As Microsoft prepares its newest mobile OS, Windows 10 Mobile for public release, the company is now starting to organize a launch of a number of smartphones running the upcoming OS in India.
In a report by the Economic Times, this is due to a recent slump in market share by Microsoft in the aforementioned country, dropping from 4.1% in the first quarter of 2015, to just 3.2% by the next. To make matters worse, Lumia sales are reportedly not faring well, and feature phones are the ones boosting Microsoft"s sales instead.
Microsoft as of the moment has only one dual-band 4G device, which is the Lumia 638. Through software updates, 4G capability was finally enabled for some of its smartphones, but these handsets only support the FDD-LTE band. The upcoming phones will support both 4G bands, TDD and FDD, which will reputedly be utilized by Indian carriers Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm.
In fact, according to Ajey Mehta, the manager of Microsoft Mobile in India, the new phones will support all forms of 4G in the country. They are also looking into the release of a 4G LTE version of the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL. Lastly, a release of a slew of Microsoft apps and services is in the works as well.
Counterpoint Research"s Tarun Pathak, offered a few comments about Microsoft"s strategy to boost its sales again in India, and about their competitors. He said:
In entry to mid-level smartphone segment, it will try to position itself as an alternative to Android by providing a differentiated experience, but then in reality it won"t be just competing with Android but with various vendors offering stock and forked Android experience, including the likes of Motorola, Xiaomi and Cyanogen.
Not too long ago, Microsoft also sought the aid of Foxconn to build its Lumia handsets for India, after reported cuts to its smartphone business.
The new devices are allegedly planned to be launched in the Indian market by Diwali, an ancient celebration of a festival of lights in the country, which will be celebrated on November 11th.
Source: Economic Times