Realme will also hope to rival Xiaomi and Samsung that have been offering flagship Android smartphones globally.
Realme is reportedly working on a ‘proper’ flagship smartphone that would likely carry a price tag of around CNY 5,000 (roughly Rs 58,000). According to Realme China President Xu Qi at the China Mobile Global Partner Conference 2021 (via ITHome), the smartphone will launch next year; however, other key specifications and details remain unclear at the moment. Currently, Realme uses Qualcomm’s flagship chipset Snapdragon 888 on the Realme GT 5G, though the phone is advertised as the most affordable premium phone. In India, its price is set at Rs 37,999 for the lone 8GB + 128GB storage model.
Realme, since its debut in India, has been branding itself as a ‘people’s company’ and keeping the prices of its products at the most affordable range. Even its first tablet and laptop that debuted this year are still in the most affordable range in comparison to offerings from brands like Samsung and Xiaomi.
In a way, Realme’s philosophy to keep products at an affordable range also works for the parent company BBK Electronics, as its sister brands Oppo and OnePlus have captured India’s premium smartphone market. However, Realme is slowly gaining momentum in the country and remains one of the largest brands in the online market space. According to market analyst Canalyst, Realme secured a 16 percent smartphone market share in India in the third quarter of 2021.
Realme will also hope to rival Xiaomi and Samsung that have been offering flagship Android smartphones globally with the debut of its premium smartphone. Xiaomi recently launched the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra – its most expensive smartphone that features two screens. Samsung, on the other hand, has been offering premium phones under its Galaxy S, Galaxy Note, and most recently Galaxy Z Fold/Flip series. It is unclear whether Realme’s next Rs 58,000-worth flagship phone will debut under the existing GT series or a new branding altogether.
