THE FEATURE PHONE FIGHTS BACK

CONTRARY to wide-spread belief that the humble feature phone is an artefact of a bygone mobile era, its sales are experiencing a surprising resurgence in India.

- Sahil Mohan Gupta

Ravi Kunwar, Vice President and India Head of HMD Global - the Finnish company famed for designing and selling Nokia-branded mobiles - confirms the trend, pointing to robust growth in a market segment many had prematurely written off. “There are close to 300 million subscribers which still operate on 2G phones,” revealed Kunwar on the sidelines of MWC in Barcelona, at the iconic Camp Nou stadium, home of La Liga titans FC Barcelona.

For HMD Global, this isn't just a passive observation; it's an active growth area, fuelled significantly by embedding digital payment capabilities (UPI) into devices costing less than Rs 1,000.

While the perception persists that feature phones are “done,” Kunwar asserts that the Indian market has defied projections of decline over the last few years. “The market is actually growing,” he notes, adding, “And for us, it is rapidly growing.” This growth is underpinned not only by the enduring appeal of iconic Nokia devices but also by HMD's strategic introduction of its own HMD-branded feature phones - a move piloted exclusively in India. The key differentiator?

A “deep consumer understanding,” leading to innovations like seamless UPI integration. “At a thousand rupee phone with an SMS you can still do all UPI transactions,” Kunwar explains, highlighting that the capability even extends to scan-and-pay features on slightly higher-priced models (around Rs 1,200-Rs 1,300) equipped with cameras. Furthermore, the advent of 4G-enabled feature phones, or “cloud phones,” brings previously inaccessible entertainment like YouTube to consumers unable to afford smartphones.

'Digital Detox' Device Demand