Smartphones - Getting “Smarter” with time

“The trend of Smartphone’s is picking up in India and couple of affordable options from Samsung, LG and HTC is the front runners for this trend"



In the Indian market, it was primarily the feature phones and entry level phones that had seen good traction while the Smartphone’s, were considered products for the mass market. Smartphone’s are basically data enabled devices that enable one to browse internet, download various applications.



There are wide array of Smartphone’s that have been available in India but the market for they have not been popular so far. However, things are expected to change with the adoption of 3G technology. 3G technology will facilitate better speeds and offer features like video calling and to enjoy the same one will require a data capable Smartphone’s. Hence, it’s expected by a large number of handset makers that 3G will pave way for mass adoption of Smartphone’s.



There are plenty of Smartphone’s that are quite popular the world over like BlackBerry, iPhone etc. and they have very different form factors. While BlackBerry devices are usually QWERTY devices while Android phones and IPhone are touch phones or touch with a physical QWERTY keyboard. These devices hold a very high desirability value in the market and amongst the envied brands but the adoption rate in the Indian market for these devices continues to be meager, especially when compared with international market.



One of the reasons that have been acting as a deterrent in their popularity in the Indian market has been their steep prices. However, that too is changing with a lot of Indian brands getting into the Smartphone segment at more affordable price point. Even Samsung, LG and HTC are now launching many more affordable Smartphone’s in the Indian market. The most notable examples in this case have been Android 2.2 powered LG Optimus One and Samsung Galaxy 3 and Galaxy 5, which have Android 2.1 on board.



Additionally, the Android platform in itself is drawing a lot of attention, which is another positive for the Smartphone industry. Currently, the market is flooded with Android options at different price points for the consumer to choose from. And to reach out to the early adopters Samsung, LG and HTC are also getting new handsets, which are powered by the latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread in the Indian market.



This may be the case so but for further fueling up the adoption of Smartphone’s in India, the current tariffs of 3G too will have to become a little more affordable. Thought he operators have paid exorbitant prices to get 3G airwaves but the competition in this sphere along with the pressure to perform will force the operators to re-look their current prices and look at more innovative ways to promote their 3G services in the country.



Also operators like MTS are offering phones like HTC Pulse in various EMI options to facilitate users to purchase this product without denting a hole in one’s second.