Gaming peripheral and laptop maker Razer has confirmed its making a smartphone for gamers. Previously it was rumoured that the company was "developing a mobile device tailored for its consumer base of hardcore gamers” according to Bloomberg citing sources familiar with the matter.
Now, Razer CEO and co-founder Min-Liang Tan has confirmed that the company hopes to have its maiden smartphone on the market “by the end of the year.”
"The mobile market is one of those that we've taken a long-term view to look at ... We realised that a lot of our gamers are also passionate about the mobile gaming market, so we've done a couple of moves," Tan told CNBC.
This won’t be the first time a company has taken a stab at making a phone for gamers. In the past, Nokia tried doing this with the N-gage, Sony attempted this with the Xperia Play, and even Indian brand Mitashi launched the Mitashi Play Thunderbolt smartphone nearly three years ago.
Nonetheless, given Razer’s positioning as a firm for hardcore gamers, it would be interesting to see how this pans out. More so when you consider how ubiquitous smartphones are and that even mid-range Android devices can play games just fine.
In India, Razer has a presence, selling its peripherals via distributor Acro. However its premium price point has seen it make little to no impact in a cost conscious market with competition from the likes of Logitech, Cooler Master, and Steel Series.
Considering that the firm has ignored the nation for its Razer Blade laptop lineup as well, it’s safe to say that India may not be a priority for its gamer-focused smartphone despite being one of the biggest markets for mobile devices in the world.
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