Since the launch of Infinix Mobility in Nigeria about three years ago, the brand said it has treasured the market due to obvious acceptability of the products.

In a chat with Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, Mr. Marotta Camille, public relations manager for Infinix Mobility (Nigeria), identified Nigeria an open market and the competition is high.

He said at the very beginning, Infinix Mobility was like every other brand, and has always been thoughtful about how to bring devices that would be accepted by the market.

He said “Nigeria is in the top 10 biggest market in the world, if we followed the business model of other brands, today Infinix Mobility will not be here. Nigeria is a key market for us so we had to find a unique business model to fit users.

“From our latest statistics, Infinix Mobility market share is between 15-20 percent in terms of smartphone sales.

“Nigeria records one million smartphone sell out per month. Our segmentation is between N17, 000 – N50, 000. In this segment, we still have growth opportunities. We are expecting 2016 to be a better year.

The Unique Target Markets (Audience) For Infinix Mobility
“Infinix Mobility have different product ranges which enable us to reach a large audience. We have three different product lines to fit Nigeria needs in terms of technology and telecommunication equipment

“First with have HOT series which is the perfect match for people who want to switch from feature phone to smart phone and enjoy a new experience at an affordable price, usually between N14, 000-N22, 000. There is an important demand for this product line.  One year ago, we launched Infinix HOT which has been the fastest selling device here in Nigeria, according to Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GFK) surpassing other international brands.

“With the NOTE series, Infinix provides smartphones with huge battery life to last for 2 days. Beside, our R&D department developed a fast charging solution that let you enjoy 20 mins charge for 7 hours usage, which was highly appreciated by our Infinix HOT NOTE users, the device is still the most sold. This series is made for heavy users, people who are connected and may use their smartphone as productive tool. I remember a ‘one on one’ interaction with a user saying “I do not need a computer to work on my project, with my Infinix HOT NOTE it is possible and the battery is impressive”.

“Then we have the ZERO series which is a higher product line with high-ends specs, people with technology knowledge are really attracted by this series. Infinix ZERO smart phones are dedicated to middle classes who want to own premium phones with specifications such high megapixel camera, premium material – Kevlar for Zero2 – and powerful chipset.

Infinix Partnership with Android One and Google and Impact on Product Acceptability
“When you offer a device less than 20,000 naira for the 2GB RAM, 8 megapixel, 5 inch screen and the latest Android operating system such as Infinix HOT 2, you have chances that people will accept the product, Infinix HOT 2 device is an entry level with more specifications that users expect.

“The Android One OS is the purest version of Android. The OS receives automatic updates to the latest version of Android for a period of two years. Infinix HOT2 is running Android Lollipop 5.1 and before the end of this year, the device will receive an updated version of Marshmallow 6.0. It means that our customers can get the best service and experience from Google that is why we choose Android One. Today, we can say that Infinix HOT 2 has reached over 300,000 hands.

Nigerians Attitude Toward e-Retails
“Well, Nigerians are ultra-connected they like to surf the Internet and look for information. According to our online retail partners such as Jumia and Konga, most of the traffic comes from search result for smart phones. The online market is moving fast here in Nigeria.

“I think that Nigerians still need time to change their buying behavior and move from offline to online, even if online prices are lower for electronic products. There are still some barriers that affect the online business. For instance, payment methods which most E-commerce have solved by offering Payment On Delivery (POD). People need to find trust in new services provided by IT companies and to be educated how to do it.

“With the traditional channels, people have confidence they can experience the product, ask advices from sellers and have a concrete idea about product. For now, I will say that the economic model is Online to Offline; people get information’s online and prefer to buy offline. However, I still believe that there is bright future for online businesses and it will change.

Expectations for 2015 Christmas
“If you are following Infinix Mobility, you should know that a new device is coming later this month on the 27th. It is a successor over HOT NOTE which has been warmly welcome by the market because of the new technology that it brings to satisfy a specific need of power – 4000mAh battery and fast charge –.

“Infinix NOTE 2 will be Infinix first 6 inch smart phone with our own OS called XUI and fast charging technology: 15 minutes charge for 8 hours use which is 20% improvement compared to the previous model (Infinix HOT NOTE). We are confident that Infinix NOTE 2 will be part of the bestselling and must have device for the festive season. From November 27th, we still have something new before Christmas and our users should expect a last Infinix flagship before the end of year.
 
After Sales Service
“Today we have over 1,000 service centers across Africa, here in Nigeria a total of 20 centers and repair supports from some of our dealers, also we have customer service hot line 09099922417 which direct customers to our nearest service centers.

“If you have software or hardware issues, our engineers will fix your problem immediately and maximum of 14 days according the kind of problem you are facing. In addition all Infinix products have one Year warranty.

Impact of Naira-Dollar Situation on Phone Prices
“These days, the Dollar-Naira exchange rate is not so favorable but we are ensuring that our prices are not increasing too much and are not affecting final consumers. Recently users may have found one thousand naira increase in price.

Any Other Promises You Will Like To Tell Your Customers?
“I would like to say thanks to all Infinix users for the trust in Infinix Mobility, our business partners and media that supported us for this year. What I can say, is that 2016 will be a year of changes in terms of services, contents and products for Infinix users”.