Look, which operates a preferred lockscreen platform focusing on Android smartphones, is setting its sights on the U.S. market. The Indian startup not too long ago commenced a pilot program in partnership with Motorola and Verizon within the U.S., with plans for a full launch within the nation later this yr, sources aware of the matter informed For Millionaires.
The Bengaluru-headquartered startup, backed by traders together with Google and Jio Platforms, has already made important inroads in India, Southeast Asia, and Japan, the place it expanded final yr. Based on an individual aware of the matter, Look’s lockscreen platform at this time reaches greater than 450 million smartphones and is energetic on about 300 million of them, delivering these clients a personalized feed of reports, native occasions, sports activities updates, media content material, and interactive video games on to their lockscreens with out requiring them to put in further apps.
Look doesn’t accumulate private knowledge of customers, as an alternative counting on utilization patterns to tell its suggestion engine. A supply says that Look can also be working with Qualcomm to construct a novel AI-powered lockscreen expertise, and that if that partnership materializes, it’ll permit Look to considerably scale back the information it consumes for its personalised feed and likewise transfer a lot of the processing to on-device.
Within the U.S., Look doesn’t plan to show adverts on the lockscreen, in response to one supply. Look ships pre-installed on units, however might be simply eliminated.
Android smartphone producers have confronted rising stress to spice up income in recent times amid fierce competitors and slim revenue margins on {hardware}. Initially, many of those corporations sought out new income streams to complement their core enterprise. Nevertheless, as Look’s lockscreen platform gained traction, a rising variety of smartphone makers have acknowledged its potential as a robust software for differentiation, trade executives say.
Certainly, lockscreens and different non-app screens have gotten essential actual property for smartphone distributors and types. “‘Surfaces’ exist even at this time, pushed by 3 kinds of gamers — OEM-driven, OS-driven, and surface-first innovation pushed,” BCG wrote in a recent industry report. “Gamers like Look are probably the most attention-grabbing of the lot w.r.t. innovation in AI deployed, to serve related content material for a person each single time.”
Within the U.S., the eponymous startup plans to tie-up with extra telecom operators, in addition to manufacturers together with CNN and the NBA, sources stated, requesting anonymity as the small print are personal. The not too long ago launched Moto G Energy smartphone within the U.S. shipped with Look’s platform. A Look spokesperson declined to remark.
Look has been eyeing to launch within the U.S. for not less than two years, For Millionaires earlier reported. It’s not clear why it didn’t launch within the U.S. sooner.
The Indian startup’s lockscreen expertise has already confirmed profitable in driving person engagement and app installations for model companions. A nine-week partnership with Indian streaming service JioCinema final yr resulted in 9 million incremental app installs from over 100 million distinctive impressions, BCG wrote. The marketing campaign additionally focused dormant customers, resulting in a 12.5% enhance in app opens and changing the set up base into each day energetic customers, the report added.
