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Asia’s mobile market looks upbeat

Asia’s mobile market is poised for growth. As competition intensifies, brands are increasingly customizing their approaches to the unique needs of the Asian mobile customer. Spire Research and Consulting shared insights on key trends in Asia’s vast mobile market, published on the US Consumer Electronics Association’s blog.

Global mobile technology brands are excited about the 85% mobile phone penetration in vast countries like India, China and Indonesia. At the same time, there are still over 400 million people in Asia who do not have a mobile phone, which suggests plenty of room to grow. What will set top brands apart? Three brands are taking the competition to a whole new level in the region and here is how:

Xiaomi is a popular Chinese brand which has made headway into the Indian market with its recent fourth flash sale – marking a record 11,500 mobile phone units sold per second! Xiaomi’s popularity stems from its low price points ranging between USD200 and USD300, combined with high power specifications. The trick Xiaomi uses is the “wave strategy” – selling out a limited supply over multiple waves.
Obi is the brainchild of former PepsiCo/Apple CEO John Sculley. It aims to capture the Indian market with specific focus on those aged 16 to 35. It practices aggressive price competition, evident from the launch of its flagship 8-core handset, Octopus S520 for just under USD200 in India. Moreover, not ones to neglect local partnerships, Obi’s recent deal with Jumbo Electronics – a leading IT distributor – will further expand Obi products into Africa and the Middle East.
Blackberry is still a force to be reckoned with in Indonesia, though more in the app space than the hardware space these days. The BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) maintains the top spot for iPhone apps in all of Indonesia and, interestingly enough, Nigeria. Blackberry is seeking more opportunities to expand into the software side of the business with enhancements that include BBM Money for making day-to-day payments, as it faces stiff competition from hardware vendors like Samsung.
These stand-out players have reminded us of the value of competitive differentiators like investing early and heavily in the market, low price points and creative apps to lure customers.

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