Over the past couple of years, we have seen a growing trend wherein people are becoming less brand-conscious when it comes to purchasing electronic devices. This can be attributed to the rapidly growing number of promising local vendors in the consumer electronics domain.
These vendors, which include brands like Xiaomi and Micromax, have been rather unremitting in their efforts to offer feature-rich products at affordable prices. Most consumers are, therefore, not willing to shell out too much cash on expensive global brands anymore.
This holds true especially for developing nations like India and China. No wonder these brands are eating into the market shares of prominent global giants. Micromax is one such vendor, which holds the second highest share in the Indian smartphone market as of Q1 (2016) according to IDC.
More from iSpyPrice: Check out the price list for all Micromax laptops
Micromax, in an effort to up its laptop game, announced two new series of laptops in July: the Alpha series and the Ignite series. To start with let’s take a closer look at the Micromax Alpha LI351 laptop.
Specifications – Micromax Alpha LI351 laptop
In the Alpha series, the company launched the Alpha LI351 laptop, which you can order from Flipkart after comparing it with a few others on iSpyPrice and reaching to the conclusion that it is exactly what you want.
The Alpha LI351 packs an Intel Core i3-5020U (5th generation) processor clocked at 1.6 GHz with a 3 MB cache. As for the operating system, it runs on Windows 10. It has 6 GB of RAM and offers a storage space of 500 GB. The device has a 15.6-inch HD LED backlit display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. With respect to graphics, it has an Intel HD Graphics 5500 processor unit.
More from iSpyPrice: Buy your Micromax Alpha LI351 Laptop now!
The laptop has a CD/DVD writer with 8x read/write speed. With regard to audio, it sports dual speakers. It has two USB 3.0 ports, an RJ45 LAN port, and an HDMI port. The laptop has a standard keyboard and a regular touch pad to go with. Wireless communication features include Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth v4.0. It packs a four-cell battery that supposedly offers backup up to 4.7 hours. The Alpha LI351, which is available in grey colour, is priced at Rs. 26,990. In addition, it comes with a one-year onsite warranty.
More from iSpyPrice: Buy your Micromax Ignite LPQ61 Laptop now!
Specifications – Micromax Ignite LPQ61 laptop
Micromax introduced the Ignite LPQ61 laptop in its Ignite series. The specs on the Ignite LPQ61 laptop are pretty similar to those of the Alpha LI351 laptop, except the former has 4 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage capacity. Also, it packs an Intel Pentium quad-core (N3700) processor clocked at 1.6 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.4 GHz and 2 MB of cache. The device has a 14-inch HD LED backlit display and a 4,500 mAh battery. It is priced at Rs. 18,990 and available in black colour.
Marketing and rebranding efforts
A few years ago, Micromax shocked most people when it signed Hugh Jackman, one of the biggest names in Hollywood, to endorse its offerings. Shubhodip Pal, the Chief Marketing Officer at Micromax, revealed that the signing was part of the company’s ambitious growth strategy to expand its footprint in various international markets.
Although Micromax retained its second position in the Indian smartphone market in Q1 (2016), it saw a significant drop in shipments. Therefore, the company has been introducing new products apart from implementing plans pertaining to rebranding.
In April, for instance, the Indian electronics giant changed its tagline to “Nuts, Guts & Glory”. It also released a rather amusing yet admirable promotional video based on the same philosophy. The main idea behind this promotional campaign was laying stress on its aggressive new growth strategy. In this video, it also hilariously asserts how it does not have a fruit for a logo, taking a cheeky jibe at a popular global brand. No points for guessing, folks.
So, will these new product launches and promotional efforts help Micromax increase its sales volume and market share? We will have to wait for the upcoming quarterly results to find out.