French Affordable Smartphone Player Wiko Launches In UAE

French smartphone manufacturer Wiko officially launched in the UAE on Tuesday, with a portfolio of eight new models.

Targeting the affordable smartphone segment, the phones range in price from Dhs399 up to Dhs1,399 – for the flagship Highway model.

Wiko, which was started in 2011, claims to have the second highest marketshare among smartphone vendors in France and also calls itself Europe’s fastest growing smartphone maker.

The brand, which targets the younger generation and those seeking “value for money”, defines itself as “colourful, creative, enthusiastic and fun.”

Launching Wiko in the UAE, David Garcia, International Business Development director, said, “The UAE is an ideal place for us to enter because of the fast growing smartphone market and the demographic of the country.”

Speaking to Gulf Business, Garcia asserted that the UAE’s crowded smartphone market had space to accommodate new players.

“We will market heavily across the country through all mediums,” he said. He did not reveal specific investment figures, but added that the company would spend substantially in promoting the brand.

Wiko hopes to gain 10 per cent of the smartphone marketshare in the UAE in the next 12 months. “It is ambitious, but looking at the growth we have seen in our other launch markets, we are positive we can achieve it,” he said.

“We will provide European standard high-quality products and our after-sales service will also set us apart. We don’t fix damaged phones, we actually replace them,” he added.

The models being launched in the UAE include two flagship models: Highway and Highway Signs. The top-end Highway features a 2.0GHz processor, a 5-inch FHD screen, 16MP back camera and 8MP front camera and runs on Android KitKat 4.4.

Highway Signs has a 1.4GHz processor, 4.7-inch screen, 8MP back camera and 5MP front camera.

The Rainbow, which comes in a range of colours, includes a 5-inch HD screen, 1.3GHz Quad-Core processor and a 8MP camera.

The lower end of the spectrum includes models such as Goa, Bloom, Sunset, Fizz and Lenny.

Wiko, currently available in 18 countries worldwide, including Thailand, where it was launched a week ago, plans to enter the Saudi market on October 20, confirmed Garcia.