Hey Mobile Brands, What Makes You Think Your Phone is Worth 50K?

Not many will be willing to spend half a lakh on a phone that is not a Samsung or an Apple.

We all know that the upcoming Apple iPhone 7 will cost a bomb, somewhere around the Rs 65,000 mark. You won’t see us cribbing about it, or a Samsung phone for that matter. But brands like HTC and LG have been thereabouts with their quality, yet come out with similarly expensive phones.

While they seem to have found takers every now and then, the reality is they are nowhere close to the supremacy of Samsung and Apple in the high-end space, and numbers speak for themselves.

Recently, market research firm IDC reported that Apple and Samsung are the preferred brands on which an Indian buyer is willing to shell out big money (not for the iPhone SE though.)

The reasons are clear to everyone. You get top-notch hardware, with a quality camera that delivers in daylight as well as low light conditions.

When it comes to other brands, one or two of the aforementioned aspects are missing, which clearly impacts their value at the flagship level.

So, when the likes of Sony or HTC have failed to entice buyers to spend up to 50K on their phones, what chance does a brand like Asus have with its latest phone?

Also Read: Sony Xperia X Review: Flagship Price but Where’s the Value?

The recently launched Zenfone 3 (one of its variants) dares to match the elite. But even if the product stands up to its claims, will people be open to buying a Asus for the price of a Samsung or Apple? Chances are slim.

For this, we don’t have to look beyond the plight of Asus ZenFone Zoom which was priced a shade below 40K.

Different Ball Game

Asus is taking a big gamble by losing its identity within the affordable segment. With their new game plan, the most basic version of their product is now priced along the lines of Xiaomi Mi 5, which sells for Rs 22,999 in the market.

But it’s not only Asus that has forced us to write this piece. China-based Huawei has brought out its P9 smartphone, which they claim is equipped with a Leica-powered camera. So, does that mean a buyer should consider the P9 just for its camera prowess at Rs 39,999?

As we have seen with Xiaomi, if you begin your journey in India with products that are all about value, then it becomes challenging for the brand to level-up. The same can be said about Sony and HTC as well.

Also Read: OnePlus 3 Review: Third Time’s a Charm

This is something that was also seen recently with Motorola when they launched a phone for upwards of Rs 45,000. Granted, their phone had the advantage of a unbreakable display, but as it turns out, that on its own is not enough to be a hit with Indian consumers.

Taking It for Granted... Not

More and more brands seem to think that just because people have money, they will spend it – how many times has that failed? But let’s be fair to those who make case for value.

This year’s OnePlus 3 for Rs 27,999 is a definite contender for running most high-end devices close. It’s got everything that a power user wants from his/her device, and it doesn’t cost a lot either.

As things stand, mobile brands need to understand that if given the near-perfect product, they will find takers. Till then, we have only request for brands here – don’t treat your products as premium, unless and until they’ve got the calibre and capability to match the industry best.