Hayscreen is a Russian company. About the Highscreen brand

Few Russian brands in the smartphone market can openly declare that they have no competitors in their segment. Not many people admit that a smartphone sold in large quantities and in a short time is a mistake of Chinese manufacturers. And certainly few people dare to say that its products compete on equal terms with the flagships of Samsung, and in some ways even surpass them.

Mikhail, let's first get acquainted with the ideology of the Highscreen brand. What are your tasks, in what ways are you trying to succeed in the rather competitive Russian market of mobile gadgets?

Initially, as part of the Highscreen brand, we tried to present unusual gadgets that have at least some consumer “zest”. Thus, we tried to distance ourselves from the mass of umbrella brands offering Russian consumers devices of the same type. And, frankly, we have been doing this successfully for a long time.

In 2009 Highscreen PP5420 became the first Android smartphone officially delivered to Russia, two months ahead of HTC Hero. The Highscreen Zeus model became the first Android smartphone in the country with a sliding QWERTY keyboard, as well as the first device on this operating system with a price tag below 10,000 rubles.

The Highscreen Hippo, with a 5-inch screen, outpaced the Samsung Galaxy Note by a year in the smartphone category. This was the first such device in Russia.

The Highscreen Alex reader in Russia (and at the same time in the world) still has no analogues, this is the only "reader" with two displays - E Ink and TFT - in one case, running on a fully functional version of the Android operating system.

Highscreen Cosmo is the first smartphone with an original multi-colored edge illumination, "color music". Nobody offered anything like this either before or after us.

Highscreen Cosmo Duo is the second "two-SIM" Android background in Russia. (The first was Gigabyte GSmart G1310, which also went on sale thanks to our efforts - Vobis Computer is a distributor of Gigabyte Communications smartphones in the Russian market.)

The second part of our strategy has always been an aggressive pricing policy. For example, even a very common in terms of functionality Highscreen Nano on Windows Mobile became the first smartphone with a price tag below 5 thousand rubles (except for a couple of outdated Nokia models on Symbian, which were initially sold for a lot of money, but became cheaper over time). Otherwise, this is an ordinary smartphone with ordinary, unremarkable characteristics.

In the last year, competition in the smartphone market has sharply intensified, with dozens of almost identical smartphones appearing on store shelves with minor differences. It has become difficult to offer the market something unique in terms of technical "stuffing". Therefore, we slightly modified our strategy. Now we are not trying to offer unique solutions, but we are working “ahead of the curve”. Yes, our competitors have the same models as ours, and sometimes even with a more interesting price tag. But these models appear with a delay of 3-4 months, that is, we are significantly ahead of competitors in the presentation of certain models.

Are you talking about the Highscreen Alpha line with GT and GTR models?

That's right, these 2012 models were essentially a watershed for us. With them, for the first time, we have concentrated in our hands a significant part of the smartphone creation process. And not only in terms of software. We began to actively participate in the creation of the hardware itself, in the selection of hardware components. Our development bureau now exposes special, unique specifications, according to which Chinese partners (design houses) "sculpt" devices.

As a result, Highscreen Alpha GTR became a real "bomb". For the first time in Russia, we offered the consumer an IPS-screen with HD-resolution (by the way, produced by the Japanese company Sharp), support for two SIM-cards and a dual-core processor in a smartphone with a price tag of 11,990 rubles. The model has become key not only for our brand, but also for the budget segment of smartphones in general. First, HD screens with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels (like our Alpha GTR) are still actively used in the new flagship smartphones of the world's largest brands. Thus, even more than six months after the release of the Highscreen Alpha GTR, it is on a par with the top smartphones of brands such as HTC and Samsung. Secondly, it was with the help of Highscreen Alpha GTR that the stereotype, which was not unfounded in the past, but absolutely incorrect today, about the secondary and technical backwardness of "two-SIM" smartphones, was destroyed.

The “younger brother” of the Alpha GTR, the Highscreen Alpha GT model, has also proven itself well, with 1 GB of RAM at a price of 8,990 rubles - many smartphones in this price category still have 512 MB modules. But RAM is the second parameter after the processor that affects the speed of the smartphone. And we also offer an 8 GB or 16 GB memory card in the kit (in the case of Alpha GT and GTR, respectively) - even famous brands do not always put this in the box with flagships.

Please note that we are continuing to develop the earlier models at the level of their serious modernization. For example, the Highscreen Yummy Duo improved in early 2013 (the first version became one of the hits of the budget smartphones market in 2012) received a single-core MediaTek MT6575M processor with a frequency of 1 GHz - instead of the previous "starting" 650 MHz.

In fact, now Yummy Duo-2013 is the most affordable Android smartphone in Russia with similar characteristics. For 4,990 rubles, we offer, among other things, a large 4.3-inch screen and a 5-megapixel camera.

Another good example is Highscreen Alpha GT rev B, where the MediaTek MT6575 chipset is replaced by the MediaTek MT6577 with a dual-core processor. We also offered an update to Android 4.1. And all this at the same price - 7,990 rubles.

Many users have complained about the lack of support for older smartphones. In particular, Highscreen Jet Duo, Highscreen Cosmo and Cosmo Duo. First of all, the questions were about the lack of updates to Android versions. Accordingly, some users are still wary of the newer models - Alpha GT and GTR. How is Highscreen doing with updates now?

A scanty number of users know how the process of preparing and releasing updates for Android smartphones is actually built. The following opinion dominates: they say, with the release of some Android 4.1, the brand needs only to download the source code of the system, “screw” it to the model and “release it to the people”. In fact, this is a much more complicated process from a technical point of view. And it starts with the chipset manufacturer. Even companies like Sony or HTC are forced to wait for the same Qualcomm to give them an Android update. Here Highscreen is no different from competitors, being in direct dependence on, say, MediaTek. Preparation of releases bypassing the chip maker is the lot of forum "specialists". And after laying out such releases, it's time to arrange a vote on what new glitches users meet in the "samovar" firmware most often.

It should also be clearly understood that we, a legal official supplier, cannot follow the "path of hackers" and independently "mangle" systems, pick the sources of new versions of Android. We provide warranty support for all devices that are updated with official firmware released by us. That is why we are forced to follow the official path - to seek from chip makers to release update packages for our devices, together with Chinese partners to finalize the firmware and make official releases. Yes, it may seem strange that in some cases we are not able to release an official firmware, while the forums are full of unofficial rum brews for our devices.

I can say that, again, the Alpha series has become a turning point in this regard. We have already updated the GTR and GT rev B to 4.1. An update is also being prepared for the flagship model of early 2013 Highscreen Explosion.

Since MediaTek has already been mentioned - how do you assess the work of this Taiwanese company, why are manufacturers of the budget segment more and more choosing its chipsets?

MediaTek deserves respect already for the fact that with its help the stereotype of Chinese devices only as fakes for products of A-brands was destroyed. The company was the first to switch from manufacturing "bare" processors to offering ready-made platform solutions to the market: the processor is already integrated on the board with other components. All that remains for Chinese factories is to decide on the design and screen, install the camera and battery. A high-quality and inexpensive hardware platform has provoked a "boom" in affordable "dual-SIM" smartphones. And the overall level of quality of such models has grown significantly as a result. MediaTek provides optimal vendor support better than Qualcomm. Moreover, support not only of several top companies, but also of dozens of partners of completely different levels. An analogy with software platform manufacturers comes to mind. One of the reasons for Android's success against Windows Mobile was Google's more flexible approach to dozens of smaller device manufacturers.

At the same time, Qualcomm prefers well-known manufacturers, we can hardly expect from the company adequate support for relatively inexpensive chipsets.

Coming back to the issue of updates - Highscreen Alpha GT and GTR have already received Android 4.1. After all, MediaTek was the first to give Jelly Bean to cheap chipsets. But Highscreen Blast and Strike based on Qualcomm MSM8225, alas, will not see the official release of Jelly Bean. Never ever! And the point, as I said, is not our reluctance - it's about Qualcomm's policy: (However, the demand for budget models with Qualcomm chips is very high, users still trust the American manufacturer. So we decided to expand the line and occupy this niche too ...

By the way, recently MediaTek chipsets have been used not only by second-tier brands, but also by "first-class" companies. Sharp and its SH530U, SH631W and SH837W models are a prime example of this. If we draw parallels, now MediaTek is like AMD versus Intel. Yes, AMD solutions are slightly inferior in power, but they are not that expensive either.

With the filing of MediaTek, the sale of smartphones today are previously far from this market umbrella brands like Digma and Ritmix. In your opinion, how will the budget segment of the smartphone market develop in 2013?

There are more and more smartphones, and there are less and less technical differences between them. Even the designs of models from different brands are almost identical. It is more and more difficult for the user to make a choice in a variety of identical standard solutions. As a result, competition is increasingly shifting to the price plane: whoever offers cheaper, they will buy from that. We have seen a similar scenario of market development in the segment of navigators. Therefore, it is quite easy to predict the further development of the situation. At some point, there will be too many players offering the same type of solutions, prices will fall below the critical minimum, the marginality (profitability) of this business will begin to fall, and then the “washing out” of weak players will naturally begin.

Three types of companies will survive. Those who supply large volumes of devices and are able to significantly "move" in the price tag (for example, teXet). Those who will actively invest in increasing brand awareness and popularization. The third way is the way that we have defined for ourselves - commodity diversification. That is, to offer the market devices that stand out at least in some way against the background of similar competitors. But here you need, as they say, "run fast" in order to be ahead of the curve. As I said, our path is the third. Although we also understand the importance of brand promotion and competitive price factor.

How does Highscreen compare favorably with other Russian brands when it comes to smartphones?

We do not seek to embrace the immensity. Highscreen initially specialized in smartphones and only for them. We have extensive experience in this particular market segment, which I described in detail at the beginning of the interview. Based on our deep understanding of the smartphone market, we have developed a professional approach to this category of devices. As you can see from the assortment, Highscreen has a less is more policy. The current lineup is only 8 smartphones, the appearance of new products occurs when the predecessors are withdrawn from sale. This is better than offering a dozen or a half almost identical models, making it difficult to sell them and complicating the choice for the buyer.

In fact, Highscreen now has only two flagship solutions - the Boost and Explosion models. How can they interest buyers?

Highscreen Explosion is an example of what we are able to do not only budget "two-SIM" smartphones and solutions, where we still have to talk about some compromise in terms of performance. Explosion is real flagship smartphone in the full sense of the word. Explosion uses a quad-core samsung processor Exynos 4412. The same solution is used in the Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II - the hit devices of the world smartphone market in 2012. We again became the first to be out of competition in the niche of budget quad-core smartphones. For a uniquely low price of 12,990 rubles, users got a top-end platform, an attractive design, a 4.7-inch HD display and a 2,500 mAh battery (more than the Galaxy S III with its 2,100 mAh). By saving about 7 thousand rubles (about 30%), you can get the same opportunities as in the case of one of the best-selling Android smartphones in 2012.

Highscreen Boost is an unusual model that solves the main problem of current Android smartphones. This is the first smartphone in Russia with a reinforced battery, its capacity is 4,160 mAh. For comparison: until now, only Lenovo IdeaPhone P770 and the Motorola RAZR MAXX series with batteries of 3,500 and 3,300 mAh, respectively, could be attributed to the "long-playing" Android-backgrounds. These smartphones provide up to 4 days of work without recharging, while Highscreen Boost is able to hold out a record 5-7 days.

Did you have to make any compromises for this record high in Highscreen Boost?

As you can imagine, a 4,160 mAh battery, by definition, cannot be light. Therefore, Highscreen Boost, let's say, "felt" in the hand. The case is also unlikely to please with its slimness - 14.2 mm with an average of 10 mm (even for budget smartphones).

Otherwise, Boost is a typical modern smartphone with characteristics normal for a price of 8,990 rubles. The screen is 4.3 inches with an IPS matrix and qHD resolution. Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, 1 GB of RAM, a 1.4 GHz Qualcomm MSM8225 dual-core processor, 1.3 MP and 8 MP cameras - in general, everything is in order. Many budget employees with a similar price tag run Android 4.0, run on MTK single-core processors and only have 512 MB of RAM.

There is a curious story about Highscreen Boost. The fact is that while preparing the model, our Chinese partners mixed up the screens and accidentally installed a display from the Japanese company Sharp. Sharp displays are some of the highest quality displays on the market, and this Japanese company even supplies screens for the iPhone 5. Although these screens are not the cheapest. As a result, having received the first batch of smartphones and discovered a “substitution”, we decided not to fix anything, but simply to “invest” in high-quality screens, offering users a more worthy product at the end.

DNS has a similar "long-playing" smartphone - our device is a little more expensive, but it benefits from its display and a number of other parameters.

Android 4.1.2 made it to the Samsung Galaxy S III last December. Will there be a similar update for Highscreen Explosion?

As I said, we are planning to release the update very soon. Most likely already in April. In general, with Samsung Exynos 4412, Highscreen Explosion buyers get much more "bonuses" than it might seem at first glance. Agree, given the status of Galaxy S III as a sales leader around the world, independent developers, both now and in the next few years, will strive to ensure compatibility and "bug-free" operation of their programs and games with this smartphone. That is, with the Samsung Exynos 4412 Quad chipset. As you can imagine, Highscreen Explosion automatically gets this benefit. In addition, the model will receive the same Android updates as the Galaxy S III, albeit with predictable delays. I would not like to make unfounded predictions, but in the case of Android 5.0 for Galaxy S III, the same release is highly likely to receive Highscreen Explosion. And again: all this at a "very tasty" price - 6-7 thousand rubles lower than the official price of Galaxy S III.

Highscreen Explosion and Boost are your flagships of early 2013, will we see no less modest smartphones next?

Yes, you are right, this is just a "market seed". Plans, as they say, are enormous! Over the course of the year, you will see even more impressive models that will once again confirm our desire to be on the market as a kind of technical "pioneer" of the budget segment. Showing that the latest technological developments are available not only to A-brands. In particular, you will soon realize that even smartphones with Full HD screen resolution are not at all the lot of exceptionally expensive flagship models ...

By the way, using the example of the current lineup, you can see that Highscreen is not limited to MediaTek chipsets alone - we also use Qualcomm and Samsung solutions. In the future, it is planned to install platforms and other leading "iron" companies. For example NVIDIA.

How do you see the main buyer of your products?

It would be wrong to think that the buyers of our devices are people with low incomes. I would say otherwise. First of all, these are people with a rational approach to purchasing devices. For the most part, residents of the regions, although not only. Moscow and the inhabitants of other Russian megalopolises are "spoiled" by brands. Here, a person often buys a device, taking into account not so much the functionality of a smartphone, but rather a well-known name, the "prestige" of the brand. People are, in fact, willing to overpay just for the brand. In the regions, consumers are more calculating, looking first of all at the combined ratio of functionality / quality / price, and only then at the brand. Such buyers, seeing the same characteristics of the Highscreen Explosion and the same Galaxy S III with a significant difference in price, would rather opt for our smartphone. And on the example of their latest models we can already really talk about comparing the new Highscreen products with the flagships of the leading international brands.

A deliberate departure from expensive promotion methods gives us an excellent reserve for keeping the price of devices low. Even the design of our site looks at least modest. In our opinion, at this stage, Highscreen should invest primarily in products.

The company "Vobis Computer", the owner of the Highscreen brand, has a network of its own branded retail stores in Moscow. What role do they play?

For us, our own retail network is not at all a source of any significant income. Our stores are, rather, an additional and rather important platform for direct work with consumers. Through our own retail network, we “probe the market” and receive the most complete and accurate feedback from consumers. Retail outlets also work as a kind of service centers. All consultants also act as competent technical specialists who can help solve customer problems with Highscreen products. In any of our stores, you can return the device for warranty repair.

Actually, that is why our brand stores are fewer than 10. For us, this is not a source of income, but rather a costly, but very important part of our business.

Your only service center is located in Moscow. Highscreen is going to open services in the regions? Some competitors talk about "Highscreen's unwillingness to go to regions closer to its consumer" ...

Opening a wide network of service centers in such a huge country as Russia is both economically and technologically impractical. The sad experience of some of our competitors (the same Rover Computers) showed this very clearly. Imagine small cities with relatively low sales. How many warranty claims are there? Five a month? Or ten?

A smartphone is a technically complex device with many elements - a screen, a board, a microphone, body elements, antennas, a battery, and so on. In theory, it all breaks down.

It is simply unprofitable to create many warehouses throughout the country with stocks of all spare parts. In addition to spare parts, in hundreds of service centers, the issue of on-site personnel training arises. All this turns into a rather complex complex problem, the solution of which "head-on" is possible either in the case of a high level of defective devices (many repairs - many spare parts - it makes sense to train hundreds of engineers throughout the country), or in the case of really massive sales. We cannot boast of either a high level of defects or millions of devices sold.

Therefore, we took a different path. Highscreen uses the so-called "European" service model

In the West, some well-known manufacturers operate with a small number or one main service center, and consumers send problem devices by parcel via express services. The presence of a small number of service centers allows providing them with the widest possible range of spare parts. Plus the maximum "train" service engineers. And the use of express services reduces the delivery time of the device to the service to several days.

Naturally, in the case of warranty repair, such dispatch to service and back is at the expense of the manufacturer. We are the first to introduce such a “European” model in the Russian mobile electronics market. In our case, the "mediator" is the Russian Post courier service. The user can independently take the device to the mail or call a courier - all costs are paid by Highscreen. It turns out that with minimal costs, the Highscreen service seems to be present even in the most sparsely populated town or village. If there is a Russian Post office, there is our service. And I will note once again that this is not a simple parcel, but an express service (the Russian analogue of the world famous DHL and FedEx). The maximum delivery time to the central service center is 5-6 days. Even from the most remote region.

What steps is Highscreen taking to improve the customer experience for its users?

The most important is staffing with high-level specialists. Most recently, Konstantin Kaftan became the head of our technical support service. This is a person with many years of experience specifically in organizing and monitoring the work of the technical support service. Before us, Konstantin had a great reputation in such companies as Paragon Software and SPB Software. Now we are paying increased attention to hiring new employees and expanding the workforce.

In reviews, users often point to certain points of marriage in devices. Understandably, a disgruntled customer is much more likely to speak up than a satisfied customer. Nevertheless, what can you say about the marriage rate of Highscreen smartphones?

First of all, let's remember what were the devices of the same HTC about 6 years ago in terms of marriage? Then the brand was still called Qtek. The marriage was incomparably greater than it is now. Qtek devices of the 2007 model could hardly be called high-quality. We know this well, as we have been official HTC distributors for many years. Let's remember glofiish devices - the forerunner of modern Acer smartphones. The quality was ... uh ... not very good to say the least. The marriage rate reached 15%.

And you can also recall the market of ordinary mobile phones in the late 90s, when Nokia was synonymous with a uniquely high-quality phone for serious people, and Samsung was nothing more than "Korean low-quality consumer goods."

Each brand must go through a certain path in its development. Including in terms of work on product quality. It is bad if the situation with the marriage does not change over time (remember, again, the untimely deceased RoverPC). But this is rather rare. If the business grows, the brand grows, so does the quality of the products.

A year ago, the defect rate of our devices was about 12-13%. Same Jet Duo models and the first Yummy Duo. I am not ashamed to admit this, since over the year we have done a lot of work together with our Asian partners and have significantly strengthened the quality control of our products. As a result, the marriage rate dropped to 6-8%. For comparison: now in the flagship models of HTC this level is -3-5%. Yes, we are still inferior to HTC in this parameter, but, as you can see, the gap is gradually narrowing.

When it comes to smartphones from second-tier brands, users are almost obsessively looking for analogs in China and prove online that they can buy the same smartphones much cheaper. How do you feel about such statements?

Users who prefer to order smartphones from Chinese online stores always emphasize price in their arguments, but are modestly silent about the associated costs and risks. Do not forget that in the broad mass of buyers “lovers of original Chinese” occupy a microscopic share - no more than 2%.

Shopping in Chinese online stores has one undeniable plus - saving money. But there are also many downsides. Not so obvious, but quite tangible.

Not everyone likes to wait up to a month - this is the period during which the ordered model is delivered. During this time, the model may become outdated, and the price for its “official analogue” will decrease.

If our customer is “ripe” for a purchase, he goes to the nearest retail outlet, visually chooses among smartphones and can hold them in his hands, eventually getting a complete real idea of \u200b\u200bthe devices. After all, sometimes, having ordered a phone in China, a client receives, to put it mildly, not the smartphone that he saw in a beautiful picture on the Internet and in a review on some website.

The lack of a normal official guarantee is another problem with orders from China. Certified smartphones in Russian retail are serviced in branded service centers... If necessary, you can even return the smartphone to the seller shortly after purchase, if for some reason the model did not suit you, no one has canceled the Law on Consumer Rights Protection in our case. "China Buy" is a risk. This is correspondence with the seller, the loss of time for sending "round trip" and the lack of confidence in the proper level of service. Here the calculation is based only on the fact that a well-known online store will not risk its reputation and "throw" a consumer from another country. But de jure, the Chinese seller owes nothing to anyone - the act of purchase and sale is performed on the territory of another state.

I am not saying that shopping from China is some kind of absolute evil and 100% cheating. If the user has a successful acquisition experience, I have nothing against it. Only practice shows that for the most part such buyers are "technologists" who are ready to "risk" their time, nerves, are ready to independently deal with ordering a device and then "finishing" the received product (experiments with firmware, etc.).

It is like car enthusiasts who can enjoy endless "garage picking" in cheaply purchased cars. How many car buyers do you think are a priori willing to spend time on technical "fiddling" with their purchases, even if they have the appropriate knowledge?

A classic analogy is the game of Russian roulette. In most cases, everything goes well, but those who come across the same "patron" are not to be envied.

And here the question is, what do you value more in life - your time and nerves or money. Someone is ready to risk wasted time and nerves for the sake of noticeable savings, someone prefers to spend money, but be calm and confident in their purchase.

What influences pricing in official retail channels? Indeed, umbrella brands do have models that differ from Chinese models only by the "nameplate". At the same time, the price tag is noticeably higher than that of the Chinese. Why is that?

A purchase in a Chinese online store is a purchase on the territory of another state. We work with official retail channels in Russia and are forced to take into account the requirements of customs legislation and the realities of the local retail market.

As soon as a smartphone crosses the border as part of an official delivery, its price immediately rises by about 26% due to transportation costs, VAT (18%) + customs duties, insurance and other payments. Then the distributor adds 10-15%. By the way, the distributor's earnings (we distribute our devices ourselves) is the smallest part of the "markups". Further, retail chains add their 30%. After all, it is retail chains that pay for the rent of retail outlets, sales staff, logistics (delivery of goods to thousands of outlets throughout the country) and many other costs. As a result, a smartphone that costs $ 100 in China is sold in our retail network for about twice the original price - for about $ 200.

It happens that people order devices from China not for personal use, as is the case with purchases in an electronic store, but for the purpose of subsequent resale. But this is already outright smuggling with all the ensuing responsibility. Including criminal. It is simply stupid to set such supplies as an example to official "white" brands - we will not break the law, even if consumers would only welcome it (prices will be lower!).

Are Highscreen products limited to smartphones, or are there other categories of gadgets under your brand? Are you planning to produce, for example, tablets?

Smartphones are our main, "native" business. But we are constantly experimenting with other categories of mobile electronics. In the past, we were actively engaged in navigators (it was we who "brought" the Taiwanese brand Mio to our market). We tried our hand at readers.

Now, as part of our brand, we are also dealing with video recorders. Moreover, the ideology of our business with registrars is similar to what we are introducing in the smartphone market: we offer users “with a twist” device. First, in 2011, one of the first recorders officially available in Russia with two cameras, a G-sensor and a GPS module, Highscreen Black Box, appeared. In 2012, the Highscreen Black Box Radar-HD was released, which for a long time remained the only hybrid recorder with a radar detector on our market. It is also one of the best-selling registrars in Russia last year.

The current top offer of Highscreen is the Highscreen Black Box Radar Plus model, which adds a battery and the ability to detect the Strelka-ST complex. The device costs 8,990 rubles, while only a radar detector with the ability to detect the Strelka radar and a GPS module will cost at least 6-7 thousand rubles.

Add here the price of a Full HD recorder with an accelerometer and a GPS receiver - 6 thousand more. Thus, the savings from purchasing our device in comparison with buying two separate devices are about 3-4 thousand. Not to mention the fact that one device simply takes up less space under the windshield. And there is only one power cord :).

As I said above, our business model is to offer users either devices with a "twist" or devices that have technical specifications at the level of top A-brands devices, but at prices that are 30-40% lower.

As soon as we see an opportunity to offer something really interesting in accordance with this strategy, we take this opportunity. Until recently, the tablet market did not arouse great enthusiasm in us, since it was impossible to offer something really interesting in terms of functionality or “sweet” in terms of technical spec-price ratio. Not so long ago, we adjusted our view of the tablet market. In general, we decided to try ... To keep the intrigue, I will point out only four points: 4-core processor, 8-inch IPS-display, 3G and the price is below 10 thousand rubles. Look for more details in the coming weeks, follow our announcements :)

Finally, we cannot but ask about your competitors - who can you name as such, how do you assess their performance?

I cannot say that we have competitors with exactly the same market strategy - “playing ahead”. Still, Highscreen always strives to offer devices with unique features, and not just low prices. Thus, there are very few people in our market that we can compete head-on. Nevertheless, I would like to mention the Fly brand, some of its devices really deserve attention and make us “nervous”. Also Explay sometimes reminds of itself with worthy models. And this is good - healthy competition encourages market participants, including us, to further improve.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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  Initially, the Highscreen brand belonged to the German company Vobis (a division of METRO Cash & Carry Group). In Russia, devices of the Tablet PC class (the line was called Smart Display), laptops and computer peripherals were presented under the Highscreen trademark.

  Since 2009, Vobis Computer has been actively developing the Highscreen brand on the Russian market, starting with the supply of smartphones under this brand. Initially, the company sold gadgets under its own brand, which it acquired from manufacturing plants in China, doing only minor external revision and software localization of devices. A similar scheme of OEM deliveries is used by almost all umbrella brands in the Russian mobile electronics market.

  In 2011, no more than 20-30 thousand smartphones were sold under the Highscreen brand.

  In January-September 2013, according to GfK's estimates, about 150 thousand Highscreen smartphones were sold, and according to the source of the Vedomosti newspaper, about 350 thousand devices. The share of the Russian market was estimated at 0.5% - 2.5%.

  Notable models

  • October 2010.

  Highscreen hippo - "smartphone tablet", an intermediate form factor device with a 5-inch display. Sales began a year before the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy Note.

  • February 2011. Highscreen Cosmo (2011) - Android smartphone with an LED panel on the bottom edge of the case, which served as a universal indicator.
  • April 2012. Highscreen Black Box Radar-HD - recorder with integrated radar detector.

  In 2012, the company switched from the classic OEM distribution model to independent device development. Starting from a smartphone Highscreen Yummy Duo "Vobis" orders devices with unique specifications from the design bureau of South-East Asia. The company's specialists are involved in the development of software and hardware for smartphones.

  In late 2012 - early 2013, Highscreen devices are widely represented in federal retail chains of electronics.
  

  • January 2013 - Highscreen Explosion smartphone - the first four-core Highscreen smartphone (Samsung Exynos 4412 processor).
  • February 2013 - the Highscreen Boost smartphone is the first budget smartphone on Android 4.1, capable of operating on a single charge for 5-7 days with active use.
  • August 2013 - Highscreen Alpha R, the first Full HD smartphone of the brand and the first budget Full HD smartphone in Russia, with a 5-inch display produced by Sharp. The first smartphone from the Highscreen brand, which comes with two replaceable batteries (and two back covers). 2,000 mAh and 4,000 mAh batteries provide up to a week of battery life
  • September 2013 - Highscreen Alpha Ice, an Android smartphone with a design that mimics the look and feel of iPhone 5. Highscreen Alpha Rage is the most affordable (at launch) smartphone with a 4-core processor.
  • October 2013 - Highscreen Boost 2, the world's first smartphone with two weeks of battery life. The 5-inch smartphone comes with 3,000 mAh and 6,000 mAh batteries. Representatives of "Vobis Computer" announced that they have submitted an application to the Guinness Book of Records [ ]
  • February 10, 2014 - Highscreen Boost 2 SE, an improved model of its predecessor, Highscreen Boost 2.
  • March 2014 - Highscreen Zera F, an inexpensive 4-inch smartphone with IPS matrix and 3G. Highscreen Thor with 8-core processor
  • April 2014 - Highscreen Zera S, 4.5-inch screen. Highscreen Spider smartphone, with 4G LTE
  • July 2014 - Release of 4.7-inch Highscreen Omega Prime S smartphone with interchangeable color panels
  • August 2014 - Zera line devices were updated: F (rev.S) and S (rev.S), processors were significantly improved, as well as minor fixes. The smartphone has a new version of Android KitKat OS (4.4.2). Screen resolution 480x800. RAM 1GB. Two SIM card slots and one for microSD cards, with a volume of 32GB. [ significance of the fact? ]
  • October 2014 - Release of 4-core budget smartphones Highscreen WinJoy and WinWin on Windows operating system.
  • December 2014 - Release of 4.7 "Highscreen Ice 2 smartphone with additional monochrome OLED screen for notifications.
  • December 18, 2014 the start of sales of a smartphone with a large 5.5 "screen Highscreen Spade and a device with a battery, increased capacity 4000 mAh - Highscreen Power.
  • January 21, 2015 - the start of sales of the flagship model of the Highscreen Zera U smartphone with a 5 "Full HD screen, Corning Gorilla Glass 3®, and two batteries of different capacities included: 2000 mAh and 4000 mAh.
  • January 29, 2015 - Release of the 5-inch Highscreen Hercules smartphone with an 8-core processor.
  • June 2, 2015 the beginning of sales of a 5-inch smartphone with HD, IPS screen Highscreen Verge.
  • June 9, 2015 - the start of sales of the budget smartphone Highscreen Pure F.
  • August 11, 2015 - the start of sales of a 5-inch Highscreen Power Five smartphone, with an HD AMOLED screen, LTE support, 1.5 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory and a 5000 mAh battery.
  • October 20, 2015 the start of sales of a smartphone with a 4.5 "screen and a 4000 mAh battery - Highscreen Power Four.
  • October 28, 2015 - Highscreen Boost 3, a five-inch music smartphone with an improved camera and capacious 3000 mAh and 6000 mAh batteries included.
  • February 16, 2016 - the start of sales of the Highscreen Power Ice smartphone with a capacious 4000 mAh battery, with LTE, positioned as an affordable functional device.
  • In the spring of 2016, two new phones of the company saw the light - a smartphone with interchangeable panels Highscreen Prime L and a device with a 4000 mAh battery Highscreen Rage.
  • June 2016 - The company launches sales of the 5-inch highscreen Tasty metal smartphone.
  • August 2, 2016 - the start of sales of an eight-core smartphone with a 5000 mAh battery, a low-cost Highscreen Power Five Evo price segment.
  • October 31, 2016 the start of sales of a 5-inch Android 6.0 smartphone with a 5000 mAh capacious battery - Highscreen Power Ice Evo.
  • On November 1, 2016, two new products went on sale: a loud smartphone with a large 5.5 "Highscreen Thunder screen and an improved model of the Highscreen Boost 3 music smartphone - SE version, with 3100 and 6900 mAh batteries included.
  • November 2 - the start of sales of a smartphone with a 4000 battery on Android 6.0 Highscreen Power Rage Evo.
  • November 5, 2016 - Highscreen and FC Rostov announced the beginning of cooperation
  • On November 26, sales of the company's flagship, a smartphone in a metal case with a 5000 mAh Highscreen Power Five Max battery, started.
  • On December 13, 2016, a budget model with LTE Highscreen Easy L. entered the market.
  • In the second half of December 2016, the company introduced two models of the mass segment: a five-inch smartphone in a thin Highscreen Razar body and a phone with a 5.3 "Highscreen Ice Max screen.
  • In February 2017, the company released a 5.5-inch Highscreen Easy XL budget smartphone with a large screen. A little later, the Easy XL Pro version was released with a fingerprint scanner and an improved camera.
  • On July 11, 2017, sales of a budget music smartphone with a 5.5-inch screen and a built-in DAC HI SOUND Lite - Highscreen Fest XL started.
  • September 5, 2017 release of a smartphone in a low price category with a super-powerful 8000 mAh battery Highscreen Easy Power.
  • November 2017 - the assortment range was expanded by the model of music smartphones with built-in DAC HI SOUND Lit - Highscreen Fest / Fest Pro

  Is a smartphone brand owned by HighScreen Smart LLC. Until 2012, the company worked according to the so-called OEM-scheme, which is still popular with Russian retailers - it simply bought ready-made devices in the Middle Kingdom and put the brand on.

  But, since 2012, the company began to develop gadgets itself (the first model was Yummy), Russian specialists are engaged in the development, and models are produced in China.

  More details

  What are the features of Highscreen smartphones?

  The key element of HighScreen Smart's marketing strategy is a competitive pricing policy, a combination of affordable prices, quality and modern technologies. Hyscreen smartphones are always cheaper than counterparts from more well-known companies.

  Highscreen models from the catalog have other features:

  • All Highscreen gadgets have slots for two SIM cards, as well as a slot for a card.
  • Most of the gadgets of this brand can work for a long time. offline thanks to capacious batteries. For example, one of the first long-playing models Boost 2 was equipped with two batteries at once, one of which has a capacity of 6000 mAh. At the time, representatives even stated Boost 2 into the Guinness Book of Records as a long-lived smartphone - without access to an outlet, it could “live” up to two weeks.
  • Many of the latest Highscreen models continue to be produced with large-capacity batteries, have, and almost always use GPS + for navigation

  An overview of the disadvantages of Highscreen gadgets

  The first disadvantage is the difficulty in buying accessories. The assortment does not always contain original accessories, so consumers often select suitable options on the well-known Chinese website. Although, it should be noted that the manufacturer often equips the devices with covers and / or protective films.

  In addition, Highscreen smartphones with a large battery have significant dimensions due to this factor, so they can hardly be called miniature, and for aesthetics lovers who prefer style to a large battery, some models may not like it.

  The Highscreen brand began its development in Russia in 2003. During this period, Highscreen portable devices appeared - computers, tablets, peripherals. The first Hyscreen smartphones appeared on the Russian market in 2009. At the same time, the brand's smartphones have always stood out among the competitors and have become one of the "unusual gadgets" due to a winning combination of price, quality and functionality.

  Among the first smartphones produced, it is worth noting the Highscreen PP5420 phone - the world's first Android smartphone with two displays, as well as the first smartphone officially sold in the Russian Federation based on the Android operating system. In 2011, the Highscreen Zeus device appeared, which was the first smartphone officially sold in the Russian Federation with a Qwerty keyboard on the Android platform.

  Among the models of 2014, the hearts of consumers were especially won by the unique functional smartphones Highscreen Boost 2 / Boost 2 SE with two capacious 3000 and 6000 mAh batteries in the set, which ensure long-term autonomous work. The continuation of the line was the Hyscreen Boost 3 /, which could boast of both large batteries and high-quality professional sound. In 2019, the line of smartphones with a powerful battery is presented by the model

  
  After several years of work, after the release of the first smartphone, Highscreen has established itself as a manufacturer of beautiful, convenient and productive mobile devices that meet market trends. Highscreen products offer a reasonable balance between price, quality and current technology. Highscreen devices have won a worthy place in the electronics market in Russia and have gained loyal fans of the brand among consumers. Join us!

  Gadget manufacturers

  The Highscreen company is an electronics brand from Russia that specializes in the production of video recorders and smartphones. The owners of the trade mark are "Vobis Computer". The brand was originally owned by the German company Vobis. Today it is one of the leading suppliers of mobile devices and portable navigation equipment, as well as a pioneer of the Android communicator market in the Russian Federation.

  The development of the brand on the Russian market began in the first half of the 2000s. In 2003, the first portable Highscreen devices were released on the territory of the Russian Federation. These were computers, laptops and peripherals (i.e. keyboards, mice, and so on). Among them was the WebPad tablet - one of the first tablet computers on the Russian market.

  In 2008, Hayscreen presented its first smartphones in Russia. They weren't originally developed by Highscreen. The fact is that the company preferred to purchase ready-made models of Chinese devices, after which it was engaged in improving the design and software.

  Such smartphones entered the market as its own products, but then they were not yet such (by the way, such an OEM supply scheme is still actively practiced in the domestic mobile market). Nevertheless, even then the company was in serious competition with other manufacturers.

  This became possible due to the fact that its smartphones represented an excellent combination of parameters such as price and quality, and also had a good set of functionality.

  Among the first devices was the PP5420 smartphone. It also turned out to be the first "smart" mobile device running Android, officially supplied for sales on Russian territory.

  By the way, this device appeared on the market two months before the official release in Russia of the first Android smartphone from HTC. In addition, the PP5420 was the first dual display mobile device based on this operating system.

  

  
  The second smartphone was Zeus. It also became the first Android communicator with a QWERTY keyboard officially imported into Russia. The model was made in a side slider form factor. Another notable feature was that it was the first Android communicator, the price of which over time dropped below 10 thousand rubles (the original announced price was 14 thousand rubles).

  Zeus also came out in 2009. It weighed 123 grams and had support for standards such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS. The volume of the device's RAM is 256 megabytes, and the built-in memory is 512 megabytes (expandable up to 32 gigabytes using a micro-SD card). The hardware keyboard had 40 buttons.

  The display had a diagonal of 3.2 inches and was made on. The lithium-ion battery had a capacity of 1010 mAh. The smartphone could work up to 400 hours in standby mode, and up to 480 minutes in talk mode. A 3.1-megapixel camera with auto focus was also provided.

  In the summer of 2010, the Nano smartphone was released running Windows Mobile. It was equipped with a 2.8-inch resistive display, an FM radio, a 2-megapixel camera, GPS navigation, a 1100 mAh battery, 128 megabytes of RAM and 256 megabytes of internal memory, a processor with a frequency of 624 megahertz and a coprocessor, support for maps micro-SDHC memory, as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The device weighed 110 grams.

  Autumn 2010 was marked by the release of several communicators at once. Among them was the Alex hybrid tablet-reader, equipped with two screens at once (one of them was E-Ink, and the second was made using TFT technology). In addition, the company released the Hippo tablet phone. This communicator has become a hybrid of a smartphone and a tablet with a 5-inch display and a simple design. The device was equipped with a 5 megapixel camera with flash and function.

  The tablet had a 1800mAh lithium-ion battery and support for 2G and 3G. As with any other communicator running OS Windows Phone, from it you could make calls and send SMS messages by installing a SIM card. In addition, the manufacturer has provided support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS.

  

  
  In the winter of 2011, the Cosmo Android smartphone was released. Its feature was the LED panel at the bottom of the mobile device, which served as an indicator. Later, the company also released Cosmo Duo, one of two smartphones with Dual SIM support, which were officially imported into the Russian Federation for the first time. In the same year, the Black Box car DVR with 2 video cameras and GPS navigation appeared.

  In 2012, Highscreen company pioneered self-development of devices. The first smartphone for which she independently developed the hardware and software was the Yummy Duo model. The device itself was ordered in the southeastern part of Asia. The smartphone quickly gained immense popularity - not only due to its democratic price, but also due to its functionality.

  The device supported two SIM-cards, had a 5-megapixel camera module, a processor with a frequency of 650 megahertz, 512 megabytes of RAM and internal memory (the amount of ROM could be expanded using a memory card), a 4.3-inch screen with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels , GPRS support, and Wi-Fi. The smartphone ran on the Android platform and weighed 140 grams.

  Yummy Duo was followed by other in-house developments of the company, which gradually allowed the transition from OEM supplies to original production. In 2012, the Black Box Radar-HD registrar is released, as well as the Alpha GT and GTR smartphones.

  The Alpha line was distinguished by solid technical parameters of mobile devices - for example, 1 gigabyte of RAM, support for two SIM cards, a high-quality display with HD-resolution and a 2-core processor with clock frequency 1 gigahertz. This series has increased the popularity of the company several times.

  By the beginning of 2013, Highscreen communicators were widely represented in assortment in various electronics stores. In winter, the Explosion smartphone is released, running Android OS.

  

  
  He has an 8-megapixel rear and 3-megapixel front cameras, a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 2500 mAh, support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, FM radio, 1 gigabyte of RAM and 8 gigabytes of internal memory (plus support for memory cards), 4- ARM nuclear processor, accelerometer, position sensor, etc. The smartphone weighs 150 grams and is equipped with a 4.7-inch diagonal.

  Following this mobile device, the manufacturer releases Boost, which becomes the first budget smart phone to run Android version 4.1, capable of working from five to seven days without recharging with active use. The smartphone turned out to be a real "workhorse" with a powerful 4160 mAh battery and a 1.4 gigahertz 2-core processor.

  In addition, it had 4 gigabytes of internal memory, an FM radio receiver, an 8-megapixel rear and 1-megapixel front cameras, 1 gigabyte of RAM and a 4.3-inch diagonal touch screen made using TFT IPS technologies. The weight of the device was 186 grams.

  
  In the summer of the same year, the Alpha R smartphone appeared on the shelves - the company's first “smart” phone with Full HD resolution, which also became the first budget smartphone with Full HD on the Russian market. It included two replaceable batteries (2000 mAh and 4000 mAh), which provided up to a week of battery life.

  Alpha Ice appeared in September. It turned out to be an Android smartphone with a design very similar to the "Apple" gadget running iOS. At the time of release, the device turned out to be the most affordable "smart" phone with a 4-core processor.

  About a month later, the company released the Boost 2 smartphone. It turned out to be the first “smart” mobile device that can last up to two weeks without recharging in battery mode. The package included two replaceable rechargeable batteries with a capacity of 3000 mAh and 6000 mAh. At the same time, the Hayscreen company announced an application for inclusion in the Guinness Book of Records.

  

  
  Due to solid technical characteristics and affordable prices, the smartphone quickly attracted the attention of buyers. In addition to two replaceable batteries, the user could count on the installation of two SIM-cards, an 8-megapixel main camera module, a 2-megapixel front camera, a Qualcomm quad-core processor and a 5-inch IPS touch screen.

  The smartphone was running Android and had a stylish design. Subsequently, the Boost 2 SE also came out, which actually became an improved version of its predecessor.

  In 2014, the company released two more smartphone models that were hugely successful: Zera F and Zera S. These devices were distinguished by an affordable price (which has already become a Highscreen tradition) and high build quality. Specifications turned out to be average, but excellent - for the proposed cost of the devices. The smartphones were created by specialists from the company's Russian design bureau.

  The devices themselves were made in China, but prototypes were never found in this country. The Zera F smartphone had a 4-inch screen diagonal (it itself was made using IPS technology), a 1-core processor with a frequency of 1.3 gigahertz, 1 gigabyte of RAM and 4 gigabytes of ROM (expandable up to 32 gigabytes), a battery 1600 mAh, 5 megapixel main camera and 0.3 megapixel front camera.

  The manufacturer has provided support for two SIM-cards. The device weighed 136 grams and ran on the Android platform. As for the Zera S, it had a 4.5-inch display diagonal, the same amount of RAM and internal memory, a 5 megapixel main camera with auto focus and 2 megapixels, a removable 1800 mAh battery, support for Wi-Fi, 3G and other required standards.

  The weight of the device was 10 grams more than the Zera F. The smartphone also ran Android. In August 2014 both of these mobile devices were improved and refined.

  

  
  In the same year, Highscreen released a very thin Thor smartphone with a 5-inch display and an 8-core processor, as well as a Spider model with quite good technical parameters. The Spider was Android powered and weighed 164 grams.

  It had a 4-core Qualcomm processor with a clock speed of 1.2 GHz, a 2-megapixel front camera and an 8-megapixel main camera, a removable 2000 mAh Li-ion battery, a 5-inch IPS display, Bluetooth and GPS / GLONASS support. , light and proximity sensors. The amount of RAM was 1 gigabyte, and the built-in memory was 8 gigabytes (expandable up to 32 gigabytes).

  In July, the Omega Prime S Android smartphone appeared on the shelves, equipped with replaceable bright panels. The device was designed for two SIM cards. The amount of RAM was 1 gigabyte, and the built-in memory was 8 gigabytes. If desired, the user could install a memory card and expand the ROM up to 32 gigabytes.

  The diagonal of the IPS display was 4.7 inches. The battery had a capacity of 1750 mAh. The smartphone weighed only 100 grams. The manufacturer has provided support for GPS, a 2-megapixel front camera and a rear camera with 8 megapixel autofocus.

  By the fall, two 4-core budget smartphones running Windows were released, and in the winter - the Ice 2 model with a 4.7-inch display, Spade with a 5-inch screen and the Power device, the main distinguishing feature of which was a capacious 4000 mAh battery.

  In the winter of 2015, sales of the flagship Zera U began. This smartphone had a 5-inch display with Full HD resolution, protective glass and two replaceable 2000 mAh and 4000 mAh batteries. It was followed by Hercules - a "smart" mobile device with an 8-core processor with a frequency of 2000 megahertz, which became the most expensive flagship of the company in its entire history.

  

  
  The smartphone has traditionally been made in monoblock form factor. It had 2 gigabytes of RAM and 16 gigabytes of internal memory. The capacitive 5-inch display was made using IPS technology. Also, the smartphone was equipped with FM radio, light and proximity sensors, GPS navigation, 13-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front cameras, both of which had a flash.

  By 2015, the company already had many achievements. Among them: the first smartphone running Android, a tablet and a tablet in Russia, the first Full-HD display, two removable batteries of different capacities included, a unique design, the first budget LTE device, and much more.

  The company strives to produce high-tech communicators that everyone could afford. She offers a 12-month warranty on all of her devices.