Lenovo eyes smartphone segment for growth

Lenovo Group reported strong growth in smartphone sales in September, in the face of an overall downturn in the domestic market.

The performance was driven by a price-aggressive strategy, the company said Thursday.

Lenovo, which released its new Z5 Pro model with a slide screen and optimized AI features, said its smartphone sales jumped 76 percent year on year, compared with a 12 percent decrease in the overall Chinese smartphone market because of fierce competition and sluggish demand.

China’s biggest personal computer maker is increasingly focusing on mobile Internet, data centers and cloud computing, besides its PC business.

In the second quarter, Lenovo posted revenue of US$11.9 billion, a 19 percent growth year on year. The mobile business contributed revenue of US$1.65 billion as it becomes a key earner.

The new Z5 Pro features slide screen design offering better display performance, a 6.4-inch screen, an in-screen fingerprint sensor, facial recognition, a Qualcomm 710 processor and a security chip for mobile payments.

Prices start at 1,998 yuan (US$288), less than comparable models from Xiaomi and Huawei, which cost more than 3,000 yuan.

The Z5 Pro hits the market November 11, a Cyber Monday-like online shopping festival in China.

Also during the festival, Lenovo will discount earlier models, with some prices below 500 yuan. Lenovo is pushing to increase sales as quickly as possible to catch up with first-tier brands such as Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo.