Vivo readies online-exclusive handset series

NEW DELHI: Chinese mobile phone maker Vivo is readying to launch an online-exclusive smartphone series called Z, with handsets priced at Rs 10,000-30,0000, after having doubled its growth year-on-year in the quarter to March.

“We need our presence felt in the online… offline has been responsive so far, and we feel that now going forward, online is also an important segment. We would like to be present there as well,” Nipun Marya, director, brand strategy, Vivo India, told ET. The new series will target millennials, who flock to e-commerce platforms to buy smartphones, a customer segment that has played a major role in helping Xiaomi outpace its rivals over the past year or so. “Z series will be made available within this quarter,” said Marya.

Korean handset maker Samsung, which had launched an online-exclusive series in February to target millennials, has already sold two million devices online.

Marya said there is a significant consumer base that shops online. “This market is very dynamic. We are consistently assessing it. Our goal is to build a strong brand in the medium to long term here,” he said.