When the entire nation celebrates the Double 11 shopping festival, the tech community is among the few who are celebrating. E-commerce platforms are booming, and internet products unrelated to e-commerce feel almost invisible during this time; big sellers on Tmall are thriving, while small and medium-sized sellers without resources or traffic struggle to get orders; top smartphone brands are doing well, but long-tail manufacturers are struggling; e-commerce marketing segments and major players are in high demand, while non-e-commerce marketing players can only watch from the sidelines. Is smart hardware a blessing or a slap in the face? It's a mixed bag.
First, the good news: smart hardware has finally made it into the mainstream consumer festival.
Compared to last year’s changes, smart hardware found its place in 2014. Jingdong placed “Smart Home†prominently on its Double 11 page, featuring a wide range of “smart hardware†such as smart cameras, smart home appliances, smart sockets, smart speakers, smart kitchen gadgets, smart accessories, and even smart curtains and air purifiers. However, most of these are “pseudo-intelligent†products that have not gained much attention.
The second smart hardware hub was the “JD+ IT Living Museum,†showcasing star products like the Maikai Smart Water Cup, Picooc Smart Scale, Lexin Smart Bracelet, Small K Smart Socket, and Xiaozhi Electric Kettle. According to Ray Technology, three key products (Maikai Water Cup, Picooc Smart Scale, Lexin Smart Bracelet) were among the top sellers, with smart bracelets, health monitors, and smartwatches also performing well. Other smart devices also had a decent showing.
Jingdong’s smart hardware section during Double 11 reflected some trends: smart homes were the most popular, followed by wearables and health-related devices. Products like OBDs and drones were hard to find.
Second, the bad news: the participation of smart hardware in Double 11 has more symbolic meaning than real impact.
Ray Technology’s spot check revealed that some smart hardware items didn’t even have price reductions. For example, the Maikai Smart Water Cup was originally priced at 399 yuan, and even after the discount, it was only 329 yuan. Many other products either stayed the same or even increased in price.
Price might not be the main issue. For smart hardware, significant price cuts may not have a big marketing effect because the core of Double 11 is to stimulate suppressed consumer demand through discounts. The real challenge for smart hardware isn’t just price—it’s about identifying and educating user needs. If someone wants a Maikai cup, they’ll buy it at 399 or 329.
But that doesn’t mean smart hardware’s participation is meaningless. At the very least, it increases product visibility, helps educate the market, and improves brand exposure.
Third, the smart hardware channel landscape: Jingdong leads, while Alibaba is catching up.
Jingdong started with 3C electronics and has a stronger presence in smart hardware due to its user base and supply chain. It has been actively expanding through initiatives like JD Intelligent Cloud, JD+ Plan, JD Super App, JD Crowdfunding, and WeChat integration. It has also invested in smart hardware startups like BroadLink, and early results are already emerging.
Among the tech giants, especially in e-commerce, Jingdong has taken the lead in smart hardware. Alibaba, however, seems less involved—after all, their focus has been on fashion and daily goods. But even though Alibaba is lagging now, it still holds a strong position in mature consumer goods and is unlikely to be shaken in the short term.
Last year, companies like Haier and Gree surpassed clothing for the first time to become major players. This year, Xiaomi, Lenovo, and Meizu have performed strongly on Tmall, with Xiaomi becoming the sales champion, reaching nearly 1.5 billion in sales.
While Jingdong sells 3C and home appliances, many manufacturers still rely on Tmall flagship stores. So even though Jingdong has started selling smart hardware, it remains the most important online channel. But when the time is right, Tmall will likely enter the smart hardware space soon.
Fourth, smart hardware is becoming a mass consumer product, just a matter of time.
This year, Tmall already included smart hardware in its events. Xiaomi placed its smart bracelet in the event, but sales were weak. Even at 79 yuan, it couldn’t match the success of Xiaomi TVs. Similarly, the Mi tablet struggled to reach 100,000 units. This shows two things: 1) smart bracelets aren’t yet mass consumer goods, and 2) even with deep discounts, they don’t sell as well as other products.
However, there’s hope. Roborock, the main sweeping robot, entered Tmall’s top 20 best-selling stores, with turnover exceeding 100 million. If we consider Roborock as smart hardware, it's China’s most successful one so far. It proves that if you meet real demand, anything is possible.
In 2012, Google Glass brought smart hardware into the spotlight. But in the past two years, smart hardware still has a long way to go before reaching ordinary consumers. Wearables and smart homes are still niche, while smart routers and smart TVs (boxes) have sold over a million units.
Smart bracelets, watches, scales, water cups, pianos, stereos, home appliances, car devices, and cameras remain toys for tech enthusiasts rather than everyday users.
It’s a clear sign that China’s smart hardware hasn’t yet reached the mass consumption era. In offline stores like Gome and Suning, smart hardware is rarely seen, even for top tech products. Online sales are also limited. While this relates to the trend of moving electronics online, it also reflects a harsh truth: smart hardware is still far from a true explosion.
In contrast, in Europe and the U.S., Best Buy prominently features smart health devices, with smart bracelets and watches among the top sellers. When these products appear in Chinese offline stores, smart hardware will truly take off. Many believe China lags behind the U.S. by a few years in tech, but they’re hopeful that the same story will unfold in smart hardware.
ã€Print】 ã€Close】
Bed Sidetable,Bed Side Table,Modern Bed Side Table,Side Tables For Bedroom
Mexarts Household Products Co., Ltd. , https://www.mexartsglobal.com