 "Flipkart jumps into tablet war with Android powered Digiflip Pro at Rs 9,999")
New Delhi: After e-commerce, Flipkart has jumped into the fiercely competitive smart device market inIndia by launching its calling tablet for Rs 9,999.
The seven-inch tablet branded Digiflip Pro is expected tohelp the domestic online marketplace increase revenue andexpand its presence in the multi-billion dollar electronicsbusiness.
Bangalore-based Flipkart already sells headphones,speakers and pen drives under its DigiFlip range.
“We are the first e-commerce marketplace in India tolaunch our own device through Digiflip Pro. With this, we havetaken another step in our goal towards building an entiree-commerce ecosystem in India,” Flipkart VP Retail and Head(Brand Alliances) Michael Adnani said.
According to industry body MAIT, the tablet market inIndia grew at a “muted” 76 per cent in 2013-14 compared withtriple-digit growth over the previous two years.
Companies such as Samsung, Micromax, Apple and Datawindsold about 3.35 million tablets in 2013-14.
Industry watchers expect growth to ease further ascustomers prefer smartphones with bigger screen sizes.
Amazon, the world’s biggest online retailer, launched itsFire Phone last week, becoming the first to enter the smart
device segment.
The Digiflip Pro XT 712 is available in black and whitevariants, has dual SIM, a 1.3 GHz quad core Cortex A7
processor coupled with 1 GB DDR3 RAM and 3G calling feature.
The retailer will offer shopping benefits worth over Rs5,000 and free eBooks worth more than Rs 2,000 while using theFlipkart mobile app that is pre-installed on the tablet.
“Our research on what Flipkart users expect for theirtablet shows that consumers are looking at an ultimate device
experience at an affordable price,” Flipkart Director Retail(Tablets) Pradeep Dodle told PTI.
He said added there are “almost no good tablet brands” inthe Rs 10,000-category (entry-level), while those with
features that customers look for are priced higher.
Asked if Flipkart was late entering the tablet market,Dodle said the segment is currently “evolving”, with players
offering various features at multiple price points but it willregain momentum soon as the market consolidates.
“Earlier, there were some 150-odd tablet brands, butafter the BIS certification mandate, around 30 brands are
left. We feel this year will be a defining year for tabletsand next year on, good growth should come in,” he added.
Dodle said the after-sales service for the device will behandled through a network of over 120 centres in more than 100cities.
PTI
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