Dubai: The increasing adoption of smartphones and tablets has contributed to the growth in demand for aftermarket accessories.
There are many accessories manufactures, both premium and cheap, and now many smartphone manufacturers like Samsung, Apple, Sony, CAT, Huawei, Lenovo and LG are also launching new accessories to get a pie of this highly lucrative market as smartphone margins have come under pressure, expect Apple.
The accessories market has been segmented on the basis of products into protective case, headphone/earphone, charger, memory card, screen protectors, battery, power bank, portable “Adoption of mobile devices by tech savvy youth is significantly contributing to growth in demand for mobile phone accessories as they look for premium and designer products,” Nicoletta Laffi, managing director for South Europe at Belkin, told Gulf News.
Quality products
She said that Belkin entered the Middle East very late, so there is still room for growth as people are looking for quality products. In the matured Western Europe, the company is well established.
“Middle East is one of the growth potential markets for the year. Belkin is one of the key players in the region and are present in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Jordan and Iraq. We plan to enter Iran soon,” she said.
Belkin International has three brands — Belkin, Linksys networking products and WeMo smart home solutions.
Laffi said that growth is mainly going to come from Apple Watch, premium charging solutions, cables, USB-C solutions and screen protectors.
She said that USB-C is going to be the next biggest connector in the market as it allows users to charge, transfer, and sync at the fastest speed possible today.
Reversible design
The implementation of USB-C technology means an improvement in the capabilities of everyday devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops. All USB-C cables have a reversible design, which means that users can seamlessly plug their USB-C cable into the UBS-C port without worrying about the orientation or direction of the plug.
Users will be able to rapidly charge, take advantage of the USB 3.1 data transfer speeds between their external devices, and connect audio video outputs such as HDMI, VGA, and DisplayPort with forthcoming adapters.
Blekin has been working with Apple since 1993 and is the number one partner in developing accessories for Apple products mainly and with other brands.
“We are expecting a growth of more than 50 per cent this year in the Middle East as Apple has come out with three smartphone and tablet models,” she said.
Protective covers
According to Future Market Insights, global mobile phone accessories market is expected to reach $121.72 billion (Dh446.7 billion) by 2025 due to strong demand for protective covers and power banks.
The market is expected to grow by 6.45 per cent this year to $66 billion compared to $62 billion last year. Of the $66 billion, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) alone will account for $32 billion.
Belkin produces 70 per cent of its products from its factory in China and has tie ups with other accessories manufacturers.
Laffi expects that Belkin has more to conquer in the smartphone and tablet segments but sees slower growth in the laptop space.
