As a nation we are addicted to texting—we love to 'write' on our mobile phones. As the mobile phone becomes an integral part of the lifestyle for the young customer, the demand for devices which allow faster and more convenient texting is growing at a hyper pace. Hence, QWERTY phones are now (along with touch phones) the fastest growing segment in mobiles. This QWERTY keypad emanates from the conventional typewriter format devised in 1873, and is now amongst the fastest growing segments in the mobile industry today.
Nokia envisioned the need way back in 1998 when they launched their first QWERTY phone called the Communicator ( fondly called 'the Brick' because of its size by the geeks). The trend caught on and was followed up by several launches from brands like Palm, Motorola and Nokia themselves. Globally, QWERTY form factor carved out a niche for itself.
The game changer for the QWERTY form factor in India was definitely Blackberry. In 2003, when RIM launched its email centric devices, targeting the Indian CXO, little did one realise that the QWERTY form factor would become aspirational for the common consumer and would fuel the demand for products which looked similar to the Blackberry. Blackberry itself has launched products with true QWERTY alphabet keypads as well as virtual touch keypads. Over time, it is the true QWERTY alphabet (physical) keypad which has grown in popularity.
The evolution of the smartphone, a device that combines the capabilities of a phone and a computer and runs an 'open' operating system, has played a major role in development of QWERTY phones. Unlike the older traditional cellphones that focus on voice calls and text messages, smartphones provide advanced capabilities, such as Web browsing, email and other software applications. 'Open' refers to its ability to add applications developed by the device manufacturers, operators or software developers. What did all this mean for the consumer? It simply meant more power in the hands of the customer to effectively use his mobile device for much more than just voice calls.
Over the last two years, as the demand for the QWERTY form factor has grown, the new Indian handset vendors like Spice, Micromax, Karrbon, etc have launched a large range of QWERTY phones at aggressive price points, driving demand and building up customer traction. It is pertinent to note that most major vendors are providing texting in the Indian regional languages. Moreover, with email becoming more mass market and the non-corporate customer adopting the service, the demand for QWERTY phone continues to grow.
The levers for the growth of this category have been many. For instance, the boom in usage of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter. On the move, these sites need the use of QWERTY keypads to enable ease of use. It helps when handset vendors advertise about these features, encouraging consumers to go online on their mobile phones.
Then, there is the aspiration to be online through email permanently. Affordability of GPRS to rates as low as Rs 5 per day is encouraging customers to use their mobile phones are pocket PCs. Major brands like Nokia are making available email services for life free. What it means is that the customer buys a phone and takes a few minutes to configure his push mail account.
In the days ahead, many of the major brands will offer push mail service. Many brands will also be launching instant messaging (just like Blackberry Messenger) on mobiles.
The writing is on the wall. The mobile phone is performing all that your personal computer would, on the move literally. Walk into any mall, or a airport lounge and the sight of people typing on the mobile phones will be proof enough that the QWERTY phone segment is here to stay.
The writer is CEO, Spice Hotspot
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