Branded Handsets Makers to Revive Their Market Share Against Chinese Gadgets

Branded mobile handsets makers are planning to push up their sales in the local market after Minister of Interior Rahman Malik ordered recently to stop sale of Chinese-made handsets without or duplicate IMEI (international Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers.

“I hope that share of Nokia will rise again in the local markets with the increase of its penetration to the customers willing to use high-tech, affordable and quality handsets”, said Adeel Hashmi, Communications Manager Nokia Pakistan and Afghanistan, in an interview with ProPakistani.

“Our aim is to provide world class and long-live products to customers at affordable rates so we are trying our level best to install cutting-edge technology in our mobile handsets to reach a big population”, he said.

Nokia handsets handsets are safe for security purposes because they are registered with authentic IMIE numbers and traceable throughout the country at any cellular operators’ networks, Hashmi said.

There are dozens of Chinese brands with low cost, dual SIMs features and copycat of branded gadgets that captured a lion share of local markets or at retail shops over a period of last couple of years.

Rahman Malik recently ordered Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block all handsets without or with duplicate IMEI. Therefore, millions of handsets could be blocked in coming months.

Minister has asked authority to frame a mechanism to allow handsets with valid IMIE through registration of importers. Also, imports of handsets are likely to be monitored by Custom Authorities (Federal Board of Revenue) to allow genuine mobile handsets.

The security measures are likely to affect the imports and market share of Chinese-made handset for the time being, which is a window of opportunity for branded mobile handset to revive their market share through their sales and marketing strategy.

The ban on Chinese handsets is good for sales of branded handset makers, Zeeshan Quershi, Samsung Head of Sales.

“Yes, you will see new branded handsets with low cost and attractive features in the local markets soon,” he said while responding to query whether branded mobile makers will benefit from the decrease inflow of Chinese-made handsets in local markets.

We are working to enhance our market share through aggressive market and sales campaign in near future, he said and added Samsung will increase its sales at low price handsets’ market, which means it will attract a big population of purchasers who buy gadgets priced between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000.

The handsets without or duplicate IMIE are misused easily but branded handsets are safe and conducive for local market keeping in mind crime situation of the country, he further said.

Local dealers said that market share of Chinese handsets is more than 70 percent in Pakistan whereas branded handsets could retain hardly 30 percent share in local market.

The new security measures are likely to change share distribution of the market in months to come if government acts in this direction with true letter and spirit.