What does a company that makes luxury toasters have to do with 5G smartphones? The Balmuda story
From the luxury toaster market to the business of top-of-the-line 5G smartphones. This is the story of Balmuda, a Japanese company that has announced its intention to enter the phone business by designing new Android smartphones that focus mainly on design and uniqueness.
The company's goal is to start production as soon as possible and launch its first devices on the market as early as next November 2021. This is an ambitious purpose for this company that owes its success to the design of toasters whose prices start from at least 300 euros each. The Japanese company has recorded a profit 5 times higher in the first quarter of 2021 than in the previous year with an increase in sales of 93%. A solid economic base, therefore, to experiment with new market sectors and launch its proposal for 5G designer smartphones that will most likely compete with the top of the range of Apple and Samsung.
Balmuda aims at smartphones: the official announcement
The Japanese company announced its intention to enter the 5G smartphone business in a post on its official website on May 13, 2021. After the successes recorded with home appliances, they explain, comes the need for new experiences and expand its horizons by focusing on the mobile device sector. The goal is to produce 5G smartphones that stand out in design, high-end products that will be manufactured in Kyocera Corporation's factories.
Gen Terao, CEO of Balmuda, said, "Smartphones today all look the same and consumers have few options. This presents us with an opportunity. We are looking to become No. 1 in terms of uniqueness, rather than market share."
What the new smartphones will look like and when they arrive
Balmuda's goal is to design and make smartphones with 5G connectivity, and the models could be either with a SIM card or without. The operating system could be Android, although the Japanese company has stressed its intention to develop dedicated apps, to launch smartphones suitable for its daily use.
Production would therefore be close and the first models could appear on the market as early as November 2021. Balmuda's offer, most likely, will be that of high-end smartphones that will compete directly with those of manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung or Xiaomi.