NEW DELHI: Smartphone manufacturer Vivo says all its devices, which they have launched in the Indian market, are 5G-enabled devices. The Chinese smartphone maker says that by the end of October itself, the majority of its 5G smartphones in India will be standalone (SA) compatible.
“All our devices right now support the NSA (Non-Standalone) network. You can also check on Airtel website, where they have listed about 5G enabled smartphones. We are also working very aggressively with Jio to make our devices SA (Standalone) compatible,” Vivo India Business Strategy Paigham Danish told TNIE.
From a device maker point of view, the company enables its handset so that consumers can experience the 5G network whenever it is available, said Paigham Danish.Non-standalone network-enabled 5G devices basically can be supported by existing 4G infrastructure, while standalone network and enabled devices will be based on a new set of 5G infrastructure.
It is to be mentioned here that the Indian government has asked all smartphone manufacturers to ensure all necessary software updates in their phones for seamless rollout of 5G services across the country.
When asked about the government pushing phone manufacturers to make their smartphones 5G-enabled, Danish said that the company has already worked upon it. “We are working on both networks whether it is NSA or SA. We have also worked out a way to control the temperature (heating issue) of the device. These are challenges that Vivo has already resolved,” he said.
On the question of pricing of 5G smartphones, he said that it is not just about 4G or 5G, but also other sets of components.He said that if there is a good camera, it will definitely increase the price of your handset. “If you talk about Vivo, all phones above Rs 20,000 are already 5G. We also have 5G smartphones above Rs 60,000. I will say technology cannot be thought about only in terms of affordability, it is also about whether that technology is approachable,” he said.According to Danish, the idea of a good smartphone is very subjective.
“For someone, a good smartphone should be slim and black in colour, but for others it could be a phone that has a large number of cameras, stylish appearance and other things. What is important to understand here is to develop the right product and to meet those consumer needs,” he said. When asked about the crackdown by Indian enforcement agencies on Chinese smartphone manufacturers, the Vivo India business strategy head ducked the question.
“We remain committed to the Indian market. And we are doing our best to provide a seamless 5G experience to the consumers. That is something we don’t want to comment about today,” he said when TNIE asked for his views on the issue.Chinese smartphone manufacturers are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax department in multiple cases of FEMA violation, unaccounted earnings, and money laundering. Meanwhile,Vivo India Business Strategy head said that the company is launching multiple products across price points.
In the current year, the company has launched its flagship Vivo’s X80 Pro. It has partnered with Zeiss for this device, in order to enhance smartphone photographs.“Our consumers are very happy with the output of this model. They feel they are carrying a very professional camera in their hand,” said Paigham Danish.
The company said that it has plans to start exporting smartphones (Made in India Smartphones) from India. It has announced that by March 2023, it will start exporting smartphones made in India, and according to Danish, the company remains committed to that.
Vivo to export made-in-India phoness
The company said that it has plans to start exporting smartphones (Made in India smartphones) from India. Vivo India has announced that by March 2023, it will start exporting smartphones made in India, and according to Vivo India Business Strategy Paigham Danish, the company remains committed to that