Realme’s Madhav Sheth talks about C11, upcoming premium phones and other launches in India
To answer some obvious questions on future smartphone launches, premium handsets and more, we got in touch with the man himself, Vice President of Realme and Chief Executive Officer of Realme India, Madhav Sheth.
Realme just launched a new smartphone called C11 and before you call it as ‘yet another budget smartphone' there needs to be some explanation done. It's not your usual handset that is priced between ₹15,000 and ₹20,000. It's way more affordable and for an altogether a different audience.
So, what's the point of launching this? What about future product launches? What exactly is Realme's plan here? To answer these, we got in touch with the man himself, Vice President of Realme and Chief Executive Officer of Realme India, Madhav Sheth.
Sheth not just talked about the Realme C11 and what it brings to the market but also how it complements the company's 1+4+N product strategy and if India is ready for a premium Realme smartphone just yet.
And yes, he talked about future product launches too.
Where does Realme C11 fits in the company's 1+4+N strategy?
As per Sheth, Realme C11 is the company's most affordable way how customers can become a part of their 1+4+N strategy. As mentioned before, this strategy entails 1 core smartphone + 4 smart hubs + N AIoT products. This won't just result in the company gaining more market share and building itself as a popular tech lifestyle brand in India but also boost the Realme ecosystem.
Also read: Realme 6i coming to India alongside Realme C11, set to take on Poco M2 Pro
“Realme C11 at the entry-level price segment, will significantly increase our user base, and by experiencing the quality, design, performance of realme smartphones, the customers will become our loyal users and one day they will consider our other AIoT products as well,” he says.
What happens to other smartphones in the C-series?
Sheth confirms that the launch of Realme C11 won't be hurting other C-series smartphones. As long as the demand is there, none of the smartphones like C2 and C3 will be discontinued in India.
“Realme C2 and C3 are still best-sellers in the entry-level category. Their continued popularity helped us realize the diversified demand of smartphone users in the entry-level segment. Therefore, realme has redefined its product strategy for C-series. It's for this very reason we didn't name C11 as C4 or C5. We will have not one but multiple products for every generation of C-series. And as long as demand is there, it will not be discontinued,” said Sheth to HT Tech.
Realme is ready to launch more non-smartphone products in India
Sheth added that there are more products coming to India that will help expand the 1+4+N idea. The list will include in-car chargers, backpacks to stylish luggage cases, and smart home gadgets.
“Under our latest 1+4+N strategy, we will soon be introducing new products in the audio and wearables segment, as well as other accessories such as in-car chargers, backpacks to stylish luggage cases, and smart home gadgets. As of now, we are working on lots of AIOT offerings for our customers in India and have already incorporated which complements our 1+4+N strategy.”
Also read: Top smartphones under ₹15,000 with good battery life
How about premium Realme smartphones in future?
While Realme C11 is company's ultra-budget smartphone, those tracking the industry would know that the brand also has devices hitting ₹30,000 or above price points. However, that's not the limit for Realme. Sheth says that the company is willing to launch premium smartphones in India – only if the demand is there.
“In 2019, we launched our most expensive smartphone of the year - Realme X2 Pro, priced at around ₹31,000. In 2020, we launched X50 Pro, our most expensive offering in the year yet, at INR 39,999. Having tasted success in the premium segment, we are more confident about building up our product portfolio in this range. So, if Realme fans request more premium smartphone series, why not,” said Sheth.
However, considering its arch rival is already going ‘premium' with a couple of smartphones, it might not be long before we see Realme treading the same path and trying to undercut them.
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