Vivo’s sub-brand, iQOO, is officially entering the Russian market. Let’s figure out what is in the company’s assortment and whether a new supplier for the domestic consumer will be able to offer competitive prices.
What is iQOO?
It is committed to becoming the brand of choice for consumers who value powerful performance and ultimate gaming experience. We understand and respect your passion, and we use leading technology and innovative thinking to empower the best Esports performance.
In March 2019, the world’s second largest smartphone manufacturer, BBK Electronics, announced iQOO as a sub-brand of Vivo as its newest member to its smartphone brand lineup along with Oppo, Vivo, Realme and OnePlus. The brand was introduced in India in February 2020.
iQOO came into existence in 2019 as a subsidiary brand of vivo. The title stands for I Quest On and On. The company focuses on the production of productive devices.
The first iQOO smartphone was a model based on the advanced Snapdragon 855 processor at that time. The device was even recognized as the official gaming phone of the King Pro League tournament in the game Honor of Kings. And this is not the only cooperation between iQOO: in 2020, the brand received the status of a premium partner of BMW M Motorsport.
The company also strives to break records for charging speed. In 2020, FlashCharge technology received support for 120 watts of power, and two years later it reached 200 watts for the first time. Thanks to this, the iQOO 10 Pro smartphone charges from zero to 100% in just 10 minutes.
Now the iQOO assortment consists of flagships of number sequences, devices with the prefix Neo and the budget line iQOO Z. The first iQOO phone officially imported to the Russian Federation was the Z9. It’s an inexpensive device powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 with a 6000mAh battery, a 144Hz-enabled AMOLED display, and Sony’s 50MP main camera.
In India
Nipun Marya, an innovative leader and the driving force behind iQOO India, embarks on a quest to redefine the mid-premium smartphone market in India. His journey is marked by strategic insights, brand evolution, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Complete his Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) in Computer Engineering from Punjab Engineering College in 2006.
After that, he pursued an MBA in General Management from the University of Delhi, graduating in 2009.
Early Stages of Career
Before his current role, he began his career as a business analyst at Evalueserve.
After that, he took on the role of Area Sales Manager at Tata Teleservices Ltd.
After that, he entered the field of product marketing. He then took on the role of Group Product Manager at Lava International Limited ( November 2009 – August 2013.)
After that, he became a Product Manager at Samsung India, where he was responsible for building the premium flagship series – Galaxy S and Galaxy Note. As everyone knows, the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series were hugely successful in the market (August 2013 – February 2017).
After that, Nipun Sir joined Vivo Marketing India Pvt Ltd as Director of Marketing Strategy to craft its brand strategy in the ultra-competitive mobile handset market and continue to drive the company’s growth and market share in India. (Feb 2017 – Dec 2021)
“And now, sir is working as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at iQOO (Dec 2021 – till date).”
iQOO in Russia – joyful?
In Russia, the iQOO Z9 is offered in 8+256GB and 12+512GB configurations. Prices are not small: 27,999 and 32,999 rubles, respectively, taking into account the welcome discount. Then the cost will rise to 35 and 42 thousand rubles. It is known that in the future the more affordable iQOO Z9x (about 38,000 rubles) and last year’s flagship iQOO 12 (103,000 rubles) will go on sale.
For comparison: on AliExpress, for the minimum configuration of the Z9, they ask for about 22 thousand rubles, and for the Russian cost of iQOO 12 on the Asian marketplace, you can buy iQOO 12 Pro and keep more than 30 thousand with you. By the way, the current flagship should also appear in official retail in the Russian Federation by the end of the year.
On the other hand, vivo provides 18 months of warranty support for “white” devices. Over time, prices will surely decrease, and the offer will become more relevant. In the meantime, marketplaces will help out.
