With technology playing a larger role in the lives of the general people, smartphones are becoming increasingly popular in the Nepali market. Their multi-function feature has made them more popular than traditional cell phones which have limited use.

An estimated 20 million people use mobile sets in the country, and smartphones account for 60 percent of the country’s cell phone market. The craze for the device has also been growing due to the introduction of economical handsets in the market, said traders. 

From global brands like Samsung, Apple and HTC to budget series like Micromax, Karbonn, Colors, Spice and Lava, all are doing brisk business in the market. 

Both smartphones and tablets are mostly preferred by young students, professionals and businessmen as they are light and handy for travelling and hanging around public places like theatres, shopping malls and parks. 

Traders said that people were opting for smartphones due to their multiple functions and applications, and for messaging text besides simply making calls and receiving them. They said that functions like surfing the internet and taking pictures and recording video, among other uses, and their attractiveness had made smartphones the choice of people lately.

Binil Bajracharya, general manager of Nepa Hima Trade Link, the authorised distributor of Sony, said demand for smartphones and tablets had surged in recent days. “Mostly tech-savvy youth are the main users of such devices,” he added.

Inspired by swelling demand, the company will be launching five to six new smartphones from the Sony Xperia Z series at CAN Infotech to be held from Jan 2-7.  According to the company, the smartphones are waterproof and dust-proof and come with a 20.1 mega pixel camera. In addition, the company is showcasing a number of the latest tablets in the Xperia series. 

According to traders, cell phones with Android OS account for 60-70 percent of the market followed by IOS used in Apple, BB used in BlackBerry and Windows 8 used in Nokia smartphones. 

Sanjay Golchha, managing director of Neoteric Nepal, said they would be introducing a wide range of smartphones with Windows 8 operating system during the exhibition. He added that the devices to be launched would be cheaper and more economical to use compared to similar other smartphones. “Besides, we have planned to create a Windows ecosystem in association with Microsoft,” he said. According to him, the tie-up could help promote e-education in schools operating in rural areas of the country. 

Neoteric has planned to facilitate the use of information technology in the classroom environment apart from developing the content related with the matter. “For the purpose, we are joining hands with Childreach Nepal, a non-government organisation working in the area,” he added. 

Like smartphones, tablets are also selling briskly. Traders said that the new devices were gradually edging out PCs off store shelves due to their winning combination of camera, microphone, touchscreen and SIM card holder, among other features. Apart from PCs, the tablets are also replacing traditional notebooks and netbooks. 

In addition to using them for browsing the internet, smartphones and tablets have spread to various other sectors related with education, health, banking and utility payment services, among others. Golchha said that the devices had helped in increasing technology integration. Technology integration, also termed seamless integration, helps people in not only using technology daily but also in performing multiple tasks. 

While tablet sales are limited to people from the business fraternity, their attraction is increasing significantly among youngsters and those whose profession requires them to stay connected even when they are travelling. More than 90 percent of the tablets imported into Nepal are sold in the capital city while the rest are sold in other large cities like Pokhara, Biratnagar, Butwal and Narayanghat.

As for prices, people looking for branded devices invest in the range of Rs 20,000 to 40,000 while dealers have also been introducing budget tablets. Citing the growing attraction for tablets, Neoteric is launching a tablet under the Neo brand. According to Golchha, the new Taiwanese product that operates in Wi-Fi version will cost Rs 6,999 at the entry level. Meanwhile, the International Marketing Services (IMS) will also be launching a mid-range smartphone in the market. IMS President Dikesh Malhotra said they would launch the S Duos2 at CAN Infotech. The product will be available for Rs 18,000. 

Amid the rising concept of integrating technology, the exhibition, which has as its theme Mobile Technology for Smart Society, has also focused on social transformation. Rom Kant Pandey, conference coordinator at CAN Infotech, said they would also conduct panel discussions on how to promote social transformation through the smart devices.