As the competition gets fierce in the Indian smartphone market, Chinese player Vivo is geared up to launch devices across price points in the next six months, a top company executive said on Tuesday. According to Nipun Marya, Head of Marketing Strategy, Vivo India, the company is focusing on multi-dimensional strategies to fend off growing competition, especially in the offline segment.
“We will offer products in multiple price points… whether it is the Rs 10,000 price bracket, the Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000 segment or the premium segment (Rs 30,000 and above),” Marya told IANS in an interview. Vivo India had an overall share of 60.7 per cent (by volume) in the Rs 20,000-Rs 25,000 segment (for the month of April) and 53 per cent share in the Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000 price segment, according to German research firm GfK, which tracks sales to end consumers.
The company, which is set to launch a nearly bezel-less smartphone “NEX S” in India on July 19, said it is also making rapid strides in innovation and the under-display fingerprint scanner was one such step. “Vivo X21” is the first smartphone with an in-display fingerprint scanner that recently arrived in India.
The upcoming “NEX S” smartphone features an all-glass design with 90 per cent of screen-to-body ratio and unlike a majority of smartphone makers, Vivo has ditched the “notch” in the device. Another USP of the device, according to Vivo, is the placement of the earpiece speaker — also under the display.
“The phone uses a new technology called ‘screen soundcasting’, that turns a screen into audio output,” Marya told IANS. “We have more India-focused R&D innovations in the pipeline and want to become a full-range player in the country,” he added.
The company last month launched Vivo Y83 under its Y series of product portfolio. Priced at Rs 14,990, the device sports “FullView” Display 2.0 and houses 4GB RAM and 32GB ROM (expandable up to 256GB), 13MP rear camera and 3260mAh battery. Focused on strengthening its offline presence, Vivo said handing over the right product to end users is what matters the most.
The smartphone player already has brand ambassadors stationed at its retail and exclusive stores across the country, who are well equipped to handle queries related to both the software and the product as well as users’ complaints.
“India is a vast country and you have to have proper reach. We made that by increasing the number of our retail outlets. We expanded our distribution network with over 70,000 Vivo retail stores and more than 250 Vivo exclusive stores,” Marya informed.
The company is planning to do away with “online” only devices and said all its upcoming smartphones would be available both online and at brick-and-mortar stores. “We have a manufacturing facility in Greater Noida where all smartphones being sold in India are made,” Marya noted.
