Shipment revenue for Digital Learning Devices (DLDs) in China is expected to rise to more than $1 billion in 2013 as new types of products address fresh groups of users, according to iSuppli Corp.
The DLD is an electronic device that provides digital learning content. DLD revenue will increase to $1.1 billion in 2013, up from $749.4 million in 2008. All four segments of the market—electronic dictionaries, electronic learning products, child learning devices and optical identification devices—are expected to achieve growth during that period.
Electronic dictionaries represent the first generation of DLDs in China, introduced in 1989 by manufacturers from Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The year 2001 saw the emergence of an upgraded version of the electronic dictionary, the electronic learning product, a device aimed at students. Electronic learning products provide interactive and multimedia learning materials to complement textbooks used in China’s primary and secondary school curriculum.
In 2007, child learning devices emerged, targeting pre-school children. These devices employ a touch board to provide input and use a speaker to read out words or sentences touched on the board with an electronic pen. The child learning device’s touch pen can identify the subject of the book and provides a “point-to-read” function. Child learning devices could play a role as a virtual pronunciation tutor helping make standard English available to children.
The optical identification device is a new type of DLD. These devices are used with printed material.
The input is an optical sensor that reads hidden ink and speaks out the pre-recorded contents. The optical identification device could be used for children, as a digital guide and as an electronic toy.
In 2008, the DLD market experienced steady growth. New types of child learning and optical identification DLDs were introduced that sport point-to-read functionality. As their name connotes, point-to-read products provide the capability to read out the content with a point tool on a text book. Deployed with an electronic or optical sensor, these products read content and play the pronunciations of the words or sentences where an electronic pen is pointed.
Functionality isn’t everything
iSuppli believes that in the DLD industry, functions don’t equal success. During the last five years, electronic learning products have added as many functions as possible. System on Chip (SoC) solutions for DLDs could 05.18.09 support additional features including multimedia replay, FM radio, Wi-Fi, video games and even a digital camera. But in actuality, nearly 50 percent of these functions are useless on a device that is intended for education purposes.
The “arms race” of functionality in DLDs is due to the highly competitive market in China. A leading DLD maker will release more than 30 types of DLDs in a year in order to maintain a dominant role in the market.
Products with more functions are regarded as more advanced. Because of this, iSuppli expects that during the next two years, the functionality race will remain the hot topic in the electronic learning product segment. As a result, electronic learning products are approaching netbook PCs in terms of functionality.
On the other hand, child learning devices and optical identification devices are pointed in another direction: less functionality with superior ease of use. The point-to-read function enables easy human interactive interface for pre-school children who are learning English.
The main components of optical identification devices include the chipset, speech processor, Digital Signal Processor (DSP) and flash memory. The optical identification device chipset includes a CMOS sensor and the optical decoder. The performance of the CMOS sensor is key for the optical identification devices to identify the content being scanned.
Sonix and Sunplus are the two main providers for optical identification device chipset solutions in mainland China.
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