Lava is the most recent Indian smartphone model to mark its comeback in India with its new Z sequence of smartphones. But Lava is taking a barely totally different method. One, it’s only specializing in the funds phase, and two it’s providing prospects the power to customize and improve their gadget. The latter is actually distinctive within the smartphone phase.
Under its ‘My Z’ and ‘ZUp’ companies, Lava is hoping to face aside from the competitors within the specs pushed Indian smartphone market. It additionally claims the telephones are totally made and designed in India.
Lava’s My Z and ZUp plans
Lava has launched two new companies within the type of the model’s My Z and ZUp plans. My Z lets customers construct their very own Lava Z-series cellphone by selecting their very own specs like RAM, inside storage and even the digital camera setup, although there are fastened choices on this combine.
This permits prospects to pay additional for the specs they need whereas not spending on parts which could not be as necessary for them. For occasion, a consumer may select to spend on additional RAM and storage and persist with a easy twin digital camera setup. Or they may need a triple digital camera on the again and a greater selfie digital camera, with out going for the best RAM and storage.
The ZUp plan permits customers of the Lava Z2, Z4, Z6 and My-Z telephones to improve the RAM/inside storage of their telephones inside the first 12 months of the acquisition at a minimal value.
The Lava My Z plan permits customers to construct a cellphone with their very own configurations, whereas the ZUp plan lets them improve their telephones. (Image Source: Lava)
Lava plans to permit customers to decide on their actual specs within the areas they need, with out paying extra for different specs that they don’t want.
An eye on the funds market
The My Z and ZUp methods are at the moment solely aimed on the funds phase, and it is a good transfer. “Since the pandemic started, you’ve seen the budget segment doing well. Until about the end of 2019, there were not too many players in the market. It’s not a very operationally profitable segment to do business for a brand like Xiaomi and Samsung,” Navkendar Singh from International Data Corporation, India (IDC India) informed indianexpress.com over a name.
“In the last six to nine months what has happened is a slight cut down on the spends of the consumer. Plus E-learning initiatives have really taken the budget cycle by storm, because not everybody can afford a tablet or a laptop. So, people are buying second hand and low-end phones. This has led to the growth of the less-than-$100 or less-than-Rs 10,000 segment,” Singh added additional.
The ‘Upgradeable device’ will not be a brand new idea, however can it work?
Devices with upgradeable parts have existed for some time, however totally on the desktop entrance. These bigger programs are sometimes far more costly to purchase new, and changing parts like RAM or a graphic card are basic. However, dynamics change in terms of smartphones, gadgets which are extra private, and more durable to design in a modular format. Google infamously tried (and failed) to make the upgradeable, modular cellphone a actuality with Project Ara.
Lava brings the upgradeable cellphone at a time when the market is flooded with opponents with a number of storage and RAM configurations of the identical cellphone. However, it doesn’t throw numerous choices in entrance of the shopper. Instead, it gives extra granular management so that you focus solely on one variant – the variant you need.
“You don’t need to produce so many variants at one go. This (also) gives a good idea of what consumers are looking for, rather than producing multiple preset storage variants, and putting all of them in the market,” Singh stated.
The Lava Z1 encompasses a 5-inch show, MediaTek Helio A20 chipset 2GB/16GB configuration. Meanwhile, the Lava Z2 encompasses a 6.5-inch display, Helio G35 and 5,000mAh battery. (Image Source: Lava)
There can also be the query on how precisely the improve works given this isn’t so easy on a smartphone. When we requested Lava how they might permit for an improve of the RAM and storage, given these parts are often soldered onto the motherboard in a smartphone, the corporate stated, “Taking advantage of our excellence in design and manufacturing capabilities, we have put separate individual components for SOC, RAM & ROM. So, RAM & ROM can be physically replaced by our highly trained engineers. Also, a lot of innovations are done in software to bring in this flexibility with best performance.”
While it would sound straightforward, this has not been tried earlier than by smartphone makers and goes in opposition to how SOCs are designed.
Challenges forward
While the My Z and ZUp methods actually differentiate Lava from opponents, they carry collectively their very own set of challenges that the model should overcome. The model’s success within the space can be decided by numerous key elements. One of the key parts is how the transfer will affect the model operationally.
Lava proudly introduced that the My Z plan would permit prospects to make their very own cellphone in 66 mixtures. This additionally raises questions on how the delivery and the provision chain play out to carry all these parts wherever they’re wanted. Another space of concern is whether or not prospects possess the technical know-how of placing collectively their very own cellphone.
“The challenge will come in terms of pricing and SKUs of the brand,” Singh stated.
What Lava must additionally take a look at is how lengthy their telephones will final with the upgrades. “In this particular price tier, what consumers will be looking for is an experience which is good enough to last them is at least 1.6 years. So, if (the phone) will last for 1.6 years to 2 years, it will be like a win-win for consumers as well,” Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research.
The Lava Z4 sports activities a MediaTek Helio G35, triple digital camera setup, 5,000mAh battery, inventory Android 10 and a 4GB/64GB configuration. The Lava Z6 options the identical specs with a 6GB/64GB configuration. (Image Source: Lava)
My Z and ZUp plans will assist the model stand aside
Lava was based in 2009, and in terms of the advertising and marketing aspect of issues, the model doesn’t precisely have to start out from scratch. Back in 2014, the model had 6 per cent market share in smartphones and was among the many prime 5 most-selling manufacturers within the nation, as per a report by analysis agency IDC.
Going out of the field will not be one thing new for Lava although. For occasion, it was the primary smartphone model in India to go for an Intel chipset with the Xolo X900. The Lava Iris X1 was one of many first telephones to run on Android 4.4 Kitkat in its time.
In 2017, the Lava 4G Connect M14 additionally grew to become India’s first 4G-enabled cellphone. “I think Lava’s inherent strength is more on the quality, the design and the R&D that they have been bringing to the table because they have been exploring a lot of opportunities for the local ecosystem,” Pathak stated.
The new methods might not instantly translate to quantity, but it surely does obtain a serious objective, which is setting the model aside. This works higher at a time like the current when the funds market is open to newer Indian gamers. “User choices are largely more split in this price tag, rather than than the upper price category. So, the move is a novel approach to look at. It won’t generate tons of volume, but at least it will help them to get sizable mindshare from the consumers,” Pathak stated.
