Smartphone maker HTC has launched mid-range handsets HTC One A9 and budget HTC Desire 828 (prices have not been publicised yet) – the company is saying it will increasingly look at launching devices priced below Rs 10,000. Talking about the devices, HTC President (Global Sales) Chia-Lin Chang said said the prices will be announced closer to the availability data, which is expected to be in the next two weeks. We present here juts a couple of specs and features to give you an idea about what to expect, and if they fit into your scheme of things, when the handsets finally hit the market. Also check out HTC’s plans in India:
Talking about the devices launches, HTC President (Global Sales) Chia-Lin Chang said said the prices will be announced closer to the availability, which is expected to be in the next two weeks.
The HTC Desire 828 smartphone will feature 5.5-inch display, 1.5GHz octa-core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB memory, 2,800 mAh battery and 13 MP camera.
The HTC One A9 smartphone features 5-inch display, 3GB RAM, 32GB memory, 2,150 mAh battery and 13 MP camera.
HTC says it is ramping up its presence in the affordable category (Rs 8,000-15,000) in the country with the introduction of the new devices, including 4G-enabled, to gain share in the heavily contested smartphone market in India.
The company, which faces stiff competition from Indian and Chinese handset makers like Micromax, Lava and Xiaomi, is confident of garnering 7.5-8 per cent share of the affordable smartphone category in next six months.
“We will broaden our price play horizons at both ends. India is an important market for us. If HTC has to do good globally, India numbers have to be positive,” Chang said.
He added that going ahead, all new products will be 4G-compatible.
“We are looking to start from about Rs 8,000. We are hoping to gain 7.5-8 per cent share in this category (Rs 8,000-Rs 15,000) in the next six months,” he said.
Currently, HTC has less than 5 per cent share in the mid-range smartphone segment as it does not have devices in the sub-Rs 10,000 category.
It claims to have about four per cent share in the overall smartphone category.
“In India, 65 per cent of smartphones sold are below the Rs 10,000 price point. Till now, we didn’t participate in that market… If we can capture 2 per cent of the budget phones sold in India, we will have a huge growth momentum in India taking our global revenues higher,” Chang said.
India is one of the world’s fastest growing smartphone market. According to research firm IDC, smartphone shipments in India jumped 21.4 per cent in the July-September 2015 quarter to 28.3 million units, buoyed by a three-fold jump in demand for 4G-enabled devices.
(With inputs from PTI)
