Tuesday, March 04, 2025 | 12:59 PM ISTहिंदी में पढें
Business Standard
Notification Icon
userprofile IconSearch

Smartphones have an unexpected rival

Feature phones intended for calls, SMSes are making impressive gains

Mobile phones
Premium

Low prices and long battery life are two reasons for customers to opt for feature phones in emerging markets. Photo: iSTOCK

Adam Minter | Bloomberg
Last week, an Indian government official announced that iPhones will start rolling off an assembly line in Bengaluru by the end of April, targeted at local customers. It’s a big moment for Apple Inc, which is counting on India’s emerging middle class to make up for slowing sales in other markets. But don’t bet on the iPhone conquering India, or any other emerging market, just yet.
 
That’s because smartphones of all kinds are facing stiff competition from an unlikely new challenger: feature phones. With simple handsets and small screens intended mostly for calls and text messages —similar to the Nokia

What you get on BS Premium?

  • Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app.
  • Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them.
  • Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006.
  • Preferential invites to Business Standard events.
  • Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more.
VIEW ALL FAQs

Need More Information - write to us at assist@bsmail.in