India has been experiencing significant economic and population growth for years. As a result of this dynamic, the country currently led by Narendra Modi, second market It is the world’s largest smartphone market after China.

Despite this, as TechCrunch reports, millions of people still use basic phones. In principle, this could be interpreted as a great opportunity to increase sales of more advanced equipment, but it’s not as simple as it seems.

When a portion of the population remains dependent on basic mobile phones

The Indian mobile phone market has a number of features that make it quite unique. For example, in Spain, feature phones, basic phones they are rare with an old-fashioned physical keyboard. Users, even those on a budget, often use smartphones.

Analytics firm Counterpoint says phone shipments in India are growing at 10% YoY. Interestingly, 2G phones account for 75% of the mobile phone market share.

This data definitely does not go unnoticed. While some operators in other parts of the world are stopping 2G service, others They plan a “blackout”The Economic Times explains that it is still crucial for millions of people in India to communicate. It is a different story with 3G networks, which often die prematurely.

One of the phones that Jio is currently selling

Now, efforts to boost smartphone sales in India are currently facing two hurdles. On the one hand, many people can’t afford to buy smartphones. The figures show that around 712 million people live on less than $2.15 a day, or below the poverty line.

On the other hand, the emergence of basic phones with more functions in the market has hurt the growth of more modern smart devices. The country’s largest operator, Jio, introduced the JioPhone in 2017, a basic phone that supports popular apps like: Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube This quickly became a real success.

Since then, Jio’s basic phones have evolved, adding 4G connectivity and more features but retaining the vertical form factor with a traditional keyboard, small, low-resolution screens and modest cameras. The company’s next step is to offer a model compatible with 5G networks.

Pictures | Jio

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