Narong Kamondetdecha, sales director of Commtiva Technology, said Sharp Japan had appointed the company as executive and strategic partner to provide Sharp smartphones to the Thai market. The firm therefore has introduced two new models, the Sharp M1 and Sharp Z2, to support the high-potential mid-range market, priced between Bt7,000 and Bt15,000.

The company says the M1 is designed for selfie lovers, with 13-megapixel front and rear cameras. It comes with an in-built back-illuminated sensor that enables photos taken at night to be just as sharp as those captured in a normal lighting environment. The device comes in either white or pink and is available for Bt8,990.

Meanwhile, the Z2 smartphone features fingerprint scan, a 2.3-gigahertz deca-core processor with 5.5-inch full high-definition display. The retail price is Bt9,990 and it comes in silver or gold colours.

“The smartphone segment in the Bt7,000-to-Bt10,000 price range still has growth potential, since telecom operators and brands will be more co-promotion to sales devices with [offer] promotional packages. The firm therefore will drive the smartphone market via telecom operators such as TrueMove H and create promotional campaigns via retail partners including TG Fone, Com7 and Jaymart,” Narong said.

However, Commtiva will primarily distribute its phones via True Shops nationwide.

The company will also announce more than six new smartphones, both mid-range and high-end or premium models, early next year.

He said that by the end of next year the company expected to ship around 60,000 smartphones, 70 per cent of which would be mid-range smartphones and the rest high-end models.

The total smartphone market in Thailand this year will distribute around 16 million units, down by about 12 per cent in term of units and 5 per cent in value compared with last year.