Smartphones are so much embedded in the
mobile market that it seems tough to recall the time when they were not around.
But we all know that before smartphones, there were feature phones, which introduced
us to the mobile communication. These phones were very basic in nature and had
limited capabilities. With time, companies tried to introduce new features like
colored screens and music to these phones and were considered a very good
alternative, as they were good in providing basic connectivity at much lower
costs.
Due to high cost, smartphones were
ignored at one time. Gradually, mobile manufacturing companies started bridging
gaps between a feature phone and a smartphone by introducing cheaper versions
of smartphones. These versions had Android interface and more and more attractive
features. Soon, features phones starting fading away from the market as we see.
Unlike what we think, there are still a
number of users who use feature phones and when this number is in million, we
cannot ignore. While the countries like Singapore, Taiwan ands Australia has
completely shelved their 2G networks, Indians are still holding onto their 2G
handsets. Feature phone manufacturing companies in India and other countries have further added some advanced
versions such as basic access to the Internet and allow people to store and
play music to these basic phones. What else they need and thus, feature phones
are still their favorites.
According to a recent report Mobile
Marketing Association and market research firm Kantar IMRB, out of 979 features
phone users surveyed in India, only 15% intend to switch to smartphones in
their next purchase.
What are the reasons for this?
· The
very first deterrent is the cost of the smartphones. Forget about 4G, nine out
of ten people in India are still stuck to 2G networks because 3G phones are
expensive for them. Rural and lower-income groups are not able to afford
state-of-the-handsets.
· Another
reason is battery life. Due to frequent power cuts in Indian villages till
date, people cannot afford to keep power-hungry smartphones. Feature phones
with longer battery life is much preferred over them.
Another
hurdle is to convince people to use the complicated touchscreen instead of the
simple keypads of feature phones.
The reasons for not picking smartphones
are clear but one should also know the reasons that why people still run for
basic feature phones when there are low-cost smartphones available in the
market. Let us see-
· Simplicity: The basic function of a phone is to
make and receive calls and enable text messages and this is exactly what a
feature phone does. In India, there are millions of users who do not use their
phones for anything else except making calls. So, if this simple feature is
available in a simple device, why would people opt for higher versions.
· Durability: Low-income group people such as farmers
and laborers, who are living in harsh conditions, use most of the feature
phones. It is very important for them to have a durable phone so that they can
take it anywhere and use it in any conditions.
·
Inexpensive: No matter how much low cost a
smartphone is, it can never beat the price of a feature phone. In fact,
advanced feature phones can do majority of things that an entry-level
smartphone does. This price restriction will stay there for some time and this
will prolong the future of feature phones.
·
Longer battery life: If a fully charged feature phone is
used moderately, it can be used for a week without charging. On the other hand,
smartphones need to be charged on daily basis. Longer battery life of feature
phones is advantageous for people living in rural areas where electricity is a
luxury.
· Size: For smartphones, “bigger is better” is in trend but that
makes keeping and maintaining phones cumbersome. You cannot keep phones in your
pocket or small purses. On the other hand, feature phones are small enough to
slide easily in pockets.
Mobile marketers believed that once the
user starts using his phone in a certain manner, he does not want to change.
Based on this assumption, it was important for companies to revive features
phones and incorporate new and better features in them. Feature phone manufacturers in India started modifying codes that
fit into a feature phone without a touchscreen. This gave new and enhanced
features to feature phones such as GPS tracking, photo gallery, and emails.
Recently,
in February, the iconic Nokia 3310 made a comeback. This clearly states that
feature phones have a bright future especially in emerging markets of Asia and
Africa. The introduction of the low-cost 4G feature phones is another evidence
that shows that feature phones are taking a rebirth.
According
to Counterpoint research, it is estimated that 60 million 4G-enabled feature
phones will be shipped globally in 2017. Surprisingly, half of these sales are
expected to come from India. Around 200 million 4G-feature phones are projected
to sell over in next five years in the country. 4G feature phones are a middle
ground between smartphone-averse users and telecommunication companies that
want their customers to switch to 4G networks. These phones are low-cost
devices and come pre-loaded with an array of apps and services including music,
social networking and much more.
Many
key companies have already stepped into this nascent market. Earlier this year,
chipmaker Qualcomm introduced its Qualcomm 205 Mobile Platform that can bring
4G LTE connectivity and 4G services to entry-level feature phones. It will also
facilitate faster and more secure access to financial transactions.
Another
major announcement was made by one of the biggest players in telecom, Reliance
Jio. The company started retailing India’s first ever 4G VoLTE (Voice over LTE)
phone by domestic smartphone manufacturer Lava in February 2017. The company
has also launched its own 4G-enabled feature phone at under Rs 999- Rs 1499.
Micromax, another local brand, is also working on introducing its own VoLTE
phone after the resounding success of Reliance.
Judging all these facts, it is quite
clear that there is a future of feature phones and it is just the start of
their comeback.
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