The Indian Smartphone industry is currently going through aggressive roll out and consolidation of 4G Technology , although 30 -35% of the users are still using 3G/2G networks only. Consumer dynamics in India change rapidly and the last few quarters have seen growing preferences for certain features such as full metal body, finger print sensor , dual lens camera , dual SIM , 4000 & above mAH Battery, 4G Volte connectivity, Higher RAM / ROM combination, etc.
However, the converging point of the all latest trends is the increasing need for internal memory (space) requirement, which in turn will drive more and more data & voice usage. Space indeed is the new king this festive season and most of the manufacturers are providing the right combination of above mentioned specs with higher memory (RAM) to target the new age Indian consumer.
The fast changing usage patterns of Indian smartphone consumers are largely responsible for increased demand for internal storage space. India has just exceeded the US market in terms of Google play downloads. Interestingly, a majority of the first time internet users in India are coming online via smartphones and also spending (on an average) more than 40% of their time on mobile devices (mostly on entertainment apps followed by social media apps). Most of these factors are directly or indirectly responsible for more demand for RAM.
Due to increasing demand for space, more and more Brands have started providing (1+8) & (2+16) [RAM + ROM] combinations with 4G connectivity in much more affordable range. There has been a drop of 30 -35% average price for these combinations since last year and the trend is likely to continue in the near future.
The overall demand for smartphones is further set to increase by 10-12% on account of consumers upgrading to 4G smartphones with higher RAM configurations at a much faster pace mostly due to relatively lower costs than before.
The space/ memory demand for smartphone is further going to be of critical importance due to the Indian consumer’s increased preference for multiple apps, increased TV and movie viewing on smartphones and likely to increase in Digital Video Consumption.
In conclusion, a higher RAM configuration means more processes and more apps running simultaneously go with fluid and seamless smartphone experience. The brands which will provide right / optimum combination of RAM /ROM with their respective USPs will be clear winners in the near future in the Indian Market.
