'Dumb' feature phones are making a comeback in the Indian handset market

The revival of feature phones in India is driven by low-cost access to the internet, but the 'dumb phones' are learning to get smart and create a niche

India’s smartphone revolution rages on. Indian and Chinese brands are locked in a fierce battle for the lion’s share of the world’s fastest growing market for smartphones. And the consumers are reaping the benefits. The starting price of Android devices has dropped below Rs 1,000, making touch phones compete with their keypad-hanging predecessors. But to say that the good old feature phones are “dumb and dusted” would be an oversight.

India is still the world’s largest market for feature phones. According to the latest report by Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Research, while India’s overall phone shipments grew by 37 per cent