BHUBANESWAR: The city is at the cusp of digital revolution as consumers switch from feature phones to smart-phones at a scorching pace. Smartphone companies are leaving no stone unturned to meet their users’ demand for mobile content, services and applications, provided through an enhanced user experience, at affordable prices.
International as well as the domestic players are geared up to flood an opportune market here with more affordable devices. They are cashing in on the growing penchant of youngsters to own a new and popular launch in the market.
Brands like Samsung Neo, Google Nexus, Sony Xperia-Z, Nokia Lumia, HTC and Lenovo-S660 have occupied the mid and high end segment by introducing devices which are loaded with built-in and user-friendly apps, besides their high performance.
The latest operating systems - Android KitKat and Windows Phone 8.1 offered by handset makers at a competitive price are enough to woo price-conscious denizens here. Varied communication features like SMS, WhatsApp, BBM, Facebook, Twitter and online videos which are available on finger tips have increased the craze of these gadgets among the students and professionals.
‘’The most popular brands in Bhubaneswar presently are Samsung Grand-II, Lumia-630 and Micromax Doodle 3. These three account for a major share of our business, as we sell around two to three handsets of each of these models regularly,’’ said Biplab Choudhary, manager of Mobile Store at Pal Heights.
Domestic players like Micromax and Karbonn are in no way lagging behind as they have a good demand among the college and school goers, who cannot afford phones of international brands. ‘‘I get all the features available in a high end set of Nokia or Samsung in my Micromax at a much cheaper price,’’ said Nagma Dash, an HR professional here.
This apart, reminder features such as, date, time and location of important meetings, birthdays of friends and relatives that need to be consciously recalled, have made these phones an integral part of the user’s life.
‘’The smart-phone market here is still low compared to other cities but expected to grow in future. This growth will be witnessed in the segment of smart-phones priced below ` 15,000, both in value and volume,’’ said a Nokia Priority outlet employee.
However experts opine, unrelenting pings and blitzkrieg of updates on these gadgets which are designed to make life easier and work-smart, can throw the brain into an overdrive and blunt the mind over time. Besides, making us less responsive to the immediate environment.