Lenovo, the world's largest computer maker, is entering the upper-10,000 baht smartphone market in a bid to bypass the crowded low-end segment.
"We think the upcoming 4G spectrum auctions will stimulate the speedy migration of 3G smartphone users to 4G-enabled smartphones in 2016, thanks to improved user experience," said Somsak Athisaitrakul, Lenovo Thailand's country head for smartphones.
This year, he said 4G-enabled models would account for 10% of local smartphone sales, and double that in 2016.
Lenovo will roll out 4G smartphones to support every frequency use, with only a couple of new 3G models this year.
Lenovo is entering the upper-10,000 baht market this year due to foreseen demand in the 10,000-16,000 segment, which accounts for 10-15% of the total market, Mr Somsak said.
The company is also introducing its first camera smartphone, the Vibe Shot, equipped with a 5-inch high-definition screen and 16-megapixel camera. The unique features will help differentiate it from rivals to attract lifestyle users, he said.
By the year-end, Lenovo will introduce three models in the upper-10,000 baht range, said Mr Somsak.
Nutchanon Boonsorn, IDC Thailand's associate market analyst, said Chinese phone makers would focus more on the 10,000-16,000 baht segment as it is less crowded and less intense compared with the low-end segment, while the upper-20,000 range is dominated by Apple and Samsung.
Samsung is also venturing into the upper-10,000-baht segment as it cannot rely solely on the high-end price band.