No one's buying sleek mobile phones these days

Economic slowdown means buyers are opting for low-cost cell phones

Economic slowdown means buyers are opting for low-cost cell phones
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The economic slowdown has hit the mobile phone industry too. With salary cuts and low incomes, the sale of high-end mobile phones in the city has also gone down.

No Takers: This man was one of the few ones to visit this mobile phone shop in Camp

Though mobile companies are steadily launching new handsets with better and upgraded facilities, people currently prefer the low-cost and basic-utility mobiles.
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Prajakta Nigam, who owns the Mobile Galaxy shop in Sadashiv Peth, said, "In the last two months, we have seen a reasonable fall in the sale of expensive cell phones.

Earlier we used to sell three to five expensive phones a day, but now we are lucky if we manage to sell even one."u00a0

Malik Bhanvadia, owner of Mobile Zone in Shivaji Nagar, added, "The sale of expensive phones has definitely gone down by 50 per cent."

No discounts

But dealers are still hopeful. The sale of low-cost phones has gone up, but at a slow pace. "Though the sale of high-end phones has gone down by 50 per cent, the sale of phones that cost between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 has gone up by 10-20 per cent," said Dinesh Bhansali, owner of Indian Mobile Shoppee.
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Dealers, meanwhile, are not offering heavy discounts like other products and brands. "Marna hai kya offer de kar? Phone toh nahi bik rahe hai aur hum offers denge?" said Mahendra Oswal, Mahavir Electronics.

He believes that such offers aren't going to motivate customers enough to buy phones and so they will end up running into heavy losses.
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There are, however, some dealers who feel that mobile phone lovers are not deterred by the financial condition.
Gulshan Gusai, store manager of The Mobile Store at F C Road, said, "Though there is a drop of two to three per cent in the purchase of phones that cost between Rs 15,000-Rs 20,000, some people are going in for newer models."