Lenovo Planning Full Scale Assault On Smart-Phone Market

Post by Sharat | March 9, 2010 | Lenovo, Lenovo Computers, News, Smart-Phones | Comment

Chinese computer manufacturing giant Lenovo, the world’s fourth largest PC maker, says it intends to develop more mobile internet enabled devices as it seeks to regain ground lost, following a late entry into the sizzling hot smart-phone market.

Lenovo finally entered the mobile phone segment late last year, after repurchasing the mobile phone unit it sold less than two years earlier.

The company shed the unit ostensibly to focus on its core laptop and PC business, but quickly decided to re-enter the market after recognizing the increasing convergence between PC’s and smart-phones.

In January, at the Consumer Electronic Show, Lenovo debuted a thin touch screen device that runs on Google’s android operating system.

In launching the phone, Lenovo joins a growing list of PC manufacturers rolling out handsets including Dell and Acer, that use Google’s Android as their operating system, and are seeking new opportunities in the fast growing smart-phone segment.

“We launched a number of mobile Internet products at CES and we’d like to be more productive in the segment,” Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing told reporters on the sidelines of the opening session of the annual Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on Wednesday.

Mr. Yang says the company intends to grow its market share in its domestic Chinese market, where it currently controls approximately one third of all sales. The company wants to return to its tradition of being an emerging market specialist, following the diversion of the acquisition of IBM’s PC business.

“The Chinese market is growing very fast,” he said. “I’m confident we can grow our market share.” Mr. Yang said.