G'Five International, a China-based vendor recording successful marketing of entry-level feature phones in India, Pakistan, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa under the own brand G'Five, will tap the China market with a focus on 3G Android smartphones and will launch initial models in May 2011, with a goal of attaining a 30% market share in three years, according to Taiwan-based handset makers.
G'Five's parent company began OEM production of handsets for overseas clients in 2005 and established G'Five for own-brand production in June 2008, the sources indicated. Ranking among the global top 10 handset brands in the first half of 2010, G'Five sold more than 20 million handsets in 2010, much more than 9 million units sold in 2009, the sources pointed out.
Unlike most China-based brands extending from the home market to overseas ones, G'Five enters the home market with proven achievement in overseas markets and this will be attractive to some customers in China, the sources pointed out. However, G'Five will face challenges in brand positioning, product competitiveness and supply chain management due to operational transformation from entry-level handsets at US$40-60 to 3G Android models, the sources analyzed. In addition, the China market of 3G and/or Android smartphones has been filled with a number of reputable China-based vendors, including Huawei Device, ZTE, Coolpad, Lenovo and K-Touch, the sources indicated.
G'Five has also stepped into marketing of own-brand tablet PCs, notebook PCs, digital music players and digital photo frames, the sources noted.
Article translated by Adam Hwang
