Exclusive | Chinese budget smartphone brand Realme has Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe in its sights after sweeping India
- Founded in May last year, Realme estimates that it has more than three million users in India
- The budget smartphone brand directly competes against the Redmi line of Xiaomi
Realme, the India-focused brand that shares the same owner as Chinese mobile phone maker Oppo, plans to expand its operations across Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe, following its success in the world’s second largest smartphone market.
It is a strategy made possible by the Shenzhen-based budget Android smartphone maker’s online distribution programme and independent business model, according to Realme global chief executive Sky Li Bingzhong in a recent interview.
“The company’s asset-light operations and focus on online sales allows it to keep costs low,” Li said. “That way, more young consumers can afford its products, which makes the brand more competitive in the market.”
He said Realme, which was founded in May last year, runs its own research and development unit as well as product planning and marketing teams, but partners with Oppo in smartphone production.
The brand’s international expansion initiative marks another example of how China’s major smartphone companies are taking a leaf out of the car industry’s playbook, as they introduce new devices under separate brands that target specific consumer segments around the world.