India, the world's second most populous nation whose number of residents is predicted to surpass China's, seems ready for its own smartphone age.
The recent months have seen an increase in the number of latest gadgets being sold in the busy streets of India's key cities.
With the hype, the battle for dominance in the country's mobile market has been becoming distinctly competitive. Chinese players such as LeTV Holdings Co. Ltd., Xiaomi Corp. and Meizu Technology Co. Ltd. join local brands Micromax Mobile and Lava International Ltd. in the tough competition.
The smartphone sellers also vie for supremacy in the middle end of the sector, which is composed of mobile phones worth $200 and below.
Meanwhile, Chinese tech powerhouse Lenovo is also taking on global giant Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. in India's mainstream market. Smartphones in this segment can cost as much as $500.
Another firm, Vivo Mobile Communication Technology is also making its own name in the market. This low-profile smartphone maker made headlines when it became a title sponsor for the popular Indian Premier League.
However, amid this boom, there still seems to be a place for cheap and cheerful mobiles. In an article published by China Daily, people from the business community explained this situation.
The report pointed out that a lot of people from the community use two hand-held devices: one smartphone and one old-model mobile. The former is used in checking mails and catching up with latest news, while the latter is used for phone calls.