Realme’s first premium phone is expected to be released early next year.
With new phones priced above $800, Realme is aiming to join the high-end smartphone market (roughly Rs. 59,500). Sky Li, the company’s founder, and CEO made the news on Twitter, putting Realme in direct competition with Apple and Samsung, which dominate the luxury smartphone market. Oppo, Vivo, and OnePlus, all of which are owned by the same parent company BBK Electronics as Realme, have sought to compete with Apple and Samsung in the high-end market with their unique products. However, none of the three businesses have yet to succeed in attracting enough attention to generate widespread demand for their expensive flagships.
Sky Li announced Realme’s entry into the high-end smartphone market in a tweet. He hasn’t verified any other specifics, such as when the first Realme phone with a price tag of more than $800 would be released.
It’s official: realme to advance into high-end market with smartphones over USD800. What do you expect most from realme full flagship phone?
— Sky Li (@skyli_realme) November 12, 2021
Realme first entered the very competitive smartphone industry in May of 2018. Initially, the company was a division of Oppo, but shortly after the debut of its first smartphone model (Realme 1), it split from Oppo and became an independent brand.
With a variety of smartphones starting at Rs. 7,499 and going up to Rs. 37,999, Brand has battled against Xiaomi (including its sub-brand Redmi and spin-off Poco), Infinix, and Samsung thus far. It has just been announced that the X series would be discontinued in favor of the Realme GT series, which promises a flagship-like experience.
Although Realme has not confirmed the latest move, a rumor from China earlier this month stated that the company will reveal its new flagship phone early next year for approximately CNY 5,000 (roughly Rs. 58,200).
Company has shipped more than 100 million devices since its launch in the smartphone market. According to analysis company Counterpoint, it surged 135 percent year over year in the second quarter of 2021. In India, the business ranks fourth among the top five smartphone vendors. According to IDC, its market share in India fell 5% year over year in the third quarter.
Realme has increased its offline presence in India by opening 200 exclusive showrooms, with aspirations to expand to 300 locations across the nation. Realme phones and accessories will be available at these retailers. The firm intends to increase its offline presence in the nation to over 1,000 exclusive outlets by the end of 2022.
