It is currently difficult to recommend Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones due to the presence of numerous bugs and excessive bloatware. While these phones may not be the worst on the market, there are many small issues that are easily overlooked by the general public. One issue that is often overlooked by local consumers is the software update process.
Is Motorola Capable of Taking on Xiaomi in the Indian Market? Here’s How They Could Emerge as the Victor
If a consumer believes that a software update alone is worth purchasing a smartphone, they may be misguided. In the midst of this competition between Chinese smartphone companies, Motorola is gradually improving and gaining ground in the market.
Why Motorola is an Important Player
Interestingly, this smartphone manufacturer is playing a very important role in the market. In this article, we will discuss some of the key factors that have allowed Motorola to capture market share and what they should do in the future to make a significant impact on Xiaomi and Realme’s market shares.
Free Marketing
Moto does not spend a lot of money on marketing and instead tries to capture free publicity by offering first-in-the-segment devices. Many Indian consumers consider the chipset when purchasing a smartphone, so the company often debuts new smartphones with the first-released chipsets in the market. For example, Moto debuted the world’s first smartphone with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Soc.
Say #HelloMoto and join the #Motorola family with your favourite #moto phone, now available at great prices only on @flipkart. Get your hands on your favourite devices starting at just ₹22,999*. Head to @flipkart and get yours now. Hurry! Offer valid till 31st Dec. only. pic.twitter.com/8Qwunkuew4
— Motorola India (@motorolaindia) December 31, 2022
Similarly, the Moto Edge 30 was the world’s first thinnest 5G smartphone, and the Moto Edge 30 Ultra was the first smartphone with a 200MP camera. The Moto Edge 30 Fusion was the first curved device in its segment, and the Moto Edge 30 was the first to have the Snapdragon 778G+ 5G in India.
These tactics have helped Moto gain a lot of free publicity in India, as seen when Realme publicly announced that they invested $15,000,000 in the R&D of a curved display for the Realme 10 Pro+. In a country where numbers and catchy headlines are important for smartphone companies, any publicity is good publicity.
All Necessary 5G Bands in All Moto Phones
This may not seem like a significant factor, but when the specific price range offers similar specifications on most smartphones, any unique feature can influence a purchasing decision. Initially, every smartphone company was talking about 5G and started including it in the names of their phones. However, many companies only included some 5G bands in their smartphones, while Moto included all major 5G bands in their phones from the start. Moto is one of the few brands that took this aspect seriously and included all major 5G bands in their smartphones.
10-Bit Display
Another area where Moto excels is in their use of 10-bit displays, while other smartphone manufacturers primarily use 8-bit displays. The 10-bit display provides a higher quality display, and Moto’s pOLED display can be found on smartphones priced under Rs 15,000.
Moto Focusing on Under Rs 15,000
In India, the budget smartphone market has shifted from under Rs 15,000 to under Rs 25,000. Previously, this price range was highly competitive, but now many other devices have raised their prices by up to 80%. Moto has recognized this opportunity and is focusing on launching smartphones in the under Rs 15,000 range.
Before 2019, both Xiaomi and Realme used to launch smartphones in this price range, but now they have skipped it. There are currently few good value-for-money options available in this price range, but Moto’s focus on it is benefiting Indian consumers who still prefer to purchase devices in this price range.
Software Experience
Motorola is one of the few brands that has a clean UI and has not had issues with software updates bricking their devices. Other brands, such as Poco, have had issues with software updates bricking devices. According to research by 91Mobiles, Motorola is one of the most value-for-money smartphones, followed by IQOO and OnePlus.
Unfortunately, Motorola does not have good software update support and only offers a maximum of two years of major Android updates. They also do not rollout updates in a timely manner. If they improve this aspect, it could give them an advantage over competitors. On the positive side, they do not include bloatware in order to lower the price, which is acceptable if it means avoiding an ad-filled scenario.
