中国传音成非洲比较大智能手机卖家
坚固设计和低廉价格帮助中国的传音控股(Transsion Holdings)今年超越三星(Samsung)，成为非洲销量最大的智能手机公司。该公司目前正进军印度。
The Shenzhen-based company — best known by the names of its Itel brands — sold more than 50m phones in Africa in the first half of this year, mainly “feature” models with physical keypads, according to technology research group IDC.
据科技研究集团IDC介绍，这家总部位于深圳的公司(以其Itel品牌闻名)今年上半年在非洲销售逾5000万部手机，主要是带有物理键盘的功能手机型号。
That cemented its status as the continent’s biggest phone producer and included 11m smartphones, putting it ahead of its South Korean rival.
这巩固了其作为非洲大陆最大手机制造商的地位，并且包括1100万部智能手机，使其超越了韩国竞争对手。
Globally, Transsion is number four in terms of units sold after Samsung, Apple and China’s Huawei, according to IDC, though low prices mean it is only the 13th largest phone manufacturer by sales value.
根据IDC的数据，全球而言，传音在手机销量上排名第四，位列三星、苹果(Apple)和中国的华为(Huawei)之后，尽管价格低廉意味着，按销售额计算，它只是第13大手机制造商。
Since launching in 2016, Itel phones have also captured an 8 per cent share of India’s handset market, making it the third largest brand, according to Counterpoint Research, a consultancy. This success has been thanks to cheap prices and good distribution, said Tarun Pathak, an analyst at Counterpoint Research.
根据咨询公司Counterpoint Research的数据，自2016年推出以来，Itel手机也占据了印度手机市场8%的份额，成为第三大品牌。Counterpoint Research的分析师塔伦•帕沙克(Tarun Pathak)表示，这一成功得益于价格低廉和分销有方。
Transsion took an unusual route of ignoring the Chinese market to build its sales in sub-Saharan Africa, adapting low-cost phones to local tastes. For instance, its handsets feature multiple sim-card slots, camera software adapted to better-capture darker skin tones, and speakers with enhanced bass.
传音走了一条不寻常的道路，忽略中国市场，而是在撒哈拉以南非洲地区建立销售网络，并且努力使低成本手机适应当地口味。例如，它的手机具有多个SIM卡插槽，相机软件经过优化，能够更好地捕捉较深的肤色，而扬声器具有增强低音。
Sales in Africa could top 100m units this year, helping the company generate more than RMB20bn in revenue, said founder and chief executive Zhu Zhaojiang. “I don’t target the highest-income consumers who would buy Apple or Samsung,” he added.
创始人和首席执行官竺兆江表示，今年非洲销量有望达到1亿部，帮助该公司实现逾200亿元人民币的营收。“我并没有瞄准那些会购买苹果或三星产品的最高收入消费者，”他补充说。
The company will export 120m handsets this year, according to Mr Zhu — making it China’s largest phone exporter by volume, though margins are lower than rivals due to the lower-cost of Transsion phones, which can sell for as little as $10. “In volume terms we are bigger than Huawei, though in value terms they are bigger,” he said.
据竺兆江介绍，今年该公司将出口1.2亿部手机，成为按出口量计算的中国最大手机出口商，尽管由于传音手机的售价较低(有时仅售10美元)，该公司的利润率低于竞争对手。“从数量上说，我们比华为要大，尽管在价值上他们更大，”他表示。
About 216m phones were sold in Africa last year, according to IDC, of which 57 per cent were feature phones.
据IDC统计，去年约有2.16亿部手机在非洲销售，其中57%是功能手机。
Transsion’s success is based on its ability to “match key phones from its main rivals, but at more attractive prices”, according to Simon Baker, an IDC analyst. The company also “established a reputation for ensuring widespread distribution of its phones and providing support in marketing”.
据IDC分析师西蒙•贝克(Simon Baker)称，传音的成功基于其有能力“与主要竞争对手的关键手机媲美，但价格更具吸引力”。该公司还“建立了确保其手机广泛分销和提供营销支持的声誉”。
In Africa, Transsion brands include Itel — originally a marque for feature phones and still the company’s biggest seller — and pricier smartphone brands Tecno and Infinix, which generate most revenue, according to Mr Zhu. He said Transsion phones typically retail for about $100.
他表示，在非洲，传音的品牌包括Itel(原本是功能手机的品牌，仍是该公司最畅销品牌)，以及售价较高、产生最多营收的智能手机品牌Tecno和Infinix。他还表示，传音的手机通常零售价约为100美元。
The group is now targeting south Asia. “We will head out of Africa to other emerging markets,” said Mr Zhu. “In the future our focus will be on north Africa, India and the Middle East.”
该集团现在瞄准了南亚市场。“我们将走出非洲，进入其他新兴市场，”竺兆江表示。“未来我们的重点将放在北非、印度和中东地区。”
Sales of several million units in India will help Transsion sell about 20 per cent of its phones outside Africa this year, he adds. IDC said the brand stood took second place in the Indian mobile phone market in the last quarter of 2016.
他补充说，在印度销售数百万部手机，将帮助传音今年在非洲以外市场销售约20%的手机。IDC表示，该品牌2016年第四季度在印度手机市场排名第二。
Transsion is also moving its manufacturing out of China, building a factory in India and an “industrial park” in Ethiopia where it already makes some phones.
传音也在将其制造业务迁出中国，在印度建造一家工厂，在埃塞俄比亚建立一个“工业园区”，已经有一部分手机在那里制造。
Additional reporting by Andrea Rodrigues in Mumba
安德里亚•罗德里格斯(Andrea Rodrigues)孟买补充报道
