Fringe brands step up phone launches to cash in on Covid-induced surge in demand

New Delhi: There will be no dearth of choice for Indian smartphone shoppers looking beyond the most popular brands this festive season. Brands like LG, ASUS, Karbonn, Gionee, iTel, Infinix, Tecno, Motorola, Nokia, Sony and Honor have all scampered into the market with new smartphone launches to seize the opportunity created by huge demand for budget phones and anti-China sentiment in the midst of the Covid pandemic. According to Counterpoint data, out of 43 launches of smartphone models and variants in August and September, almost a quarter have come from the fringe brands, for the first time in years. Analysts, though, expect the smartphone biggies to swing back into action in October.