Realme VP Expresses Long-Term Bullishness on Smartphone Industry

Chase Xu, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Shenzhen-based firm realme, acknowledged that the smartphone market is experiencing normal fluctuations at present, but that he is still optimistic in the long run about the smartphone industry as a vital sector, Cailian Press reported on July 16.

In addition, realme will not rule out the introduction of foldable phones in the future, but it is still exploring how they can better meet the characteristics of young users.

The firm has also just released its latest smartphone model, the realme GT2 Master Explorer Edition, which continues the previous “suitcase” appearance and adds the element of “trendy outdoor.”

Chase Xu said: “We have been studying the concept of ‘outdoor’ since six months ago, the main reason being the rising interests in the outdoors during the pandemic. There may be some coincidence, but we began to study how to find freedom in the post-pandemic era from the first generation of products.”

In his view, compared with China, outdoor activities and camping have long been rooted in the hearts of overseas users, while the e-sports industry is developing very rapidly overseas, especially in Southeast Asia.

According to public data, the CAGR of e-sports revenue in Southeast Asia from 2019 to 2024 is expected to be 20.8% – almost twice the global CAGR of 11.1% – and its revenue will reportedly reach $72.5 million in 2024.

Although realme will not launch mobile gaming phones, based on its large young consumer group, the phone maker will debug its products in favor of e-sports.

“Through cooperation with e-sports competitions and columns such as the Honor of Kings National Competition and the “We Are The Champions” show, we hope to attract more attention from the gaming crowd and reach more young consumers,” Xu said. “In addition, we can also cooperate with some professional players in depth to help us build products.”

SEE ALSO: Realme GT2 Master Explorer Edition Launched With Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1

In Xu’s opinion, foldable phones are a topic that various manufacturers need to face after the smartphone market became pretty mature. Folding screen products introduced in recent years are biased towards high-end and commercial features. He said, “We won’t rule out foldable phones. How to launch a foldable phone for young people that is different from business features is a proposition we need to study.”