ZTE to revamp product lineup to stay strong

ZTE Mobile Devices, a division of global telecommunications equipment and networks provider ZTE Corp, will trim its product lineup to boost competitiveness in the fast-changing mobile industry, a top company official said.

"We will focus on developing two or three core devices and shed some products which have proved less competitive in the market," said Zeng Xuezhong, chief executive officer of ZTE Mobile Devices.

According to Zeng, the company will focus more on developing devices with core technology, especially those that can create new consumer experiences.

Zeng's remarks came after ZTE launched a new product, Star II, its latest fourth-generation LTE flagship voice-control device, on Thursday in Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong province.

Launching the new product represents ZTE's effort to boost its competitiveness and increase its market share by offering voice-control functions that redefine the smartphone experience, said Zeng.

He said the new product is supported by more than 1,000 patents, of which 158 relat to voice control, further demonstrating ZTE's strength in intelligent voice technology in the industry.

Since it launched its first smartphones in 2003, ZTE has developed a varieties of smart mobile devices, covering Android, WP and other operating systems, according to company sources.

However, a wide range of products has not helped boost ZTE's value in the market.

"We had a large volume in the market, but it did not help increase our brand value," he said.

Citing Apple Inc's smartphones as an example, Zeng said Chinese mobile phone producers need to focus on boosting brand value by paying more attention to its core and competitive products.

"We have introduced a strategy to increase the value, instead of the volume of our products by focusing on developing core technology in major devices, such as the Star II," said Zeng.

"We are committed to changing consumers' lives and how they interact with mobile devices in the era of a connected world via mobile broadband Internet," Zeng said, adding that launching the voice-controlled device would help boost ZTE's market share in the domestic industry.

ZTE expects to sell 60 million smartphones in 2015, said Zeng.

"There will be more products equipped with high technology that will be launched next year, which will help boost our presence in the high-end mobile industry," he said.

In a move to promote Internet services in the mobile industry, China Mobile Ltd, the country's biggest telecom carrier, has encouraged mobile device manufacturers to invest more to develop new devices by integrating the Rich Communication Services technology.

ZTE Star II is one of the few devices that supports China Mobile's new RCS and comes with voice-control technology that integrates RCS voice messaging and call features.

Li Yue, chief executive officer of China Mobile, said: "Voice-controlled technology will be a major part of the smartphone industry in the 4G era."