Phones that charge in 30 minutes, those with rotating cameras, gesture-control and a live connection with the company… all these and more are features of some of the new, low- to mid-end devices that have just hit the UAE shores.



“Dubai is an amazing place. We expect all kinds of miracles here,” said David Yang, General Manager for Overseas Business at Lava International, the Indian firm that launched a bevy of low- to mid-market Xolo-branded smartphones in the UAE last week.



“We will be showcasing the Xolo line-up of products at Gitex Shopper this year,” confirmed Ajay Pathak, Head - Mobility and Solutions Division, Jumbo Electronics. While Dubai is Xolo’s debut market in the Middle East, the firm maintains that it will soon roll out its brand in the Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq markets.

Read: Pre-Gitex Launch: Jumbo unveils India’s Xolo @ Dh399

Close on the heels of that launch, Oppo, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer, has announced its entry into the UAE market by making available “a big line-up” of its smartphones.



Oppo is already present in North America, Europe and Asia, and this Gitex Shopper will see it foraying into the UAE market.

Six mobile handsets – Find 7a, N1 mini, R1k, Neo 3, Yoyo and Joy – will be available beginning September 27 at Gitex Shopper 2014 at Sharaf DG and Jumbo booths, the company announced.



While the phones that India’s Xolo launched in the UAE started at Dh399, that from the Chinese maker Oppo start at Dh549 (for ‘Joy’ smartphone) and go all the way up to Dh 1,899 (for the curiously-named ‘Find 7a’).

Oppo is introducing an innovative technology called Vooc rapid charge, which it claims capable of charging the phone’s battery to 75 per cent in only 30 minutes on the Find 7a. In addition, its N1 mini device (Dh1,639) will sport a 13MP rotating camera so you don’t miss out on the pixels while taking selfies.



Henry Tang, Regional Sales Manager, Oppo, says the brand is as eager to make a mark as the country it is just entering. “Like the UAE, we are determined to move technology forward in order to deliver the best service possible in the smartphone industry,” he said. 



“We are looking forward to beginning our journey into the Middle Eastern market and what better platform then the region’s biggest consumer electronics show and partner retailer’s to do so,” he added about the Gitex Shopper.

In addition, Obi Mobiles, a firm led by former Apple CEO and renowned tech investor John Sculley, has announced its tie-up with Jumbo to distribute the company’s ‘aggressively priced’ smartphones in the region. 

Jumbo will manage the distribution of Obi devices to all key retailer and independent retailer channels in the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq markets.

The smartphone brand marked its global launch in India earlier this year, and is set to enter the Middle East and Africa markets in phase two of its global expansion plans.

“The smartphone industry growth in emerging markets is soaring at +32 per cent CAGR in 2014. It is vital to have very disruptive price points for success in emerging markets. We can be profitable at more aggressive price points than other multinational brands as we use youth-centric positioning and excellent partner relationships, such as Jumbo, which will differentiate us from other global brands,” says John Sculley, co-founder and managing partner at Inflexionpoint, Sculley’s Singapore-based IT supply chain firm.

“We have earmarked substantial investments for expansion in the Mena markets, and are working to identify the right partners who have the capabilities to carry forward our vision,” adds Amit Rupchandani, Managing Director for the Mena region at Obi Mobiles. 
 

“Obi offers a refreshing new take on smartphone technology that will appeal to the large section of young smartphone users in the country. With the smartphone industry in the region rapidly maturing to a multi-brand structure, new devices are more easily seeing acceptance and curiosity among consumers. We will look to leverage this trend,” says Vishesh L. Bhatia, chief executive officer at Jumbo Electronics.