OnePlus is all set to launch its new range of affordable smart TVs on July 2. Ahead of the launch, OnePlus India’s Navnit Nakra spoke to us about the new products. Here’s what he had to say.
Since its entry into the market as a virtual unknown, OnePlus has gone on to become one of the biggest names in the world of consumer technology. Initially starting with smartphones and related services, the tech giant last year also jumped into the lucrative television market with the launch of its very first smart TVs.
While this entry into a new segment served OnePlus well, some did not agree with the manner of it. Questions were raised over the pricing of the OnePlus TV Q1, with some even questioning the company for not staying true to its core fan base — especially in markets such as India — where the company originally made its name with competitively priced devices that rivaled the best when it came to specs.
But a year on, OnePlus looks set to change this narrative. On July 2, 2020, OnePlus will launch its new range of smart TVs across the entry and mid-segments of the Indian market via an online-only event. The new smart TVs which have been teased to start retail at less than Rs 20,000, will form part of OnePlus’ revamped global business strategy, under which it aims to deliver a “premium and more accessible connected ecosystem experience to its users.”
Ahead of the launch of the new affordable smart TVs in India, we got in touch with Navnit Nakra, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for OnePlus India to talk about the TVs and OnePlus’ overall vision for India going forward.
Speaking exclusively to India Today Tech, Navnit said that “India continues to be a key market where OnePlus intends to keep on strengthening its presence.” He also added that the new range of affordable TVs is in line with OnePlus’ long term strategy for the Indian market.
Nakra also revealed that OnePlus intends to bring more premium and affordable ecosystem products to India in the future. He clarified, that while the focus will continue on premium end smartphones, as a global technology giant, “OnePlus wants to ensure that it expands its portfolio so that more and more consumers across India and other key markets can experience its ecosystem.” For this, the company will be looking at developing more affordable products going forward.
When quizzed on OnePlus’ plans of expanding its product and services ecosystem in India, Nakra explained that their strategy continues to remain independent of the competition and as such is not a reaction to what competitors such as Xiaomi and Samsung are doing in the country.
He also hinted at how OnePlus’ burden-less design philosophy, one that the company recently introduced with its OnePlus 8 series of phones, is something that’s here to stay, and will “naturally find itself being extended to OnePlus’ product ecosystem” that in the coming weeks will see the inclusion of affordable smart TVs across entry and mid-segments of the market.
Elaborating further on the smart TVs that OnePlus plans to launch in the country, Nakra said that these upcoming products will feature “best-in-class displays and technologies” for the price segment they will come fighting in. He also assured that the integration of software and the features onboard would be “as seamless as ever”, thereby hinting that the new TVs could come with some of the same features that its current line-up of premium-end TVs already bring with them.
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“Mid and entry-level segments are crucial, not only for us but for the consumer as well. Data suggests that there are millions of families that are going to be upgrading to smart TVs this year. Our focus right now is to ensure that we bring the best specs, the best design, and a great overall experience to the consumer regardless of the price bracket they are making their purchase in,” he added.
In response to our question on whether the push for affordable TVs is an India only, or India first strategy, Nakra clarified that it is not the case — despite the fan community in India set to be the first to experience the new range of its smart ecosystem products. While he did not confirm anything, we suppose this is as good a hint as any that the new affordable range of smart TVs will eventually move out of our shores, and be announced globally at a later date.
