High-End Windows 10 Phones Needed to Boost Presence in India: Microsoft

Microsoft is gearing up to make its presence felt in the Indian market with the launch of high-end Windows 10 Mobile smartphones, expected to be soon after the launch of Windows 10 Mobile later this year.

Wall Street Journal in a report cites a Microsoft India executive to claim the firm plans to launch top-end smartphones running Windows 10 Mobile this year. Ajey Mehta, Managing Director at Microsoft Mobile Devices, India, told WSJ, "If we want to build Microsoft as a strong consumer brand, we need presence at the flagship, high-end segment," when speaking about the company's intentions for the Indian market.

Microsoft India this year has been focusing more on budget segment in the country. The company has primarily launched sub-Rs. 10,000 smartphones in the Indian market in an attempt to aggressively strengthen its budget offering. Mehta said the firm has seen success in this segment.

Some of the smartphones launched in India this year include the Lumia 435 Dual SIM, which was launched at Rs. 5,999; Lumia 532 Dual SIM at Rs. 6,499, and Lumia 430 Dual SIM at Rs. 5,299. Apart from the Lumia-series, the company also unveiled the affordable Internet-ready Nokia 215 Dual SIM feature phone, priced at Rs. 2,149. Microsoft India even introduced back in March a 'Smart Exchange offer' for its existing Asha consumers to upgrade to the Lumia 435 Dual SIM smartphone.

Details about the Windows 10 Mobile-based smartphone expected to launch in India is limited as of now. Preliminary leaks have suggested that two high-end Lumia smartphones are expected to be revealed later this year. Currently codenamed 'Cityman' and 'Talkman', both the Lumia smartphones are said to be targeted at the premium segment. We can expect Microsoft to launch both the handsets as the platform lead devices for Windows 10 Mobile.