kinds of mobile sticks.

Dongle, which is a type of data card, looks like a flash drive but instead of using it for data storage, it stores a modem which connects wirelessly to a network. The dongle is powered by your computer so there is no need for it to be charged. According to reviews, dongle takes up most number of internet users. It is also mostly given out for free when you buy a mobile broadband plan. For this, it is usually illegally duplicated and sold to unsuspecting cities with lax security systems.

Telecommunications and information technology departments in developing countries continue to give out warnings and precautions of the rampant spread of fraudulent data cards which can harm your devices. Black markets for these devices and other accessories are rampant in the suburbs of Bangkok, Thailand and Jakarta, Indonesia.

Nowadays, a variety of data cards is available in the market. Each of them has different features and is priced accordingly. The latest innovation in the field of mobile technology has improved the type of data cards. The latest data cards are sleek, light and handier. Data cards can be carried while one is travelling. These data cards are more efficient than their counterparts and are easy to use.