A Weibo user named Old Cool posted that Lenovo will not be launching the Zuk Z3 to which, an analyst Pan Jiutang replied saying that the Zuk Mobile is shutting down in the next few weeks. It is speculated that the brand will be absorbed in the previously one-brand strategy as well. Interestingly, this contradicts recent leaks where renders of what’s believed to be a special edition of the ZUK Edge 2 emerged online.
In its two years’ of existence, Zuk Mobile tried to catch on the flourishing online-only sales market where other players such as Xiaomi and OnePlus have long ruled. However, the brand managed to launch only five smartphones in its short-lived existence. The first smartphone was launched in May last year. Called the Zuk Z1 – the USP of the smartphone is that it runs Cyanogen OS 12.1 based on Android 5.1 Lollipop. The last smartphone by Zuk was launched in December 2016, called Zuk Edge.
It is worth mentioning that the use of Cyanogen OS has its own share of controversies. The company which offered a more user-friendly and customizable version of Android, claimed better than Google, embraced instant success by powering popular smartphones such as the OnePlus One. In India, the company initially partnered exclusively with Micromax for its Yu-branded smartphones. However, soon the Indian manufacturer also ditched the Cyanogen OS thereby opening up the channel for other like Lenovo’s Zuk.
Although there is no official statement, but if the reports are to be believed, Lenovo might retain the ZUI custom Android skin. This falls in line with the recent comments made by Lenovo Vice President Alex Chen Yu who said that the upcoming Moto smartphones will feature Zuk’s ZUI interface.
As the competition grows in the crowding smartphone market where each day we witness a new feature launching, it has become difficult for manufacturers to stay innovative and relevant. In India, where the Chinese manufacturers are enjoying their new found popularity, thanks to millennials opting for affordable yet feature-rich smartphones; established brands such as Apple and Samsung are scrambling for the market share. Amidst all this, a brand like Lenovo is keeping up in the game, especially after it included Motorola under its umbrella.
In a recent report by IDC, Lenovo recorded 14.8 percent year-on-year growth and ranked second in terms of value and volume in India last year. Emerging as the second-biggest smartphone vendor, Lenovo had a market share of 8.9 percent in calendar year 2016 and 9.9 percent in the fourth quarter alone. The growth is attributed to Lenovo’s aggressive launches in mid-tier and premium segment in the given period.
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