Competition not a worry, focus on customer experience: Vivo

Unfazed by rival Xiaomi's dash to the number one spot in the Indian smartphone market, handset maker Vivo today said it is focussed on bringing in the right products in the country and offering enhanced experience to customers.

"We never underestimate competition but we are not in a hurry to get to the number one spot. Our focus is that we get the right products to the Indian market and at the right price. It is about building customer experience," Vivo India Chief Marketing Officer Kenny Zeng told PTI.

He added that the company is introducing feature-packed devices with its latest handset featuring the face recognition technology.

Vivo India today launched its V7, priced at Rs 18,990, which will go on sale from November 25. It features 5.7-inch (18:9) display, 4GB RAM, 32GB memory, 24MP front and 16MP rear camera, and 3,000 mAh battery.

According to research firm IDC, Xiaomi and Samsung were tied at the numero uno spot with 23.5 per cent share each in the September quarter. Smartphone shipments in India reached a record high of 39 million units in the July-September quarter - which also sees high sales on account of festive season.

Lenovo-Motorola had 9 per cent share, while Vivo had 8.5 per cent and and Oppo 7.9 per cent in the said quarter.

In the previous quarter (April-June 2017), Samsung had 24 per cent share, followed by Xiaomi (17 per cent), Vivo (13 per cent), Oppo (8 per cent) and Lenovo-Motorola (7 per cent).

Asked if the large-scale marketing spends would continue, Zeng said the company has never bought market share.

"It is a misconception that we bought market share. We will invest wherever necessary. We have a strong lineup of products and customers have accepted the brand, so we are confident of doing well," Zeng said.

Players like Vivo and Oppo have pumped in millions of dollars towards branding and promotion of their smartphones. Vivo is the title sponsor of the Indian Premier League cricket as well as some other sporting events.