Reliance JioPhone tops global feature phone market with 15% share
With a share of 15%, Reliance JioPhone grabbed the top spot in global feature phone market in Q1 2018, according to market research firm Counterpoint Research. Nokia came second with a 14% share, followed by African major Itel with 13% share and Samsung and Tecno (Itel's subsidiary) sharing the fourth spot with 6% market share in the quarter ending March 2018. Here's more.
JioPhone's success? Well, it sold free of cost, effectively
JioPhone, the 4G feature phone from the Reliance Industries, helped the global feature phone market grow by 38% year-on-year. In India, the phone sold for Rs. 1,500 - an amount refundable after three years given customers recharge for a minimum monthly amount, which is currently Rs. 49/month. Moreover, of the total feature phone shipments in Q1 2108, India alone contributed to almost 43%.
But what drives JioPhone's massive sales? Its value-for-money mantra
Companies like KaiOS, which provides software service for JioPhone and Reliance Jio, have added more value to modern-day feature phones with affordable data plans, WhatsApp, mobile payments and other benefits. Hence, these feature phones have become "more appealing for bottom-of-pyramid users who are not comfortable with touch form factor, lack of vernacular content and quality smartphones below $40," according to research analyst Shobhit Srivastava.
