Realme has expanded its P Series in India with the launch of the Realme P4R 5G, which the company claims is the first phone in its price segment to offer an 8,000mAh battery. Days ahead of the launch, Francis Wong, Head of Product Marketing at Realme Global, spoke to The Times of India about the company's India portfolio and the P4R 5G smartphone.
Realme P Series Positioning
The Realme P Series, launched in April 2024, is the company's mid-range lineup. Realme also has the Narzo series, which enjoys strong brand recall in the segment. According to Wong, the P Series is positioned largely as a Flipkart-exclusive range, while Narzo remains associated with Amazon. Emphasizing what he called the company's 'Balanced Channel Strategy,' Wong stated that Realme is not limited to an online-first strategy but focuses on maintaining a healthy balance between online and mainline channels. While the P Series continues to be a key online growth engine, the Number Series remains a strong driver of the mainline business.
Focus on Battery Life
The comments come as Realme sharpens its focus on affordability and battery life amid rising component costs. Wong said that battery performance will be the company's primary differentiator over the next two years. 'The P Series was designed specifically for India's online-first consumers, allowing us to stay closely connected to their evolving needs. Young consumers don't buy smartphones based on specifications alone; they buy devices that solve their everyday needs. From day one, the P Series was built specifically for India's digital-first generation, people who game, stream, create content, learn, and work through their smartphones,' Wong explained.
'In 2025 and 2026, the number one buying factor across the Realme portfolio, especially online, will definitely be battery life,' he added. 'The second is performance and processor capability, particularly gaming performance. The third is design.'
Early Investment in High-Capacity Batteries
Realme believes its early investment in high-capacity batteries has given it an edge. Wong said the company secured inventory and supplier partnerships before larger batteries became mainstream, allowing it to bring 7,000mAh and 8,000mAh devices to market ahead of competitors. 'Every brand has to choose where it wants to lead. For Realme, that area is battery. Other brands may focus on cameras. This is how we've chosen to compete,' he stated.
Durability and Longevity
Beyond battery capacity, the company is increasingly emphasizing durability and longevity as smartphone replacement cycles lengthen. Wong noted that consumers are now keeping their phones for three to five years, forcing brands to focus on long-term reliability. 'The biggest challenge is making sure consumers trust that the phone can last longer,' he said. 'Earlier, people bought phones in a rush and only thought about one or two years of usage. Now they want to use their phones for three to four to five years.'
Realme P4R 5G Features
Realme is primarily targeting college students and younger consumers, whom Wong described as 'heavy users,' with its latest smartphone. The Realme P4R 5G comes with 'One Tap Cooling' that can be activated during gaming and other high-power-consuming tasks. According to the company, if the phone heats up during such tasks, the 'One Tap Cooling' mode reduces the temperature by 1 to 2 degrees in just 2 minutes.
Realme says the new device supports 1,600 charging cycles, comes with a 48-month fluency guarantee, and is designed to retain up to 80 percent battery health after seven years. The phone will also receive two Android OS upgrades and three years of security updates.
Price Outlook
Wong also warned that smartphone prices are unlikely to ease anytime soon. 'Memory costs will keep increasing until the second half of 2027,' he said, adding that rising component prices are affecting the entire electronics industry.
