Brands
OnePlus is India’s fastest growing Android smartphone
MUMBAI: OnePlus continued its growth in the overall Indian premium Android smartphone segment (above $400) by capturing 48 per cent market share in Q4 2017, as per International Data Corporation’s (IDC) latest Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker Q4 2017.
The IDC data also highlights the growing importance of the premium Android smartphone segment that outperformed the overall market with 97 per cent year-on-year growth (vs 54 per cent for overall premium smartphone market and 14 per cent for the overall smartphone market). During 2017, OnePlus grew by a staggering 1116 per cent in the premium smartphone segment as it further strengthened its robust performance in the online market and entrenched itself in the minds of smartphone users in India by consistently staying ahead of players like Apple and Samsung.
According to the Counterpoint Research report for the last quarter on the Indian handset market, the premium smartphone segment was the second fastest growing segment in CY 2017 driven by the strong performance of OnePlus and Apple.
Talking about the findings from the Q4 2017 report, Counterpoint Research associate director Tarun Pathak says, “While India’s smartphone market continues to grow in double digits, the premium segment, the category of less than Rs 30,000 is all set to grow faster by 20 per cent than the overall smartphone market in CY 2018. In such a scenario OnePlus, the fastest growing brand in this segment, is likely to grow as it enjoys a strong brand loyalty in India while positioning itself as a flagship-killer in the segment.”
OnePlus general manager Vikas Agarwal adds, “It is truly remarkable that OnePlus has become the biggest Android premium smartphone brand within just three years of entering the Indian market. It is a great validation of our user focused approach and online first business model. We are truly humbled and grateful to our business partners and loving community for their continued support.”
Globally, OnePlus became a $1.4 bn brand in the fourth year of its operation with India as its biggest market, contributing to one-third of the global business. With a single flagship a year product strategy and limited availability (Amazon.in for online and Croma for offline), OnePlus has emerged as the biggest brand in premium Android smartphone segment within just three years of its operations in India.
With industry leading features like 8GB RAM, dash charging and latest Android Oreo based OxygenOS, the attractively priced OnePlus 5T has become the best-selling premium smartphone with a average product rating of 4.6 which is the highest rating for any smartphone on Amazon.in as on 22 Feb 2018. The recently launched OnePlus 5T Lava Red edition was one of the most popular products on Amazon.in and quickly sold out during the Republic Day and Valentine Day sale events.
To further enhance the user experience and complement its online only presence, OnePlus has recently expanded its offline footprint with the launch of its first authorised store in Mumbai. OnePlus has also partnered with Croma to increase the number of physical touch-points and is in the process of opening large format exclusive experience stores across top cities.
Brands
UK’s OnlyFans seeks US investor at $3bn valuation after owner’s death
The adult video platform is seeking stability after the death of its billionaire owner
LONDON: OnlyFans is looking for a new partner. The London-based adult video platform is in advanced talks to sell a minority stake of less than 20 per cent to Architect Capital, a San Francisco-based investment firm, in a deal that would value the business at more than $3bn (£2.2bn).
The move is driven by an urgent need for stability. Leonid Radvinsky, the Ukrainian-American billionaire who owned OnlyFans, died of cancer last month at the age of 43, leaving the future of one of Britain’s most profitable privately held businesses suddenly uncertain.
The choice of Architect Capital is not arbitrary. The firm has deep expertise in financial services, which aligns neatly with OnlyFans’ ambitions to offer banking products to its creators, many of whom have long struggled to access basic financial services because of the nature of their work.
The numbers behind OnlyFans are, by any measure, staggering. The platform posted revenues of $1.4bn in the year to 30th November 2024, with a pre-tax profit of $684m, up four per cent on the prior year. Payments to creators totalled $7.2bn over the same period, a rise of nearly ten per cent. Radvinsky personally collected $701m in dividends from the business in 2024 alone, on top of more than $1bn in such payments he had already received. The platform, run through its parent company Felix International, hosts 4.6m creator accounts, with performers keeping 80 per cent of subscription proceeds and the platform pocketing the remaining 20 per cent. It has 377m fan accounts in total.
The current minority stake talks represent a notable scaling back of ambitions. In January, OnlyFans was reported to be in discussions with Architect about selling a majority stake of 60 per cent. Before that, the company had explored a sale to a consortium led by Forest Road Company, a Los Angeles-based investment firm. Neither deal materialised.
OnlyFans has built an enormously lucrative business on content that mainstream finance has long refused to touch. Now, with its owner gone and a $3bn valuation on the table, it is looking for the kind of respectable institutional backing that might finally persuade the banks to take its calls.
