Promotional USB accessories

	The PL117 model from mainland China’s Flastar incorporates two flash drives that together form a heart.

New products function as cup warmers and coolers, and lights or fans. These may have novelty shapes and vivid hues.

The latest promotional USB accessories from mainland China and Taiwan have more functions than previous versions. These also come in a variety of shapes and colors.

In the mainland, suppliers are developing cup warmer, lighting and fan models. Flash drives, however, continue to make up the majority of exports. Such releases are between 128MB and 8GB in capacity.

While offering USB accessories in more shapes, companies are even designing models to resemble customers’ products.

Further, mainland makers have expanded their variety of logo application methods, increasing differentiation and visual appeal. Patterns are engraved, laser-etched, silk-screened, hot-stamped, offset-printed or heat-transferred.

In Taiwan, suppliers offer promotional USB accessories with built-in card readers and laser pointers. Some upscale versions have LEDs, and function as voice recorders and MP3 players.

Releases from the island come in different constructions. Flash drives are the most popular type, although output of pen and computer mouse models is growing.

	PromoTech of Taiwan offers this patented computer mouse with a programmable webkey button.

Most releases from this company employ infrared or radio frequency technology. The latter delivers better transmission and operates up to 25m away at a maximum angle of 90 degrees.

At TGF Group Co. Ltd, the latest promotional USB accessories are fitted with LEDs and a thermometer or humidistat. Different types are available, including cup warmers and coolers, miniature aquariums, singing and dancing Santa Claus figures, air purifiers, foot warmers and shavers. All are plug-and-play capable and therefore do not require any software installation.

In an effort to create unique designs, Flastar Technology Co. Ltd has released a pair of flash drives that form a heart when combined. Individually, one unit resembles the silhouette of a man’s face. The other mimics a woman’s profile. Patterns are silk-screened. A chain is included, allowing use as a necklace.

The company has also launched square models attached to a cord with a decorative handmade knot. These come in red and have Chinese characters that denote a blessing.

Shenzhen Gold-East Electronic Co. Ltd offers a promotional flash drive in a keychain form. The product boasts a connector cap. Other versions feature retractable plugs that obviate the need for covers.

The company exports 83 percent of output to North America and the EU. All shipments are OEM and ODM orders.

Most of the mainland’s promotional USB accessories combine plastic and metal. ABS, soft PVC and steel are commonly employed.

As the bulk of exports go to the US and the EU, materials are selected according to the regulations of these markets. In addition to meeting CE, FCC, RoHS and WEEE standards, some customers also require environment-friendly housings.

At Shenzhen Gold-East, third-party organizations may test plastic and metal characteristics. All promotional USB products are made according to AQL 1.0.

Releases from the mainland are between $0.80 and $9.50. Typical versions are $2 to $5.

Shenzhen Gold-East expects quotes for its high-capacity flash drives, especially 4 to 8GB units, to drop about 10 percent in the next 12 months.

TGF, on the other hand, will increase prices by 5 percent. This is due to rising material costs.

Low-end accessories from the mainland consist of flash drives with an ABS housing. These are $2 or less, and have simple constructions and silk-screened logos in one or two colors.

Midrange versions are made of plastic or metal, and boast cup warmer and cooler, or lighting or thermometer configurations. Patterns come in more than two colors and are applied via silk-screening. Models meet RoHS, CE, FCC and WEEE standards. Quotes reach $5.

High-end products are offered in a variety of materials, including ABS, soft PVC and steel. Logos are offset-printed or heat-transferred with up to five colors.

The mainland is home to about 200 exporters of promotional USB accessories. Annual shipments total $500 million and account for more than 50 percent of world supply.

Most companies have three or four years of experience in the line, and are midsize or large makers. Other electronic items such as MP3 and MP4 players, laser pointers and portable speakers may be offered. Factories are typically equipped with PCB production equipment, including SMT, auto-placement and reflowing machines.

Shenzhen in Guangdong province is the principal hub. It boasts numerous sources of components. Wenzhou and Ningbo of Zhejiang province are other significant manufacturing bases.

OEM and ODM units dominate output. Companies generate constructions in-house while offering design development, sample creation and mold-making services as well.

Responding to factors such as rising costs and lower buying capability in major markets due to the economic downturn, suppliers will be emphasizing upscale models with higher margins.

Flash drives dominate Taiwan’s line of promotional USB accessories. Some versions boast integrated readers for SD and MMC memory chips, LEDs, alarms and laser pointers. The addition of entertainment features such as MP3 playback and a five-hour voice-recording capability are among the highlights of the latest models.

The focus on functionality is a shift away from physical characteristics such as size and weight, which were the emphasis of previous releases.

Besides augmenting the portable memory products, suppliers are developing other types of promotional USB accessories.

PromoTech Co. Ltd offers a patented computer mouse with an embedded IC. The model has a center-mounted button that directs a Web browser to the customer’s home page when clicked. It also includes alarm functionality.

Makers are using metal to improve aesthetics. PromoTech’s pen-shaped stopwatch, for example, features a copper barrel instead of a plastic one.

Most releases from the island are designed according to customers’ specifications. For the past three years, output at OTG Business Corp. has consisted mainly of USB flash drives for OEM orders. Models come in black, silver, dark blue and other subdued hues.

The construction is dependent on the specific market. Asia-based clients prefer larger areas for logos than counterparts in the US and Europe. Pattern application is determined by material type. Metal is typically laser-engraved while plastic is usually silk-screened.

Output of USB accessories in yellow and other bright hues is increasing.