OnePlus bets on premium play, unveils 5T

NEW DELHI: Chinese firm OnePlus today said it will continue to focus on the premium smartphone category in the Indian market, competing with heavyweights like Samsung and Apple.

The company, which today unveiled its latest OnePlus 5T at an event in New York, is betting on the new device to help further consolidate its position in the Indian market.

"There was a duopoly in the premium segment in India. With our entry three players now account for about 98 per cent of the segment. We have been able to secure a significant part of the segment by offering feature-rich device at a competitive price," OnePlus India General Manager Vikas Agarwal told PTI.

He added that the company will continue with its premium play selling only through Amazon for its distribution in India.

According to Counterpoint Research, OnePlus had over 30 per cent market share in the premium category smartphones (handsets priced above Rs 30,000).

Premium segment contributed just 3 per cent of the total smartphone shipment volume in India, but accounted for 13 per cent of the shipment revenue, Counterpoint added.

While the Indian smartphone market is dominated by affordable and mid-range devices, handsets makers are increasing looking at adding premium phones to their portfolio to boost revenues.

Talking about the new device, Agarwal said, "The OnePlus 5T has a larger screen to body ratio and better camera specifications. OnePlus 5T features 6-inch 18:9 display, 16+20MP dual rear camera and 16 MP front camera and 3,300 mAh battery.

It also includes a facial unlock feature but it will not work with apps like payments that require sensitive information.

The OnePlus 5T will be available in 6GB RAM/64 GB memory and 8GB RAM/128 GB storage options and will be priced at Rs 32,999 and Rs 37,999 respectively. It will be available in India from November 28 on Amazon.in.