From T9 to autocorrect, 2G to 4G, Xpressmusic to Spotify... It's not just our phones that changed; we did as well! We explore the evolution of phones and the way we use them, from the lens of two companies that once ruled the Indian market.
Timestamps:
(00:58) Today’s topic - Nokia, Micromax and Phones
(02:03) Nokia’s humble beginnings
(03:10) How did Nokia get so popular in India?
(06:15) Parijat’s first Nokia phone, Some iconic games: Snake, Space Impact
(07:40) Iconic branding elements - Nokia ringtone, intro music
(08:15) SMS Lingo, T9 Keyboard
(09:59) The CDMA experiment by Reliance
(11:18) GPRS and WAP (no, not that WAP)
(12:55) Nokia’s Symbian OS and App Store - Revolutionary for its time
(14:09) Beginnings of Micromax - A new era of phones
(15:00) The smartphone revolution - Apple & Google / Android
(16:00) Micromax’s strategy - Rebranding Chinese phones, and expensive marketing
(18:10) The sudden fall of Micromax - JioSaavn 4G and the Chinese takeover (Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Oneplus)
(21:34) Phones aren’t just phones anymore
(22:24) Buying stocks on the toilet!
(23:15) The rise of mobile gaming and e-sports: Call of Duty, PUBG / BGMI
(24:44) Selfies and the rise of the front camera
(26:08) Do Nokia and Micromax still have a chance?
(27:05) Is it possible to make an entire phone in India?
(28:00) The new Nokia
(28:40) Manufacturing might move away from China
(30:00) The crazy future: Foldable phones, AR & VR, Metaverse
References:
https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-did-nokia-succeed-in-the-indian-mobile-market-while-its-rivals-got-hung-up/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZGS2ibCoRg
https://tradebrains.in/micromax-story/
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This podcast was created as a part of Podcast Lab by India Film Project, in association with Anchor by Spotify.
