Realme aspires to become tech-based lifestyle company?

KOLKATA: Leading smartphone maker Realme is aspiring to become a technology-driven lifestyle brand and will introduce new products in this segment, an official said on Friday.

“We want to be known as a technology lifestyle company. We already have some products in the internet of things (IoT) and smart living space and will introduce multiple items in this segment,” Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth said at the launch of new X7 series 5G handsets here.       The company will also roll out affordable 5G handsets in future, he said.

Speaking about disruptions in the market due to COVID-19, Sheth said the supply chain has normalized and demand is back to normal. The company had said ’20 was a phenomenal year for it. Realme clocked a 25 per cent growth in smartphone sales at about 19 million units even a quarter was lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  “I think the minimum would be nothing less than 25-30 million handsets, that’s what we are targeting for 2021,” he said, adding that offline sales account for about 40 per cent. The smartphone maker is planning to add 500 new outlets under both franchisee and company-operated models.