Just Like Everyone Else, Amazon Eyes Indian Smartphone Market

Amazon is finally entering the Indian smartphone space with Tenor.

Amazon has taken its own sweet time, but after a lot of deliberation, the e-shopping platform has started its smartphone partner program in India, letting brands sell their phones on its website.

But that isn’t the big news here. Amazon India has officially confirmed that Tenor (10.or), powered by Amazon’s license trademark, will be selling its entry-level D smartphone in the country, under the ‘Crafted for Amazon’ program.

With this announcement, Amazon has finally admitted that it’s interested in selling phones in the Indian market, that have been crafted after deliberating on consumer needs and feedback.

Speaking about Tenor, Amazon says that the current set of brands (most of them selling on its platform) don’t cater to all the needs of the consumer, and in order to fill up the gaps left out, the e-commerce giant will work with brands (OEMs) to make affordable offerings.

Amazon caters to names like Xiaomi, OnePlus, HMD Global’s Nokia and while Noor Patel, Director – Category Management at Amazon India claimed that amicable talks have taken place about the entry of another brand into the mobile segment, there might be more to this than meets the eye here.

So, what is Tenor and what role does Amazon play in getting its products to the market? The Tenor branded phones have been made by two China-based manufacturers, Longcheer and Huachin. But Amazon clarified that once the first batch of phones are imported, both these phone makers will be manufacturing it in the country itself.

This way, Amazon can proudly claim to have worked under the Indian government’s Make in India program. 

Keeping Close Eye on the Competition

It is quite possible that after going through its shopping analytics data, Amazon felt that some brands have made the best of the demand, giving them the chance to own the entire market pie.

Also, they needn’t look too far, as its closest rival in the India online shopping space, Flipkart did something similar recently, by partnering with Smartron to make its Billion Capture+ mid-range smartphone.

Also Read: Why Is Flipkart Entering the Indian Smartphone Battlefield?

If marketed in the right way, then Amazon could flourish along with brands like Tenor, and probably make money (depending on how the revenue sharing takes place) from this side of the business. It’s hard to see Amazon looking beyond opening extra revenue streams with this move, something that analysts had pointed out when Flipkart came out with its brand.

Flipkart entering into smartphone devices ecosystem is a step to generate extra revenue from its existing user base. The Indian smartphone market is one of the fastest growing markets in the world, and an attractive destination for many stakeholders

Pavel Naiya, Senior Analyst - Devices and Analytics, Counterpoint  

And it goes without saying that any challenges faced by Flipkart, will have a spillover effect on Amazon as well. It remains to be seen how the Jeff Bezos-owned entity tackles these issues, and manages to stand away from the crowd, which is already pretty big.

Look Ma, Another Phone!

So, what’s the deal with this entry-level Tenor D phone? The playlist has been repeated over and over again, and it’s no different with this one either. However, Amazon is not only marketing this phone, but also ensuring that it could add more users to its Prime subscription program.

The Tenor D comes bundled with all Amazon apps like Kindle, Prime Video and the main shopping app which cannot be deleted from the device (no surprises there).

Even while signing up into the device, you’re greeted with an Amazon sign-up page, which Noor claims doesn’t compromise on user data or share it with a third party. By signing up with Amazon ID, you’re basically getting one-stop access to all Amazon apps that greet you on the main screen.

Luckily, you can skip this option, and there’s no doubt that most of the buyers would.

Answering one of the questions posed to Noor, he said that even though the Tenor series has been made with customer feedback, the brand doesn’t bundle headphones with it. Strange as it may sound, Noor claims that according to their data, nobody actually wants them. Not sure about that though.

Tenor D Specifications:

• Display: 5.2-inch HD 1280x720 pixels
• Operating System: Android 7.1.2 Nougat
• Processor: Snapdragon 425
• RAM: 2/3GB
• Storage: 16/32GB
• Rear Camera: 13MP
• Front Camera: 5MP
• Battery: 3500mAh
• Price: 4,999/5,999

At this price point, Amazon will be hoping Tenor has the wits to battle heavyweights like Xiaomi and Nokia among others.

(Breathe In, Breathe Out: Are you finding it tough to breathe polluted air? Join hands with FIT to find #PollutionKaSolution. Send in your suggestions to [e-mail] or WhatsApp @ [phone])