Micromax, a consumer electronics company, is reportedly planning to launch a new smartphone series ‘In” before the Diwali festival in the Indian smartphone market. The company is planning to sell the new series between the price range of ₹7,000 ($95.30) to ₹25,000 ($340.36).
Rahul Sharma, Micromax’s CEO & Co-founder, has stated that the new series is expected to feature devices that will offer a ‘value for money’ experience. The product will significantly serve the rising number of Indian customers who look for performance-oriented products. Its research and development activities have started prior to the India-China clash.
The combination of Micromax’s know-how and the growing anti-China sentiment in the country is likely to push the success of the In series in the region. However, people with knowledge of the matter have cited that the clash between India and China would not help the company revive its footprint in the highly competitive Indian smartphone market.
In order to cater to a large customer base, Micromax is focusing on addressing the key consumer concerns with the new series by offering an Android experience. The move will help gain a competitive edge over Chinese rivals, such as Xiaomi, Vivo, Realme, and Huawei, that deliver custom operating systems and frequently been criticized for putting redundant software on smartphones. For example, OnePlus has recently been criticized for pre-installing Facebook on its Android smartphone, OnePlus Nord.
The approach to offer the near-stock Android experience via the new smartphone series does not imply that Micromax phones will be based on Android One of Google, which allows customers to have an Android experience. It also brings 2 years of OS (operating system) upgrades as well as an Android version with a limited modification.
Micromax’s plan to enter the ₹20,000-25,000 ($272.36-$340.36) price segment would be challenging as its competitors, including OnePlus and Samsung, have gained a significant share in this segment. However, its brand value will attract customers who are looking for alternative products in the region.
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