Realme to focus on 5G phones like Realme 9 SE in 2022, but won't stop launching 4G phones

Realme is keeping busy right now, pushing out smartphones and accessories one after another. Having already launched seven phones so far this year, it is aiming to sell a phone at every price point. This strategy is a part of the company's bigger goal - to democratise 5G phones as much as possible. With the launch of the Realme 9 5G series, the company has come to a step closer to achieving that. But that does not at all mean that Realme will abandon the 4G phone market.

India Today Tech spoke to Madhav Sheth - CEO of Realme India, Vice President of Realme, and President of Realme International Business Group - about the company's plans for 4G phones on the sideline of the Realme 9 5G series launch.

Sheth said while the focus this year will be on 5G phones, the company is in no mood to stop selling 4G phones in India just yet. But while 4G phones will continue to arrive, their ratio in the overall portfolio may reduce over time.

"As a 5G leader, Realme will keep on democratising 5G models to lower segments to make it affordable for a massive number of users. However, we recognise that some customers still want a 4G phone and demand cutting-edge technology at every price point. While in 2022 half of our Realme smartphones will be 5G enabled, we will penetrate deeper into 4G segments & will introduce more 4G phones for the users," Sheth told India Today Tech.

5G is still several months away from commercial deployment in India, but Realme aims to lead the market. As a matter of fact, it became the first brand in 2020 to launch India's first 5G phone, X50 Pro. Two years later, its 5G portfolio now accommodates around 14 phones. But during all this while, Realme continued launching 4G phones, largely because 4G is still more relevant than 5G in India.

Sheth told India Today Tech that the company will focus on all aspects of a phone, such as performance, camera, graphics, and design. For example, the Realme 9 Pro Plus focuses on flagship-level cameras, while the brand-new Realme 9 5G SE will appeal to gamers. Short for Speed Edition, the SE version of the Realme 9 is the highlight of the series and costs Rs 19,999 for the base model. The company is hoping to generate sales from this phone similar to that of the Realme 9 Pro series, which, Sheth said, had a gross merchandise value of more than Rs 100 crore.

"Within a few days of the launch, Realme 9 Pro 5G, which went on sale, received a huge response on Flipkart and quickly became the fastest-selling smartphone in the Rs 15,000 - Rs 20,000 price range," Sheth said.

Realme recently renamed the X-series to GT-series. Currently, Realme has three different series - the C-series is for budget-conscious customers, the number series is meant for mid-range phones, and the GT series represents high-end phones. Realme will likely launch 4G phones in the C-series going forward, but there are chances for the number series to get a few 4G phones, too.

Sheth told India Today Tech that the company has "planned 4G and 5G variants of the 9 series." Is this a hint at the rumoured Realme 9 4G phone? Only time will tell.