中國傳音成非洲比較大智能手機賣家

Solid design and low prices helped China’s Transsion Holdings overtake Samsung this year to become the number one smartphone company by sales in Africa, and now it is making inroads into India.

堅固設(shè)計和低廉價格幫助中國的傳音控股(Transsion Holdings)今年超越三星(Samsung)，成為非洲銷量最大的智能手機公司。該公司目前正進軍印度。

The Shenzhen-based company — best known by the names of its Itel brands — sold more than 50m phones in Africa in the first half of this year, mainly “feature” models with physical keypads, according to technology research group IDC.

據(jù)科技研究集團IDC介紹，這家總部位于深圳的公司(以其Itel品牌聞名)今年上半年在非洲銷售逾5000萬部手機，主要是帶有物理鍵盤的功能手機型號。

That cemented its status as the continent’s biggest phone producer and included 11m smartphones, putting it ahead of its South Korean rival.

這鞏固了其作為非洲大陸最大手機制造商的地位，并且包括1100萬部智能手機，使其超越了韓國競爭對手。

Globally, Transsion is number four in terms of units sold after Samsung, Apple and China’s Huawei, according to IDC, though low prices mean it is only the 13th largest phone manufacturer by sales value.

根據(jù)IDC的數(shù)據(jù)，全球而言，傳音在手機銷量上排名第四，位列三星、蘋果(Apple)和中國的華為(Huawei)之后，盡管價格低廉意味著，按銷售額計算，它只是第13大手機制造商。

Since launching in 2016, Itel phones have also captured an 8 per cent share of India’s handset market, making it the third largest brand, according to Counterpoint Research, a consultancy. This success has been thanks to cheap prices and good distribution, said Tarun Pathak, an analyst at Counterpoint Research.

根據(jù)咨詢公司Counterpoint Research的數(shù)據(jù)，自2016年推出以來，Itel手機也占據(jù)了印度手機市場8%的份額，成為第三大品牌。Counterpoint Research的分析師塔倫•帕沙克(Tarun Pathak)表示，這一成功得益于價格低廉和分銷有方。

Transsion took an unusual route of ignoring the Chinese market to build its sales in sub-Saharan Africa, adapting low-cost phones to local tastes. For instance, its handsets feature multiple sim-card slots, camera software adapted to better-capture darker skin tones, and speakers with enhanced bass.

傳音走了一條不尋常的道路，忽略中國市場，而是在撒哈拉以南非洲地區(qū)建立銷售網(wǎng)絡(luò)，并且努力使低成本手機適應(yīng)當(dāng)?shù)乜谖丁＠?，它的手機具有多個SIM卡插槽，相機軟件經(jīng)過優(yōu)化，能夠更好地捕捉較深的膚色，而揚聲器具有增強低音。

Sales in Africa could top 100m units this year, helping the company generate more than RMB20bn in revenue, said founder and chief executive Zhu Zhaojiang. “I don’t target the highest-income consumers who would buy Apple or Samsung,” he added.

創(chuàng)始人和首席執(zhí)行官竺兆江表示，今年非洲銷量有望達到1億部，幫助該公司實現(xiàn)逾200億元人民幣的營收。“我并沒有瞄準那些會購買蘋果或三星產(chǎn)品的最高收入消費者，”他補充說。

The company will export 120m handsets this year, according to Mr Zhu — making it China’s largest phone exporter by volume, though margins are lower than rivals due to the lower-cost of Transsion phones, which can sell for as little as $10. “In volume terms we are bigger than Huawei, though in value terms they are bigger,” he said.

據(jù)竺兆江介紹，今年該公司將出口1.2億部手機，成為按出口量計算的中國最大手機出口商，盡管由于傳音手機的售價較低(有時僅售10美元)，該公司的利潤率低于競爭對手。“從數(shù)量上說，我們比華為要大，盡管在價值上他們更大，”他表示。

About 216m phones were sold in Africa last year, according to IDC, of which 57 per cent were feature phones.

據(jù)IDC統(tǒng)計，去年約有2.16億部手機在非洲銷售，其中57%是功能手機。

Transsion’s success is based on its ability to “match key phones from its main rivals, but at more attractive prices”, according to Simon Baker, an IDC analyst. The company also “established a reputation for ensuring widespread distribution of its phones and providing support in marketing”.

據(jù)IDC分析師西蒙•貝克(Simon Baker)稱，傳音的成功基于其有能力“與主要競爭對手的關(guān)鍵手機媲美，但價格更具吸引力”。該公司還“建立了確保其手機廣泛分銷和提供營銷支持的聲譽”。

In Africa, Transsion brands include Itel — originally a marque for feature phones and still the company’s biggest seller — and pricier smartphone brands Tecno and Infinix, which generate most revenue, according to Mr Zhu. He said Transsion phones typically retail for about $100.

他表示，在非洲，傳音的品牌包括Itel(原本是功能手機的品牌，仍是該公司最暢銷品牌)，以及售價較高、產(chǎn)生最多營收的智能手機品牌Tecno和Infinix。他還表示，傳音的手機通常零售價約為100美元。

The group is now targeting south Asia. “We will head out of Africa to other emerging markets,” said Mr Zhu. “In the future our focus will be on north Africa, India and the Middle East.”

該集團現(xiàn)在瞄準了南亞市場。“我們將走出非洲，進入其他新興市場，”竺兆江表示。“未來我們的重點將放在北非、印度和中東地區(qū)。”

Sales of several million units in India will help Transsion sell about 20 per cent of its phones outside Africa this year, he adds. IDC said the brand stood took second place in the Indian mobile phone market in the last quarter of 2016.

他補充說，在印度銷售數(shù)百萬部手機，將幫助傳音今年在非洲以外市場銷售約20%的手機。IDC表示，該品牌2016年第四季度在印度手機市場排名第二。

Transsion is also moving its manufacturing out of China, building a factory in India and an “industrial park” in Ethiopia where it already makes some phones.

傳音也在將其制造業(yè)務(wù)遷出中國，在印度建造一家工廠，在埃塞俄比亞建立一個“工業(yè)園區(qū)”，已經(jīng)有一部分手機在那里制造。

Additional reporting by Andrea Rodrigues in Mumba

安德里亞•羅德里格斯(Andrea Rodrigues)孟買補充報道