Smartphone makers need to hit consumers' 'sweet spot'

Tarek Zaki and Christophe Corsi during the launch of the Alcatel 5V in Dubai.

While a good number of smartphone manufacturers raise prices, others opt to stay put and serve a segment that is projected to become critical in the future.
"We have kept talking about democratising technology, because tech-savvy consumers are now at all price points," Christophe Corsi, regional director of Alcatel Middle East, said.
That way, "we can hit the sweet spot, what consumers need".
Corsi, alongside Tarek Zaki, product manager for the Middle East and Africa at Alcatel, were speaking to Khaleej Times during the launch of the company's new smartphone, the Alcatel 5V.
Quoting recent data from various research firms, Zaki pointed out that mid-range smartphones will actually be growing in the next four to five years, a boon for manufacturers competing in this segment. This, in turn, will be one of the reasons technologies will become more available for everyone, satisfying their requirements.
"What we're seeing is that more and more people are spending more and more time on their mobile devices, and the phone is becoming the prime piece of real estate where data is coming from," Corsi added.
Alcatel - whose devices are manufactured by China's TCL, which also makes BlackBerry handsets - posted an $18 billion revenue and a $536 million profit in 2017. The company continues to push in the mid-range segment, betting flagship-tier features at more affordable prices will appeal to customers.
Zaki stressed that another key aspect of maintaining growth is making sure that there is a healthy relationship with operators and retailers. Aside from that, providing a full portfolio of products is also another way to build relationships.
"Consumers are becoming more and more tech-savvy," said Corsi. "The good thing about that is that we are able to answer their requirments at their desired price points."
Asked whether customers care about prices, Zaki stressed that this would have been a "valid question 10 years ago".
"At that time, the options were limited to a specific price point. But today, you have all these different features coming at different price points," he said. "Those who have the spending power may not go crazy on high-priced phones and may go for a more affordable one that satisfies their requirements. But of course, there are still those who will go for flagships."
- alvin@khaleejtimes.com

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