Ramy Tarawneh (Barcelona)
The UAE has a global environment that incubates and stimulates entrepreneurship, as it witnesses many young people establishing their businesses during their studies at university levels, which supports the country’s competitiveness and enhances its attractiveness to foreign investments, according to Madhav Sheth, Vice President and Head of the International Business Group at Realme. Realme, a Chinese manufacturer of smartphones.
In statements to “Al Ittihad” on the sidelines of the company’s participation in the International Mobile Phone Exhibition and Conference “MWC”, which will be held in Barcelona, Spain, from February 28 to March 3, Sheth said that the UAE is witnessing a steady increase in the spread of the fifth generation network.
Sheth pointed out that the expansion of this network provides opportunities for new brands such as “Realme”, as the company is currently focusing on launching more mobile devices that support the “5G” network, so that these devices fit different segments of consumers, including the chip. High-end, mid-range, and even entry-level segments, making these devices accessible to everyone.
Sheth noted that more than 70% of Realme mobile phone models during 2022 will be devices that support 5G networks, compared to about 50% during the past year, expecting this percentage to rise to 90% during the year 2023.
fast growth
On the factors that contributed to the rapid growth of Realme’s operations and its ability to surpass more than 41 mobile phone brands within the past three years, Sheth pointed out that the launch of the Realme GT series of phones played an important role in the rapid global growth of the brand, as This category came with many new features at the level of the display screen and the ultra-wide camera.
He said that another product line boosted this growth, which is “Realme Number Series”, which has become one of the most successful series in the world during the past three years, as “SA” research data indicates that 40 million units were sold to join the top ten best-selling smartphone series in the world. the world in 2021.
He added that the reasons for rapid growth can be summarized in four main elements, the first of which is the investment of 70% of the research and development (R&D) allocations in exploring advanced technologies in terms of performance, display and shipping, while the second factor is the constant quest to put art and technology under one roof. By expanding collaborations with key designers, the company also helps 100 young designers turn their creative ideas into reality, in collaboration with universities around the world.
He noted that the third factor of growth is based on improving customer access and buying experience with first-class partners such as “Vodafone”, “Deutsche Telekom” and “Orange”, while the last factor is the company’s focus on the “Z” generation, born in the middle of the decade. the nineties to the end of the two thousandth decade.
International Expansions
Sheth said that with Realme entering the top five list in the UAE smartphone market during the fourth quarter of 2021 and achieving a growth rate of 858% compared to the corresponding period of 2020, according to the Canalys report, the company plans to maintain this upward trend. In the domestic market, reaching the third position by 2023, supported by the “GT 2” and “Realme 9 Pro” series.
Sheth affirmed the company’s commitment to expanding and investing in the UAE in the long term, to become a sustainable brand in the UAE, by expanding the company’s business and increasing the penetration rate by offering a balanced mix of products.
Sheth said that Realme has major products that will soon be available in the local market in the UAE, such as the GT 2 Pro, which was launched at the MWC exhibition, where the phone will be available in the local market in the second quarter of this year, in addition to “9 Pro”, which was first introduced on February 16, and which will be available in the United Arab Emirates before the end of next April.
Globally, Sheth noted that during the past year, Realme exceeded the barrier of selling 100 million units, and the company is currently present in 60 markets around the world, including 30 markets in which Realme is among the top 5 mobile brands.
He stressed that the company, as a 3-year-old young brand, must walk steadily to consolidate its position and increase its share in each market.
The pandemic has doubled the reliance on mobile phones
Madhav Sheth, Vice President and Head of the International Business Group at Realme, confirmed that the “Covid-19” pandemic has made people more dependent on smartphones, and has doubled the use of these devices while working from home. He noted that the global shortage of semiconductor chips had some negative impact on the supply of smartphones last year, however, Realme maintained high growth in 2021 thanks to supply chain management, strong expansion in global business and good handling of risk management. He noted that during 2021, Realme became the sixth smartphone brand in the world, with 60 million units sold in 2021, with a growth of 50% year on year. Realme was founded in May 2018 by Sky Lee, who was previously the Vice President of Oppo. In addition to smartphones, realme also produces a wide range of other products such as earphones and smart watches.