HTC will continue to consolidate its growth in the mid-range smartphone segment in India before bringing in a value device in the sub-Rs 10,000 category by the end of this year, said Chia-Lin Chang, President of Global Sales and Chief Financial Officer of HTC Corporation.
By Nandagopal Rajan
Speaking to select mediapersons soon after the launch of the HTC Desire EYE smartphone with dual 13MP cameras and the new HTC RE handheld camera, Chang said the importance of the Indian market for the Taiwanese smartphone maker can be fathomed by the fact that it is the only makret where he personally launches new devices. HTC is expected to announce the RE camera, a new product category for the company, in Mumbai next week along with the HTC Desire 820, which will come with the Eye camera software update.
Chang said he company was near a 5 per cent market share in the Indian smartphone market and on part to achieve its goal of 10 per cent by 2015. “Everyone of our product is designed with the Indian consumer in market, while some are tailor-made for India and then taken to other markets,” he said. “I don’t think it is difficult to achieve our targets as we understand that the Indian consumer likes the HTC design and premium feel. In fact, our mid-range Desire 816 is selling better than the entry-level HTC Desire 210.” he said, adding that they will continue to play strong in the Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000 segment.
“We will participate in the sub-Rs 10,000 segment but will not go very low. We don’t want to create something that is not a good experience,” he said, adding that a phone in this segment can be expected from the company in the coming months. “We will focus on the brand promise and will not be just about about design or hardware. We also want to ensure that our price stability is maintained so that a person investing in our phones sees the value.”
Chang also hinted that HTC would be part of the tablet market soon. There are rumours that HTC is working on a 9-inch Nexus tablet with Google.
Meanwhile, HTC chairwoman Cher Wang reiterated that entering new product categories does not mean the company was moving away from smartphones.
“The smartphone will be the hub that enables the smart self,” she said. But there is a clear indication that HTC is looking at other segments like wearables with the CEO Peter Chou saying that the RE camera was just the beginning.