In 2024, the learning device market surged ahead amidst rapid reshuffling.

AI large models have accelerated the transition from the virtual realm into more specific application scenarios, with AI+education spearheading this implementation. Rapid advancements in AI technology have led to a qualitative leap in the performance of educational hardware.

Learning devices have always been at the heart of educational hardware. While transforming the way students self-study, their market prospects, development trajectories, and competitive landscapes are undergoing profound transformations driven by AI. In 2024, the learning device market witnessed explosive growth, with some estimates suggesting that total sales of Chinese learning tablets, encompassing both online and offline channels, reached 5.88 million units, marking a 24.6% year-on-year increase.

I. A Crowded Field with Leading Education Technology Companies

From the Xiaobawang learning machine, intelligent educational hardware has evolved over 30 years, transitioning from electronic dictionaries to repeaters, point-reading machines, and ultimately to learning tablets. Each iteration aimed to meet different learning needs at various stages, yet development bottlenecks persisted.

Traditional learning devices focused on teaching without ensuring comprehension, leading to a substantial gap between output and reception. Consequently, even with built-in courses and resources, homogenization was inevitable.

Moreover, combining a general-purpose tablet with software could replicate the core functions of traditional learning devices at a lower cost. Relying solely on persuasive advertising and strong offline incentives to convince parents to pay a premium for learning devices was unsustainable. A Huachuang Securities research report revealed that educational tablet shipment growth rates in 2017 and 2018 were merely 2.5% and 3.9%, respectively.

In 2019, initial AI functions emerged, and in 2022, large models debuted. The evolution of AI has revolutionized intelligent educational hardware, enabling large-scale individualized instruction and enhancing learning effectiveness through AI learning devices.

Multimodal interaction technology accepts text, audio, and images as input, generating corresponding output. Thus, learning devices leverage large models to develop more interactive learning tools, generate diverse learning resources, and innovate teaching evaluation methods. Coupled with AI vision and voice, this significantly enhances learning effectiveness.

Large models can tailor personalized learning paths based on students' progress, comprehension ability, and knowledge mastery, transforming rote learning and genuinely reducing the burden on students.

A joint report by East China Normal University and Zuoyebang Hardware on "Research on Adaptive Learning Mechanism Based on Cognitive Load" revealed that AI learning devices, embodying the adaptive learning mechanism, can identify students' knowledge weaknesses, enabling personalized and precise learning.

Customized and personalized education is also a favored field for AI application, as emphasized by Altman, the founder of OpenAI.

Consequently, technology players like Baidu and iFLYTEK, educational technology brands such as Zuoyebang, Xueersi, and Yuanfudao, and traditional educational hardware brands like BBK have all launched their large models, including iFLYTEK's Spark, Zuoyebang's large model, NetEase Youdao's Ziyue Education, and Xueersi's Jiuzhang. These companies continuously iterate their AI learning device products.

From the demand side, AI learning devices have become a rigid demand.

(Source: iResearch Consulting Report)

According to iResearch Consulting's "2024 Educational Smart Hardware Market and User Insight Report," learning tablets are highly used educational smart hardware. 65.5% of parents reported using them for more than five days a week, and 54% believed that learning tablets are a rigid demand and standard configuration for their children's learning.

More parents are willing to purchase learning device products. On social media, discussions on selecting learning devices and preferred brands remain high. For instance, on Xiaohongshu, there are over 20,000 posts about "AI learning device recommendations" and over 1.08 million posts about "recommended learning device brands."

II. Addressing Learning Pain Points

In this rapidly growing market, some manufacturers seek to capitalize on the trend, often prioritizing short-term profits. This has led to chaos in the growth of AI learning devices, including induced course purchases, false advertising, and device quality and maintenance issues.

The learning device market presents both immense opportunities and numerous challenges. Those who truly represent quality, address learning pain points, and ease the burden on parents will reap the benefits of industry growth and emerge as leaders.

From an industry perspective, the learning device market initially favored traditional hardware manufacturers, transitioned to technology companies, and now leads with educational technology companies offering rich learning content.

RDI's "Monthly Tracking of China's Learning Tablet Retail Market" report for October 28, 2024, revealed that in the third quarter of 2024, sales of learning tablets through online channels in China reached 1.226 million units, a 38.0% year-on-year increase. Educational technology enterprises occupied the top three sales positions, with Zuoyebang leading the online market.

Recently, multiple research and analysis agencies have released reports on the China learning tablet market in 2024. Zuoyebang learning devices, with their outstanding market performance, have been certified by agencies like Shangpu Consulting, iResearch Consulting, AVC Revo, and RDI as the top seller in 2024.

Consumers prefer Zuoyebang's AI learning devices primarily because they meet the broader needs of parents and students, addressing learning pain points.

Pricing-wise, Zuoyebang learning devices range from 1,999 yuan to 6,000 yuan online, catering to families with different economic incomes. In terms of user groups, Zuoyebang covers all subjects and grades. Business-wise, Zuoyebang's software and hardware, including the Zuoyebang App, learning devices, and electronic flashcards, form a cohesive learning ecosystem, ensuring continuous and coordinated user actions across any terminal.

Covering a broader user base, offering more choices, and forming a learning ecosystem are key reasons for Zuoyebang's leading position. However, effectiveness is paramount.

To ensure effectiveness, it's crucial to address common learning issues: inability to understand or master knowledge points, lack of targeted practice despite understanding, insufficient sustainable planning, difficulty in executing plans, lack of timely feedback leading to problem accumulation, and diminished interest and self-confidence in learning.

Zuoyebang's solution involves enhancing learning efficiency and effectiveness through a closed loop of learning and practice. Addressing weak knowledge mastery, for instance, Zuoyebang has developed a gold medal tutoring system. This system encompasses the five key links of "diagnosis, learning, practice, testing, and supplementation," forming a closed loop. It starts with identifying knowledge weaknesses through knowledge diagnosis and academic interpretation, then customizes a learning plan and matches appropriate resources, culminating in consolidating knowledge through practice.

Using Zuoyebang learning devices and user desensitized data as research samples, Beijing Normal University confirmed that intelligent educational equipment can significantly enhance students' overall learning ability, with improvements in specific abilities like knowledge levels exceeding 20%. The report also shows that Zuoyebang learning devices effectively reduce the burden on family education, with parents spending about 0.5 hours less per day on their children's learning assistance.

III. The Future Competitive Landscape of AI Learning Devices

First, let's examine the competitive landscape of AI learning devices over the past three years of rapid development.

During the pandemic, learning devices primarily served extended online classes, with parents demanding tool attributes like large screens, eye protection, and learning supervision. In 2022, AI learning devices featuring eye protection, large screens, and firewalls were strong selling points.

With the gradual implementation of large models and the in-depth application of AI technology on learning devices, functions like learning management, parent communication, homework correction, and academic analysis have converged on terminals. Features like high-definition large screens, eye protection, and smooth operation have become basic requirements.

Nowadays, parents not only seek functions like online classes, AI homework correction, and targeted practice but also hope that AI learning devices can provide a comprehensive learning solution to enhance their children's learning efficiency.

This trend underscores the growing importance of resource capabilities (teaching content and resources) as AI learning devices evolve. Although learning devices are consumer electronics, hardware is not the deciding factor. The domestic consumer electronics industry chain is mature, making it challenging for manufacturers to create a gap at the hardware level.

Instead, users have increasingly high demands for content and the integration of AI technology and content. Hence, educational technology companies like Zuoyebang have emerged as leaders.

iResearch Consulting's report suggests that for learning device products, tool-type configurations, including basic functions and interaction forms like external smart eyes and styluses, are industry standards. The key differentiated competition lies in exclusive high-quality resources and AIGC content generation and adaptation capabilities.

(Source: iResearch Consulting Report)

High-quality educational resources are always in high demand and carry a brand premium in parents' minds, testing enterprises' teaching and research resource accumulation. Large model technology aids in establishing systematic learning methods and enhancing learning efficiency. AIGC content generation and adaptation capabilities test lesson plan data, AI technology, and financial capabilities.

Taking Zuoyebang, the top-selling learning device brand, as an example, we can see how learning device manufacturers accumulate competitive advantages.

In terms of resource capabilities, Zuoyebang has been in the education field for a decade, amassing over 1.9 billion learning and practice resources and 10 billion academic big data. Simultaneously, Zuoyebang's teaching and research team can produce high-quality curriculum content systems and learning methods, with deep insights into education, learning cognition, and users' learning needs.

Regarding large models, the core of competition will shift from "having or not having" to "being excellent or not." According to public information, the Zuoyebang large model ranks first in average score on the authoritative rankings of C-Eval and CMMLU among educational large models.

More importantly, there's an interaction and mutual reinforcement between data and models.

AI large models require training, relying on data. The comprehensiveness and quality of data directly determine the ability of AI large models to provide personalized learning support and services.

In this regard, educational technology companies have a significant advantage. For instance, Zuoyebang has accumulated substantial high-quality educational data over the past decade. With over 100 million monthly active users and continuously updated data daily, it can train its educational large model effectively.

In the long run, the relationship between large models and content will lead to the Matthew Effect among learning device brands, where prominent brands will have greater competitive advantages. Additionally, educational products are prone to word-of-mouth marketing, especially for AI learning devices requiring extensive research before purchase. Friend recommendations yield high conversion rates. Therefore, Zuoyebang's top sales ranking is significant not only for the present but also for continuously attracting potential users and consolidating its market position in the future.

Another aspect that cannot be overlooked in the rapid market penetration of AI learning devices is the significant influence of channel power on the competitive landscape.

Unlike mobile phones and general-purpose tablets, whose configurations and functions are well-established and straightforward, AI learning devices necessitate a more hands-on approach or extensive online comparison across various aspects before consumers decide to purchase. Consequently, users' decision-making process is often elongated, transcending simple actions like ordering after a favorable live broadcast introduction. Instead, it may encompass both online research and offline experiences prior to finalizing the order. Hence, a robust channel layout is imperative.

Zuoyebang's channel layout strategy aligns with user habits, seamlessly integrating online and offline efforts. Its offline presence extends to nearly all prefecture-level cities across the nation, providing a comprehensive reach.

IV. Conclusion

Amidst a thriving supply and demand landscape, the learning device market witnessed a pivotal point for upward growth in 2024. In the long term, the ceiling for the market size of learning devices will inevitably be pushed higher by the integration of AI.

Simultaneously, the learning device market has transitioned into a new phase, where value-driven competition prevails. Parameters and hardware specifications have taken a back seat, with the focus now squarely on achieving product differentiation through "high-quality content" derived from superior educational resources. This is crucial for effectively boosting student efficiency.

In 2024, with the shift in competitive dynamics, the AI learning device market embarked on a fresh round of realignment. Leading manufacturers will continue to innovate their products and services, leveraging high-quality content and advanced model capabilities to attract users. Conversely, manufacturers lacking a competitive edge in content and technology will gradually relinquish market share.