Vivo to Stop Launching Online-Exclusive Phones in India Next Year.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Vivo has assured that it will put an end to online exclusive launches
• Company will ensure simultaneous launch of the product across channels
• Vivo urged offline retailers to make buying experience worth appreciating

Chinese phone maker Vivo is one of the biggest smartphone makers in the country, and it has managed to become so because of its strategy to focus on the offline market of the country. And now, in a bid to consolidate its position in the offline market, the company has announced that it will not be launching any more online exclusives in India in the coming year, reports IANS.

The company has reportedly sent a letter to its retail partners, in which, Jerome Chen, CEO, Vivo Mobiles India, has promised that in 2020, the company will be carrying out simultaneous launches of the same product/variant at the same time and at the same price point across channels.

This would thus ensure that there will be online exclusives in the country anymore or that certain devices will be launched via Amazon or Flipkart before making their way to brick and mortar stores.

“With consumer satisfaction at our core, we aim to keep our business partners, employees, and shareholders content with all our decisions,” Chen said.

“Having said that, we urge our offline partners to strive together and make the buying experience worth appreciating for our customers,” he added.

The All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA) has thanked Vivo for the initiative.

“We thank and appreciate @Vivo_India for their support against unfair e-commerce trade practices! Together, let’s bring in the new change for mobile retailers with fair business opportunities,” AIMRA said in a tweet on Friday which also carried a copy of the letter from the Vivo Mobiles India CEO.

While there is no confirmation yet, other major smartphone makers such as Realme and Samsung too have made similar promises to their retail partners, claims IANS. However, it remains to be seen what would come off these promises in the future.

As for Vivo, the company is all set to launch a new smartphone, the S1 Pro in India in the first of January 2020. The phone has been reported to bring with it a 6.38-inch Super AMOLED display with support for Full-HD+ resolution. Under the hood, the Vivo S1 Pro is expected to be equipped with Snapdragon 665 SoC that will be paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage. For cameras, the phone will get a 48-megapixel quad camera set-up arranged in a diamond shape.

Switch your phone off for a day

What can be a better gift for your loved ones than your time? This new year, vivo encourages you to switch your phone off for a day and spend time with your loved ones. #HappyNewYear #SwitchOff.