— It is not important where the hardware is assembled — now buyers pay most attention to the quality and characteristics of the software. Its availability for gadgets of a Russian company will become an important competitive advantage, — the expert emphasizes.
Denis Kuskov also recalled croatia whatsapp number database that Russian companies have already gained access to advanced portable electronics technologies by purchasing know-how abroad. For example, in 2015 it became known that control over the Finnish developer Jolla, which created the operating system for smartphones Sailfish, belongs to the structures of entrepreneur Grigory Berezkin. Subsequently, the assets involved in the development of this OS were transferred to Rostelecom - now the operator is developing and promoting it under the brand "Aurora".
Children's expectations
In 2023, 8 million smart watches, fitness trackers and children's "locator" watches were sold in Russia for 51.3 billion rubles, which is 41% more in units and 24% more in money compared to 2022. This follows from MTS materials. At the same time, smart watches took up 72% of the market in units and almost 90% in money, the organization reported. MTS associates the growing interest in smart watches with a decrease in their average price, in particular, due to the expansion of the range in the segment to 20 thousand rubles.
“So, by the end of the year, the average price of smart watches showed a 27% drop, and for children’s smart watches – a 3% drop,” the company noted.
According to MTS estimates, 5.8 million smartwatches worth 45.8 billion rubles were sold in Russia in 2023, which is 82% more in units and 32% more in money than in 2022. Compared to 2022, the top three most popular brands have not changed — Apple remains the sales leader with a 39% share in units, followed by Samsung (13%) and Huawei (12%), the company noted.
At the same time, demand for children's watches decreased somewhat last year - their sales in units decreased by approximately 3%.
Over the past few years, Megafon's retail chain has seen increased interest in children's watches, its press service reported.
— In the category of "children's smart watches", the brands most in demand among buyers are Fontel, Elari, Aimoto, Leef, and in the category of "smart watches", models from Apple, Samsung, Amazfit, Fontel are most often purchased, — noted his representative.
Watches have become a familiar fashion and functional device, with which you can monitor your health, sleep, help to more consciously control physical activity, in conjunction with a smartphone or independently they allow you to stay in touch and use various applications, listed the head of the Entertainment and Gadgets Department of M.Video-Eldorado Alexey Rogozin.
— Now we see an expansion of the number of available manufacturers in the entry-level and mid-range segments. Among brands, Apple holds the lead in unit sales, Samsung is traditionally in demand, as well as leading Chinese brands Xiaomi, Huawei and others, — he notes.
The niche of smart watches for children with GPS and an SOS button, which help keep in touch with the child and monitor his safety, is in stable demand, the expert adds.
According to Content-Review calculations, about 600 thousand smart watches for children were sold in the Russian Federation in 2023 - Elari took a share of about 20% in this segment. These devices are sold in the budget niche of smart watches, the marginality of their sales and implementation is relatively low, believes the head of the Content-Review project Sergey Polovnikov.
Most likely, the Elari business was sold to the Russian side due to sanctions risks, he did not rule out. But the acquisition of the software necessary for the production of smart watches is a good start for our IT structures in the field of import substitution: subject to revision, development and investment, the attractiveness of products based on it in the domestic and global markets may increase, the expert concluded.