Realme had an eventful 2021, launching some really cool products, generating lot of buzz especially around 5G and eventually, turning all this into record sales. The numbers speak for themselves. Realme is cruising in India and by the looks of it, it seems in no mood to settle. The brand has some big plans for 2022—to expand further into the premium smartphone space, venture into even more product categories, and ramp up its offline presence.
In an exclusive interview with TheSpuzz Online’s Saurabh Singh, Realme India CEO (also VP, Realme and president, Realme International Business Group) Madhav Sheth takes us through the nitty-gritties of some of these plans and also talk about their latest launch—the Realme 9 Pro series 5G.
Excerpts.
— Realme in 2021—key milestones that you want to share with our readers.
We ended 2021 on a great note. The journey, which started in 2018, culminated into a rewarding experience as we became the second largest smartphone brand in India with a 17 percent market share in Q4 2021. We also became the fastest growing 5G smartphone brand and sold more than 2.5 million 5G smartphone units. In Q3 2021, Realme witnessed cumulative shipments of 100 million smartphones and ranked no. 6 in the global smartphone market.
We entered new categories such as laptops, tablets and smart home products, receiving tremendous response from our users. We held the fourth position in the wearables segment with a 5.6 percent share (as per IDC) and secured and maintained second position in the hearables segment with a 7.7 percent share (IDC). During Flipkart’s Festive Day sales, Realme was ranked no. 1 in multiple categories such as Tech Ecosystem brand, Smartphone brand, Tablet brand, Smart TV brand, Laptop brand, and Audio ANC brand.
— Your plans for 2022?
2022 will kick-start a new phase of hyper-growth for Realme. We will expand our premium segment by bringing in new smartphones as part of the Realme GT series. You will see cutting-edge flagship smartphones with the latest Qualcomm processors and new technologies to provide a fantastic user experience.
Next, we will proliferate our TechLife Ecosystem portfolio by launching over 15 new (product) categories under our 1+5+T strategy. We will launch more than 50 AIoT products in 2022.
This year, we will (also) turn a new corner with mainline expansion. In 2022, we are aiming to reach 50,000+ retail stores, along with inaugurating one flagship store and two experience stores for our users. Moreover, we will also establish over 1,300 Realme exclusive stores by the end of the year, reaching many more pin-codes.
— Comment on your push for 5G and affordable 5G-ready devices in India?
5G is our dominant ambition. Realme aims to be a 5G leader and a democratiser in India and will therefore equip all smartphones above Rs 15,000 with 5G. Currently, 90 percent of Realme’s R&D resources have been converted to develop 5G technology and products. It was because of our close working relationship with chipset makers that we were able to equip both smartphones under the Realme 9 Pro series (launching today) with the latest 5G processors. While the Realme 9 Pro+ comes with MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G processor, the Realme 9 Pro 5G has Snapdragon 695 5G. Throughout 2022, Realme will continue to democratise the market with its 5G smartphones.
— How does the Realme 9 Pro series 5G stand out from the competition?
The Realme 9 Pro+ 5G is one of the world’s first smartphones to be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 920 chipset. There are a number of advancements that the MTK Dimensity 920 processor has. For instance, the processor boosts the core frequency from 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz, ensuring faster app response, enhanced gaming experience and better-connected experience. Additionally, it uses the latest 6nm production process, which makes it light on power, thereby extending battery life even for demanding users. The Realme 9 Pro comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G processor and is equipped with a 120Hz FHD display, 33W Dart Charging solution with 5,000mAh battery.
— Could you talk a little bit about the inspiration behind the Realme 9 Pro series 5G’s unique “light shift” design?
As a product-oriented brand, Realme has always given abundant importance to the design of its products. With the Realme 9 Pro series 5G, we wanted to do something similar. So, we decided to collaborate with our fan community and some designers.
We collected photographs of the sunrise from Realme fans around the world in 9 different time zones, out of which then the designers extracted the most classic changing colour in the sky – from a quiet blue to a blazing red – replicated it and then imposed it on the rear panel of the smartphones. It took over 200 attempts to get the perfect design, but the end result was definitely worth it.
While the back of the smartphone is made of glass, we have designed the phone’s frame in a way that it can be easily gripped in one hand – the ergonomics are such. Our idea and philosophy with the Realme 9 Pro series 5G design is to let people know that premium designs don’t always come with premium price tags.
— What is your GTM strategy for this series?
We believe in democratising cutting edge tech for our audience. We have done this successfully in the past with design, display, battery and charging tech, and performance, and while we have brought many firsts in camera too, this time we are bringing a true flagship camera Sony IMX 766 with OIS to mid-range further democratising it and changing the whole idea of paying more to get more.
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