iQOO will stick to its DNA, says India CEO Nipun Marya on company's future strategy

iQOO has added one more gaming-focused smartphone to its armoury with the launch of Neo 7 Pro in India. iQOO Neo 7 Pro, priced at Rs 34,999, comes with a dedicated gaming chipset and targets to cater to the needs of the gaming community. Speaking to Zee Business' Raghwendra Shukla on the sidelines of the event, Nipun Marya - CEO, iQOO India - said that the company will continue to focus on its strategy of providing best-performance devices. This seems to be a calculated move considering the fact gaming is becoming popular in India and will grow with the 5G network penetration. Marya also talked about how the company looks at the battle for 200MP cameras and when are they planning to foray into foldable smartphones. 

Here are the edited excerpts from the interview:

Q: What are the key focus areas of iQOO going forward?

Nipun: Amongst many other things that consumers know iQOO for, I think there are two very specific things that people talk about. The first one is absolutely top-level performance. We've shown that with multiple launches that we have done over the past so many years, and we intend to continue that. So, with the launch of iQOO Neo 7 Pro, I think our promise of delivering the best performance will further get strengthened. Secondly, what consumers also know iQOO for - apart from gaming and gaming comes from performance - is giving a great value proposition and with the Neo 7 Pro, I think at a Rs 30,000 price point, you can't get a phone which is more feature-packed, which has better innovative features and even a camera which is so good. So, I think at this price point, people will really feel there is nothing better than iQOO Neo 7 Pro.

Q: The competition for providing 200MP cameras has intensified. Will iQOO enter into this segment in the future? 

Nipun: The DNA of iQOO is peak performance. And in this large market, there are so many customers who give first priority to cameras. But then there are so many customers who really want a top-level performance but with a good camera. I want a good camera because I also like to click pictures with my friends, family and parents. So, iQOO is for the latter people. iQOO is for people who really care about top-level performance, top-level innovation, and excellent design. So therefore, overall, the iQOO brand is resonating more with young people, because they are the ones who really talk about technology and performance. Therefore performance and eSports still remain our number one DNA. And that is how we are going to go forward when it comes to iQOO.

Q: Will iQOO too enter the foldable smartphone segment?

Nipun: Foldables are emerging as an important segment. From the Vivo side also, there is extensive research happening on foldable. Whenever the time is right, we at iQOO will also venture into this category.

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Q: Are there enough developers for foldable smartphones? 

Nipun: I think the ecosystem develops with time. Like we talk about 5G. First, the network came and now the ecosystem has developed. The same thing happened with 4G, right? So I think it's all organic growth which happens in any field. I don't think it will be any different for foldable as well. Whenever there is enough scale, when it makes economic sense and business sense for people, you will see apps being developed and games being developed for foldable. But right now because foldable are slightly more niche the availability may be lesser. But with scale, I think the ecosystem problems too get solved.

Q: What kind of response you are expecting for iQOO Neo 7 Pro? 

Nipun: I hope it matches up to the expectations of consumers. As far as numbers are concerned let's see what marks the consumers give us. The ball is is their court, we've done our bit.