A lot of change has recently spiked up in the technology industry. Perhaps the most inticing of them all is the initiative taken by large tech giants like Apple and Samsung to target the South East Asian market.

For a relatively long period of time Apple dominated the technology market on the momentum that the iPhone granted the company. Ever since the advent of the first iPhone, Apple seems to have a 10 step lead on the industry. However, that quorum is changing.

A lot of recent statistics from various sources including Wall Street depict a drastic fall in Apple’s sales specifically in India and China. Having spent about 7 years in India myself, one of the things that came into my observation is the fact that Apple neither has a manufacturing line in India nor an official Apple Store, therefore consumers have to pay significant amounts as customs and tariffs. Added to this is the fact that most people who purchase smartphones in south east Asia are extremely well reasearched.

The iPhone 6S and SE have been made in India since May 2017, however, it becomes crucial to note that in most cases iPhone users did not upgrade after their purchase of iPhone 6 or SE. To supposedly combat this stagnancy Apple has announced recently that it will begin manufacturing its luxury line of smartphones, like the iPhone X, XS, and XR in India.

With the ongoing trade war between the United States of America and China this move seems only logical to keep Apple afloat in the fastest growing tech market. By making products more affordable by localising the manufacturing process Apple should be able to regain a stand in this region.

On the other front, Samsung has also announced a new line of smartphones: the Galaxy M series (Where M is dubbed for millenials) targeted at around $150 or Rs. 10,000. Samsung seems to be targeting the average consumer for an increased reach. Based on Samsungs official site phones in the M series are to have an infinity-V display (like on the OnePlus 6T) , 3GB of RAM, will run Android 8.1 Oreo, and have a 5000mAh battery. Obataining decent specs like these within this price range is something relatively new and pretty unconventional for a luxury brand like Samsung. But considering that Samsung does build phones from scratch without purchasing hardware may give it the edge into achieving such a price point without losses.

Xiaomi isn’t far behind, being the leader in the south east asian market they have recently annunced the Redmi Note 7 for around $150 (~Rs.10,000) with a 48 Megapixel camera, 4000 mAh battery and a 6.3 inch screen.

Understand at this point that the focus for most companies now has become the mid to low range price devices that appeal to a wider audience. We see the biggest batteries in the mid and low range of phones, not in the luxury brands.

There seems to exist an apparent shift of priority of tech companies to target a wider range of audience, first by targetting the moderately average consumer. By shifting the manufacturing to India, companies can take advantage of readily availible labor and a rapidly aware and growing market.