The great showdown of smartphones in weeks

Gap between global & India launch of flagship devices shrinking further

While a fleet of flagship smartphones are being launched in the yearly extravaganza of mobile devices at Barcelona, site of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), Indian subsidiaries of major handset makers are gearing for their launches.

Global and Indian smartphone leader Samsung, China’s Gionee and Lenovo are preparing to introduce flagship devices within weeks of their global launch at MWC 2016 in the past four days. According to sources, others such as Xiaomi, LG and Intex are no less behind.

WHAT LIES AHEAD

• Gap between global & India launch of flagship devices shrinking further
• Samsung’s S7 & S7 Edge, Gionee Elife S8 may enter Indian market as soon as in March; Lenovo Vibe K5 & K5 Plus by April
• Xiaomi Mi5, LG G5, Intex Aqua ACE II are expected to be launched within weeks

The increasing importance of the smartphones market in India is leading the global majors to introducing of handsets in India sooner than later. Samsung India launched its S6 model here within 40 days of the global launch at Barcelona last year; this is expected to come down to less than 25 days for its S7 and S7 Edge, the next in their flagship ‘Galaxy S’ series.

According to company sources, Samsung is planning India launch in mid-March. A Gionee spokesperson said “We can expect the Gionee S8 to come to India by March end this year”.

The trend of a decreasing gap between global and India launches could be seen for other entities like Lenovo, Xiaomi, Gionee and LG, too, experts said. “India is our Number One priority market for these products and we will launch first here,” said a spokesperson from Lenovo. The company launched two mass market smartphones, Vibe K5 and K5 Note, during the current edition. “While most brands announced a flagship device, Lenovo’s focus at MWC 2016 was all about the masses,” the spokesperson added.

India toppled America last year as the second largest smartphones market, with 103 million such devices sold.

MWC attracted some 100,000 people from nearly 200 countries, with 2,200 booths to feel and witness new mobile tech, including virtual-reality headsets, smartphones, tablets, wearables, accessories and apps. Virtual Reality (VR) devices and batteries that can be charged faster remained in focus during the four days. While VR has been present since 2006 as an accessory, its growing importance could be traced to Nokia’s plans on professional 360-degree cameras like the Ozo.

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg stressed the latent demand for such cameras during the event. He stressed on a “laser comms system,” which connects users via lasers at a rate he says would be “12 times faster” than traditional means.

“VR is the next platform where anyone can experience anything they want,” Zuckerberg told BBC. “It's going to change the way we live and work and communicate.”

According to Faisal Kawoosa, general manager at CyberMedia Research, VR can have significance, given India’s heterogeneity and geographic diversity. It can be used to overcome language barriers and as a useful tool in skill development and education, apart from entertainment and gaming.

Research and innovation on long-serving batteries is another area of focus. Various companies, including Chinese smartphone major Oppo, showcased charging technologies through which a 2,500mAh battery can be charged in about 15 minutes.

“Battery life is one of the important aspects that consumers worry about. In 2016, many flagship brands addressed this issue and developed smartphones with faster charging capabilities,” said Amit Gujral, marketing head, mobile communications, LG Electronics.

“The larger trends seems to be shifting from specs to consumer experiences,” Lenovo said.