These Are Top 5 Players In The Emerging Feature Phone Market

For the last one year, the whole world has witnessed a rise in the sales of feature phones. Market Monitor service of Counterpoint has released a report regarding this matter. Accordingly, Counterpoint thinks that due to the growth of phone markets in developing countries, the feature phone will stick around for at least another five years. New low-income customers are likely to start with feature phones.

Impressive growth

The network used for feature phones has been going through the same development as smartphones, from 2nd generation (2G) to 3rd generation (3G) and the most recent is 4G. Feature phones now also have apps and facilities that used to be assumed for smartphone only. It is likely that this growth will go on since Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and operators are increasingly trying to benefit from such huge markets.

While the smartphone market is undergoing a decline, features phones accounted for 23 percent of total global shipments in the third quarter of 2018. And this growth is necessarily attributed to Africa and the Middle East, whose shipments rose by 32 percent.

What is the reason?

According to Counterpoint’s report, phone battery is the key word here. In developing nations in Africa and the Middle East, the low quality of infrastructures like electricity means phones need huge batteries for it to last long.

In 2014, just in Africa, 600 million people were living without electricity. The phone shipments to Africa rose in general, but people in remote areas have to rely on shops and pay them to charge their phones.

Apparently, feature phones’ batteries last longer than those of smartphones.

Another factor that contributes to the growth of feature phone sales is its vast user base. This mainly consists of two types: new users and the elders with low tech knowledge, who would prefer to start with a feature phone rather than a smartphone.

Plus, as feature phones now have the 4G connection, social apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, or YouTube have made their ways to this segment, satisfying a certain huge number of users.

Among an emerging market with a huge user base, the following are the five major players in this field, as pointed out by the report.

5. Techno

Techno is now making up 6 percent of the global market sales.

4. Samsung

The giant Korean phone maker ranks fourth among the largest feature phone players with 8 percent of total market share.

3. Reliance Jio

Reliance Jio stands at the third position, accounting for 11 percent of the global feature phone market.

2. Nokia HMD

Thanks to the return of Nokia HMD, the feature phone market is on the rise again. Among Nokia’s phones, the 3310 is a smash hit. Apart from the nostalgia breath, the phone ensures a pleasant experience for users with its good built quality. The success of this handset helped Nokia rank second among the most significant feature phone producers within the third quarter of 2018.

Currently, the company makes up 14 percent of the total market share.

1. Itel

Occupying the same market share with HMD’s Nokia, 14 percent, Itel maintains its position as the top player in the global feature phone market. The phone maker has been able to do this because its phones have become popular in the African market.