‘Design and innovation have always been part of Realme’s DNA’: Madhav Sheth

“When consumers select the product they use for everyday use, design has evolved into a very important requirement. As a result, their pursuit of design is more rigorous and specific. They prioritise good design when choosing a product in a manner comparable to how they prioritise technical aspects,” Sheth told indianexpress.com in an interview.

“Hence, the market environment calls for smartphone designs that customers find attractive, and to this end, a brand needs to develop designs that embody customer values on the basis of customer preferences,” he adds.

A phone’s technical specifications make up for the other key pillars and this is not an area that the brand has ignored either. The paper-inspired Realme GT 2 Pro, one of the most unique designs of 2022 alongside the Nothing Phone (1), came with a back panel you could doodle and write on with a pencil. Just like a notebook, you could also use an eraser to wipe your art off it.

The Realme GT 2 Pro featured a paper-inspired back panel that you could draw on and erase. (Express Photo/ Chetan Nayak)

However, the phone was no slouch in the benchmarks either. One of the most affordable Snapdragon 8 Gen 1-powered phones at the time, the GT 2 Pro also packed dual 50MP cameras, a QHD+ screen and 65W fast charging. However, when rivals can also source the same components and launch a device at a similar price, there’s just one key area where phones can have a sense of identity.

Why should flagships have all the fun?

Sheth also explains that it’s not just the top-of-the-line products that deserve a unique touch. “Even a buyer looking out for entry-level smartphones makes their purchase decisions based on at least six parameters – design is definitely one of them,” he adds.

In markets like India, budget phones and mid-range phones make up a larger percentage of sales than most people realise. Most people are more likely to run into people with mid-range phones in their daily life. A quick train ride in Mumbai, one of India’s most populous cities will show you more mid-range Redmi, Realme and Samsung smartphones than the flagship iPhones or Galaxy S-series devices.

It only makes sense for brands to give these phones more than just specifications to flaunt. Sadly, most of these will also have a forgettable design.

These are also key segments for Realme to drive its design-centric approach into, which can be visible in the brand’s number-series, mid-range phones, like the Realme 9 Pro, which packs a unique finish on the back that changes with the angle you hold the phone in.

Beyond smartphones 

When you’re trying to build an ecosystem around your products, something a number of Android phone-makers are currently involved in, design becomes even more important, bringing a sense of seamless unity to products that go together.

For Realme, however, the design goes beyond phones, and even beyond tech itself. Earlier this month, the brand collaborated with couturier Amit Aggarwal at the FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week runway, bringing the Realme GT Neo 3T’s chequered flag aesthetic to apparel.

Amit Aggarwal’s designs at the FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week show, based on the Realme GT Neo 3T. (Image Source: Realme)

“Our partnership with designer Amit Aggarwal represents a perfect fusion of technology and avant-garde design coming together to create amazing designs with the human touch,” Sheth adds.

But coming back to phones and tech, as the markets continue to grow more crowded with similarly specced phones, how these pieces of technology will actually look, feel and appeal to consumers could play a bigger part in determining sales. The design element could only grow more crucial as competition increases and processors, displays and cameras all begin coming from the same vendors.

Many brands new and old have been catching on with the importance of aesthetics, but Sheth insists that looks was an impact point from the beginning and “design and innovation have always been part of Realme’s DNA.”