Mobile handset makers square off for 4G battle

Samsung and Micromax, selling the most handsets in the country, have launched 14 and 13 such phone types, respectively

Mobile handset makers are in a rush to capitalise on the rising demand for fourth generation-enabled smartphones.

Samsung and Micromax, which sell the highest number of handsets in the country, have already launched 14 and 13 such phone types, respectively. Lenovo, Lava and Karbonn, too, have shifted their focus to 4G smartphones.

Samsung entered the 4G segment in 2015 and is aiming to increase its presence in every price segment. "Consumers upgrading from 2G are looking for 4G handsets, instead of moving to 3G. Our focus will remain on 4G launches," a company executive said.

During the September quarter, Samsung overtook Lenovo to become the top 4G smartphone vendor in India, IDC reported.

"The buzz around 4G services is driving buyers to stores," said Vineet Taneja, chief executive officer, Micromax Informatics. "Instead of launching next generation 3G smartphones, we will be coming up with 4G variants," he added. The company is planning to launch seven 4G handsets by March 2016, taking the number of Micromax LTE smartphones to 20.

The fourth largest player Lenovo, which entered the segment in November 2014, has 11 4G handsets and is expected to launch three more by March. Karbonn, not yet present in the 4G segment, it is planning a series of smartphones from December that will include five LTE handsets. Lava intends to launch 12 LTE handsets in the next four months.

IDC reported one-third of smartphones sold in the September quarter in India were 4G-enabled. It expects smartphones to outstrip feature phone sales in market share next year. "4G-enabled devices are expected to be at the forefront, with the ecosystem preparing for this shift," said Kiran Kumar, research manager, IDC.