Poco Plans to Boost Offline Presence and Target Double-Digit Growth in India by 2025

Poco Plans Significant Offline Expansion in India, Targeting Double-Digit Growth by 2025

Poco, Xiaomi’s sub-brand, is setting its sights on expanding its offline presence in India, according to a recent interview with the company’s India head. With ambitions to capture a larger share of the Indian smartphone market, Poco plans to achieve double-digit growth in 2025. The company aims to compete with the top five players in India’s competitive smartphone sector over the next few years. This strategic move follows Poco’s previous expansion into new online platforms, including Amazon, in addition to its existing presence on Flipkart.

Himanshu Tandon, the head of Poco India, emphasized the company’s plans for expansion in an interview with ET Telecom. Traditionally, Poco has relied heavily on its online sales model, but the company is now developing strategies to make its phones more accessible through offline channels. This change could potentially boost visibility and sales, as India’s offline retail market continues to grow.

Poco’s target for 2025 includes both double-digit growth in terms of overall sales and the goal of capturing a significant portion of the Indian smartphone market. In Q3 2024, Poco held a 5.8 percent market share in India, reflecting a 6.5 percent year-on-year growth, according to data from the International Data Corporation (IDC). The company’s continued expansion into the offline retail space is expected to fuel further market share growth and elevate its brand presence.

The shift towards offline retail is seen as an important step in Poco’s journey to strengthen its position in India’s highly competitive smartphone market. With its focus on expanding both online and offline reach, Poco aims to not only grow its market share but also challenge the dominant players, offering Indian consumers more choices in the budget and mid-range smartphone segments.

Call of Duty: World at War and Singularity Expected to Join Game Pass in 2025

Call of Duty: World at War and Singularity Expected to Join Xbox Game Pass in May 2025

Reports suggest that Call of Duty: World at War, Treyarch’s World War II-themed first-person shooter, will soon be available on Xbox Game Pass. The 2008 title is expected to join the subscription service around May 2025, bringing the iconic military shooter to Game Pass subscribers. Alongside World at War, Singularity, a sci-fi first-person shooter developed by Raven Software, is also anticipated to be added to the service in the same month.

The leak comes from trusted tipster @eXtas1stv, who has a track record of accurately predicting Game Pass additions. The leaker shared the information on X (formerly Twitter), revealing that both titles will be available on Game Pass by May. In the same post, @eXtas1stv also hinted that another Call of Duty game could be coming to the platform in March, though the title remains unnamed at this point.

This would make Call of Duty: World at War the third Call of Duty game to be available on Xbox Game Pass. Previous entries, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, have already made their way to the service. Modern Warfare 3 joined Game Pass in July 2024, while Black Ops 6 became the first COD title to launch day one on Game Pass in October.

The inclusion of Call of Duty: World at War on Game Pass marks another significant step in expanding the reach of the Call of Duty franchise on Xbox platforms. With World at War joining the lineup, Game Pass subscribers will have access to a broader range of iconic COD games, further solidifying the service’s appeal to fans of the popular shooter series.

Lava Teases Launch of Smartphone with 50MP Rear Camera in India

Lava Teases New Smartphone with 50MP Camera and LED Light Strips Ahead of India Launch

Lava Mobiles is preparing to launch a new smartphone in India, following the recent introduction of its Blaze Duo 5G with dual displays. The company has shared a teaser of the upcoming handset, offering a glimpse of its design and camera features. While Lava has not disclosed the phone’s name or full specifications, the teaser highlights some key elements, including a 50-megapixel primary camera and an intriguing rear LED light strip within the camera module.

The teaser, shared on X (formerly Twitter), reveals a phone with a centered hole-punch camera cutout at the top of the display, alongside a rectangular rear camera setup. The engraving in the rear camera module confirms the presence of a 50MP primary camera, complemented by AI-driven features for enhanced photography. Additionally, a circular LED flash unit is visible, along with the LED light strips embedded within the module.

While the exact functionality of the LED strips remains unclear, there are speculations that they could serve as notifications for calls, reminders, and alerts. The possibility of customizable RGB lighting is also being discussed, allowing users to personalize the lighting based on specific activities. However, these features are purely speculative, and potential buyers should wait for further official details from Lava before drawing any conclusions.

The launch of this new Lava smartphone is generating significant interest, with more details expected to emerge in the coming days. As the company aims to expand its presence in the competitive Indian smartphone market, this new handset could provide a fresh offering with cutting-edge features designed to attract a wide range of consumers.