Videocon ramps up 4G handset lineup

New Delhi: Electronics major Videocon plans to launch nine smartphones in next few months to cash in on the festive season and the booming demand for 4G-enabled handsets.

With a portfolio of about 70 handsets (including feature phones), Videocon is focussing on ensuring its future line of smartphones is 4G-enabled.

"We are aggressively expanding our portfolio. By December, we will have 9 more smartphone models. These will be across price points and will be 4G, VoLTE-ready. We will have very few 3G handsets since there is still some demand in the market for those devices," Videocon Product Business Head Smartphone Vineet Mahajan told PTI.

These phones will also come integrated with a 'panic button' as mandated by the government.

"We are launching our 'SOS-Be Safe' with our new smartphone, Cube 3. Going ahead, all our phones will have the app integrated, meeting the government's mandate much in advance," Videocon Head Technology and Innovation Akshay Dhoot said.

The app uses the power button as the panic button to send an alert to the numbers added in the emergency list by the user. It has a 'Walk with Me' feature that sends an emergency alert to the user's chosen list if they cross a preset distance.

The Department of Telecom in April had notified that all mobile phone handset manufacturers should install a panic button by January 2017.

Videocon manufactures its handsets in India at its locations, including Aurangabad and Ahmednagar. With a monthly capacity of about 1.7 million units, the company also carries out contract manufacturing for Coolpad.