News Title : HTC launches six smartphones in Bangladesh

News Date : 2015-10-12

-Muhammad Zahidul Islam
Taiwan's struggling smartphone maker HTC has zeroed in on opportunities in the emerging markets like Bangladesh to rejuvenate falling business. The company launched a bundle of six smartphones on Tuesday, with local partner NXT9, a handset importer, as the first step in that direction. HTC also began operations in Sri Lanka two weeks ago. A global leader in mobile innovation and design, HTC has entered Bangladesh with HTC One M8Eye, Desire 820s, Desire 626G+, Desire 620G, Desire 526G+ and Desire 326G. Prices range between Tk 12,000 and 39,000 per handset. “We have much more to offer to this part of the continent,” said Manu Seth, HTC's senior director of marketing for South Asia. It is considered a premium brand product in the developed markets, and plans to bring some “sweet” deals for this market in the next couple of months, Seth added. But there is a slim chance of HTC offering anything for less than Tk 10,000, as Seth said: “We do not operate in smartphones for less than one hundred dollars.” “There is a lot of realignment happening in the top management's perspective, like a reincarnation of the HTC brand,” Seth said last week in an interview with The Daily Star during his visit to Dhaka. HTC is losing revenue globally, with larger after-tax net losses, and lots of job cuts, which forced the company to shift its focus to emerging markets. ADVERTISEMENT The company counted some $137.1 million in after-tax net loss in the third quarter of this year, despite being in profit in the same period last year. It cut more than 2,000 jobs in August 2015, according to a company report. There are 130.8 million active SIMs in Bangladesh now, and some 50.7 million of those are internet connected. “We see the opportunity. If we get the right partner and the right channels, HTC will definitely flourish here,” Seth said. Seth said HTC wants Bangladeshis to have better smartphone experience as it is a promising market in terms of mobile use. Many factors work behind a company's foray into a new market, like the market and the company's readiness and existing product portfolio, and this is the right time for Bangladesh, Seth said. “Even a couple of years ago a company's first choice for new product launch was Singapore, but players like HTC are increasingly looking into other avenues and new markets, like Bangladesh,” said Seth commenting on the company's somewhat late arrival in the region. The steadily increasing focus on South Asia prompted HTC to make a number of global announcements from India recently. The company's local partner NXT9 has already launched 38 customer care centres across Bangladesh. To build the customers' confidence, a one-time screen replacement offer will also be available in the first six months, Seth said. The main target for the new phones will be the early adapters, who typically fall into the working youth category, aged between 18 and 35 years. “After 35, children and family start figuring largely into the decision making process.” HTC will bring in more innovative products to the Bangladeshi market to develop it further, Seth said. “We will bring some devices that are more than smartphones. Wearable products will also be introduced within a short time.” This could be part of the process to reduce the gap between the West and this region, Seth believes. Partnering with mobile service operators is another option HTC is looking into -- to create bundle packages of data and voice volumes along with its smartphones, to make them more attractive, Seth said. Users typically changed mobile phones after about 24 months' usage, but the time span has shortened down to about 12 to 14 months, according to Seth. “We came here to give the customers a 'touch and feel' difference.”

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