Exclusive: At least 3 Realme GT series phones launching in 2021; CEO Madhav Sheth shares company's plans for India

Smartphone brand Realme recently celebrated its third anniversary in India. The Oppo spin-off company has witnessed significant growth during the past three years in the world’s second-largest smartphone market. A part of the success is credited to the company’s strong budget and mid-range smartphone offerings in India. 

Over the past year or so, Realme has stepped its foot in different categories in its pursuit to become a “Tech-Lifestyle” brand. The company has launched a few premium phones under the X-series, like the Realme X7 Max (Review). Sticking to its “Dare to Leap” tagline, the company has confirmed the launch of the GT series in India. During an exclusive interaction with Moneycontrol, Realme India CEO, Madhav Sheth shared some key details on the company’s upcoming flagship offering and future plans for the Indian market. 

Edited excerpts

Realme’s journey so far has been interesting. The company primarily focused on budget phones and offered value for money features. Three years later, we are seeing it compete in the premium space (Rs 30k price segment) while providing enough attention to budget and mid-range phones. Will Realme focus more on the sub- Rs 30-50,000 space in 2021 and beyond? 

We believe the product is the key. This year, Realme is focusing on 5G as the major driver of growth. To that end, we will offer best in class 5G-enabled smartphones at democratised price points which will enable users to experience the latest processor with much better power control, camera support, and other features while also preparing consumers for the future of 5G. Disruption runs in our veins - we disrupted the entry and midrange segment and with our ultimate Flagship killer Realme GT 5G series, we are ready to change the premium segment with the best in segment offering. With Realme GT 5G series we will officially mark our march into the premium segment. Yes, we will bring more disruptive premium products from now on but as always we look at providing the best of performance, technology, design and quality in each price segment, be it Rs 6,000 or Rs 50,000.

How many phones does Realme plan to launch under the GT series in India in 2021? Could possibly name the ones launching in 3Q21 at least?

At least three Realme GT series products are planned for 2021. (Editor’s note: The company has already launched the Realme GT Neo from China as the Realme X7 Max in India. The other three GT series phones unveiled globally include the Realme GT 5G, Realme GT Master Edition and the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition. We expect these three phones to launch this quarter in India.)

We have already seen the X-series prioritise performance while offering an all-round experience. How does the GT series differentiate itself from the X-series?

Our X series has been a big success in India and helped us establish our position in the higher price segment and Realme GT 5G series will continue and further upgrade this story with its Sheer Speed, Master Design, and Cutting Edge Technology. Realme X series made wonders mostly in the entry flagship price segments at Rs 20,000-30,000. With Realme GT 5G series, we are ready to disrupt the premium segment with the best in segment offering - our ultimate Flagship killer GT 5G. (Editor’s note: Realme had previously launched the Realme X50 Pro 5G as India’s first 5G smartphone for Rs 37,999. While the company did enter the sub-Rs 40,000 price category, it has refrained from launching new phones in the premium category. We expect this to change with the launch of the GT series, which is likely to launch above Rs 35,000 in India.) 

What plans does Realme have to capture more market share in the upper mid-range and premium smartphone space? 

We believe the Realme GT series which has received many Top 1 accolades in other markets will help us to gain momentum in India as well. To explain more on this, we noticed that design actually matters a lot for users at this price segment so Realme will further amplify our strength here and keep launching products with master design. Adding to that, Leap-forward technology features also matter for these consumers. Realme is all set to disrupt these price segments with more cutting edge features that are generally available at ultra-premium segments. We also started our co-creation or to say co-development program for many Realme products, so that Realme fans can jointly build Realme products together which we believe will inspire us a lot. To make the amazing GT products more accessible, we will also cover more products with the real upgrade program to make them more affordable. 

Any India-first phones coming soon? If yes, can we expect Realme to unveil a premium phone first in India? 

Yes, definitely new India-first phones are coming soon. India has always been our priority market. (Editor’s note: Sheth did not reveal any details about the phones that will launch first in India. That being said, the company, in the past, debuted the Narzo series first in India, which were later launched in global markets.) 

The next big thing for Realme is entering the laptop industry. What can users expect from Realme laptops? Can you give our readers some exclusive details ahead of the launch? 

The upcoming laptops will come in two variants, one of which will be the i5 11th Generation. Needless to state, we will revolutionise the laptop segment and we are focusing on giving industry disruptive specs without compromising in any areas. I can also share that our laptops will have the best audio experience from a renowned Audio brand. It will be available in three colours with a revolutionary display in the competitive price segment. With industry-disrupting specifications, we are confident that our laptop will appeal in looks and overall specification to our fans and young audience. Do stay tuned for further updates.  (Editor’s note. A lot about the Realme Book as leaked online. The company has already confirmed the launch of the Core i5 11th-generation variant. We can expect an entry-level Core i3 variant as well to take on the RedmiBook e-learning Edition in India.)

We have seen Realme make a transition from a smartphone-only company to a tech-lifestyle brand. After phones, audio, and now laptops, what else can we expect from Realme? Plans for 2021 and 2022? 

We are constantly working on the plan to democratise 5G technology in India and are focused on creating a “TechLife” ecosystem with our 1+5+T strategy with a diverse range of smartphones, smart TVs, smart audio, smart wearables, etc. We will launch the vacuum robot together with some other fantastic TechLife products in India soon. You will hear more details soon.