IndiBlogger has been a constant ever since I started blogging. IndiBlogger Meets have been a routine affair too. However, this time around, it was the first IndiBlogger Meet of 2018 on May 23.
As usual, online registrations were done to procure respective IndiPasses, agenda checked, and escape plans made to dodge #MidWeekBlues on a Wednesday. With timely reminders for the meet and the exact hall at the venue being notified beforehand, it was a breeze to arrive for the IndiBlogger Meet at Hyatt Regency, Delhi.
The star of the day was to be Mobiistar, with their motto #EnjoyMore, as they unveiled their 'Selfie Star Series' Smartphones. With both pre-event and post-event 'IndiBlogger Drives' online being taken care of, the bloggers' curiosity and interest had been piqued already.
One thing was clear - the Indian gadget market was set to witness the launch of selfie-centric devices - as Selfie was the keyword - once with the Blogging Contest pre-event recollecting each participating blogger's 'one precious selfie' - and twice owing to the post-event Instagram 'Selfie Contest' prompting Bloggers to respond to 'How Wide Can You Go?' hinting at a key feature of being able to capture wide-angle selfies with Mobiistar devices.
At the scene of the launch, the Indian launch of Mobiistar - a Vietnamese smartphone brand founded in 2009 - while the demo zone was being prepped, the check-ins were in full swing at the registration desk. A quick cuppa of tea helped to shun the lethargy post lunch, right in time for a welcome by Mobiistar and Indiblogger for all of us.
The meet was kick-started by Karthik from IndiB, with customary introductions by newbies and veterans about their blogs and themselves. However, Anoop had missed this meet big time, and we missed the usual number game too, big time! Instead, ice-breaking took place by prompting bloggers to highlight what excuses they had given to their superiors at the workplace to bail out and be at an IndiBlogger Meet right in time on a Wednesday afternoon.
IndiBlogger had cut the first turf and now it was time to pass the baton to the graceful master of ceremony - Shobha Rana - who welcomed us on behalf of Mobiistar.
She invited Mr. Carl Ngo - Co-founder and CEO - Mobiistar India - who came on stage with folded hands and marked the formal launch of Mobiistar in India with a humble Namaste.
He began by informing Indian Bloggers of how the humble beginning of Mobiistar in Vietnam grew on the basis of engagement with Vietnamese users through social media.
Here's what he had to say about the Indian Blogger community and Mobiistar's association with IndiBlogger right at the start.
Given such brand-connect with the masses in Vietnam, it came as no surprise that Mobiistar had been awarded as 'Most Impressive Vietnamese Smartphone 2017'. Coming to brand philosophy behind the launch of the two new selfie-centric devices, Carl had an interesting anecdote to share.
The brand name Mobiistar was coined as a consequence of the fact that owning a Mobiistar device makes the consumer a star among their peers. Also, there is an interesting nugget of info as to how the 'Selfie Star Series' came into being.
Carl had seen a bunch of tourists in India trying to take a group selfie or 'groupie' as it is called, with the aircraft, right after they arrived - enjoying with selfies - although struggling to include all the friends and the aircraft, both in the frame at the same time.
It was then that the idea stuck to #EnjoyMore - MORE SELFIE and MORE VALUE FOR MONEY.
In fact, there was a comparative blind selfie satisfaction survey carried out among four leading selfie-phones in the market, wherein certain Delhiites were asked to rate their selfie captured by each of the four phones on a scale of ten, or rather the user pool was prompted to rank the four phones in order of preference and thereafter, also guess the price range of the four devices.
The majority of users had an opinion that the phone that captured the best selfie of the lot should be the costliest one. However, they were pleasantly surprised when it was revealed that quality captures need not always be exorbitantly priced, but meaningful user experience can be economical too, as far as Mobiistar is concerned.
A visual representation reported that Mobiistar came a close second at 8.3 on a scale of 10 when it came to the selfie-satisfaction rating vis-a-vis the price range, and in-fact Mobiistar emerged as the brand with the most economical device as well. A win-win situation for both the consumer and the brand there, is it not?
With their motto being #EnjoyMore, the key features of both devices CQ and XQ Dual - selfie-centric devices - were unveiled.
Being Mobiistar's 'Selfie Star Series', the most important feature would undoubtedly be the camera, complemented by a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor 425 SoC for CQ, and 430 SoC for XQ Dual.
Mobiistar targets Good Selfie - For Self and For Group. Keeping that in mind, two distinct devices have been designed with the right technology and crisp designs aiming to provide the ultimate experience.
CQ features a 13 MP Selfie Camera with 'Face Beauty Mode' that offers a seven-level beautification, while XQ Dual, as the name suggests, sports a 13 MP + 8 MP Dual Selfie Camera for the ultimate 'Selfie Experience'.
Additionally, both devices have been aimed at providing users a meaningful selfie experience backed by the front, dual selfie camera that captures a 120° wide-angle shot as most of the users had a qualm that phone screens could capture 66% people when capturing a group selfie or 6/10 users were of the opinion that the screen couldn't fully capture the picturesque backdrop whether they were capturing a selfie or groupie. Moreover, both CQ and XQ Dual phones are available in two color variants to make a style statement by themselves.
Would you like to go for the Black CQ or the Gold CQ? :)
For those who have their eyes set on XQ Dual, it comes in a classy Champagne against a chic Black hue. :)
Both devices are backed by a ViLTE + VoLTE facility for Video Over LTE and Voice Over LTE. ViLTE is an extension of VoLTE, a conversational video service attempting to enhance voice services with a high-quality video channel.
With 1000 operational service centers across the country, Mobiistar aims to effortlessly provide after-sales services to its user pool in India.
Partnering with Indian e-commerce giant, Flipkart, Carl highlighted how they have co-created a range of products thanks to consumer understanding built over a decade.
Thanks to an exclusive alliance with Flipkart, sales were kick-started at 12 noon on May 30, and have been going strong so far. The price point for XQ Dual is ₹7999, while for CQ, it is ₹4999. Bang for the buck with enviable features, I must say.
As if the devices themselves weren't enticing enough, Mobiistar has brought Exclusive Offers into play by associating with Flipkart yet again for their Exchange Deal and Complete Mobile Protection, the latter being a comprehensive post-purchase solution able to tackle any and every phone-related issue except for theft, of course.
As for Complete Mobile Protection, it covers the following device issues (barring theft of device):
On the other hand, Jio has stepped into the arena by offering a ₹2200 instant cashback, making the purchase of Mobiistar's devices in India the perfect steal deal.
With that, Carl's presentation was drawn to a close and Shobha once again took center-stage to throw open the Question Hour for bloggers to interact with Carl.
During the Q&A session, while a blogger tried albeit in vain to find out which three phones other than Mobiistar's were in the running during the selfie satisfaction survey, another was curious about other features that the 'Selfie Star Series' possessed apart from a powerful camera.
To that, Carl reiterated that the phones had been designed in compliance with the industry standard, keeping in mind that Mobiistar had to be a part of the ECOSYSTEM, and as the folks at Flipkart had told Mobiistar that any new smartphone launched in India must possess a 3000 mAh battery, both CQ and XQ Dual had been endowed with a powerhouse that would last an entire day, from the moment one steps out in the morning to the moment one steps back in.
Keeping in mind Brand Positioning, Mr. Carl wanted Mobiistar to build on Social Capital i.e. focus first on consumers' mind share and heart share, and thereafter on market share - on being asked what is the market share that Mobiistar aims to capture within say a year of its sales and presence in India.
Also, he could not help but emphasize the fact that word of mouth through social media would be most beneficial to Mobiistar as a new brand in the Tech Arena in India.
Coming to an interlude, High Tea was laid open for some chit-chat, with a melodious Musical Duet in the meanwhile by two talented musicians being the highlight.
As always, food, music, and good company are the best comrades, without a doubt. In case you missed it, here's a snippet of the talented rendition on violin and saxophone.
Upon resuming, it was time for Networking - The IndiBlogger Way - as ten teams with ten members each were formed and it was 'Story Time Through Selfie Time' wherein the theme was #EnjoyMore. Each team had to click at least 15 selfies (which could be 30 at the maximum) within a twenty-minute timeline, using the Mobiistar phone provided.
With the activity drawn to a close, it was also time to draw the curtains on the first IndiMeet of 2018 - with the customary group capture taken by Renie himself! Spot me all smiles, below. :)
As we bid adieu, each of us had a bit of the #EnjoyMore stardust and some sweet delicacies to take back.
On the whole, the India launch of Mobiistar and the first IndiBlogger Meet of 2018 was concluded on a pleasant note. :)
As usual, online registrations were done to procure respective IndiPasses, agenda checked, and escape plans made to dodge #MidWeekBlues on a Wednesday. With timely reminders for the meet and the exact hall at the venue being notified beforehand, it was a breeze to arrive for the IndiBlogger Meet at Hyatt Regency, Delhi.
The star of the day was to be Mobiistar, with their motto #EnjoyMore, as they unveiled their 'Selfie Star Series' Smartphones. With both pre-event and post-event 'IndiBlogger Drives' online being taken care of, the bloggers' curiosity and interest had been piqued already.
One thing was clear - the Indian gadget market was set to witness the launch of selfie-centric devices - as Selfie was the keyword - once with the Blogging Contest pre-event recollecting each participating blogger's 'one precious selfie' - and twice owing to the post-event Instagram 'Selfie Contest' prompting Bloggers to respond to 'How Wide Can You Go?' hinting at a key feature of being able to capture wide-angle selfies with Mobiistar devices.
At the scene of the launch, the Indian launch of Mobiistar - a Vietnamese smartphone brand founded in 2009 - while the demo zone was being prepped, the check-ins were in full swing at the registration desk. A quick cuppa of tea helped to shun the lethargy post lunch, right in time for a welcome by Mobiistar and Indiblogger for all of us.
The meet was kick-started by Karthik from IndiB, with customary introductions by newbies and veterans about their blogs and themselves. However, Anoop had missed this meet big time, and we missed the usual number game too, big time! Instead, ice-breaking took place by prompting bloggers to highlight what excuses they had given to their superiors at the workplace to bail out and be at an IndiBlogger Meet right in time on a Wednesday afternoon.
IndiBlogger had cut the first turf and now it was time to pass the baton to the graceful master of ceremony - Shobha Rana - who welcomed us on behalf of Mobiistar.
She invited Mr. Carl Ngo - Co-founder and CEO - Mobiistar India - who came on stage with folded hands and marked the formal launch of Mobiistar in India with a humble Namaste.
He began by informing Indian Bloggers of how the humble beginning of Mobiistar in Vietnam grew on the basis of engagement with Vietnamese users through social media.
Here's what he had to say about the Indian Blogger community and Mobiistar's association with IndiBlogger right at the start.
Given such brand-connect with the masses in Vietnam, it came as no surprise that Mobiistar had been awarded as 'Most Impressive Vietnamese Smartphone 2017'. Coming to brand philosophy behind the launch of the two new selfie-centric devices, Carl had an interesting anecdote to share.
The brand name Mobiistar was coined as a consequence of the fact that owning a Mobiistar device makes the consumer a star among their peers. Also, there is an interesting nugget of info as to how the 'Selfie Star Series' came into being.
Carl had seen a bunch of tourists in India trying to take a group selfie or 'groupie' as it is called, with the aircraft, right after they arrived - enjoying with selfies - although struggling to include all the friends and the aircraft, both in the frame at the same time.
It was then that the idea stuck to #EnjoyMore - MORE SELFIE and MORE VALUE FOR MONEY.
In fact, there was a comparative blind selfie satisfaction survey carried out among four leading selfie-phones in the market, wherein certain Delhiites were asked to rate their selfie captured by each of the four phones on a scale of ten, or rather the user pool was prompted to rank the four phones in order of preference and thereafter, also guess the price range of the four devices.
The majority of users had an opinion that the phone that captured the best selfie of the lot should be the costliest one. However, they were pleasantly surprised when it was revealed that quality captures need not always be exorbitantly priced, but meaningful user experience can be economical too, as far as Mobiistar is concerned.
With their motto being #EnjoyMore, the key features of both devices CQ and XQ Dual - selfie-centric devices - were unveiled.
Being Mobiistar's 'Selfie Star Series', the most important feature would undoubtedly be the camera, complemented by a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor 425 SoC for CQ, and 430 SoC for XQ Dual.
Mobiistar targets Good Selfie - For Self and For Group. Keeping that in mind, two distinct devices have been designed with the right technology and crisp designs aiming to provide the ultimate experience.
CQ features a 13 MP Selfie Camera with 'Face Beauty Mode' that offers a seven-level beautification, while XQ Dual, as the name suggests, sports a 13 MP + 8 MP Dual Selfie Camera for the ultimate 'Selfie Experience'.
For those who have their eyes set on XQ Dual, it comes in a classy Champagne against a chic Black hue. :)
Both devices are backed by a ViLTE + VoLTE facility for Video Over LTE and Voice Over LTE. ViLTE is an extension of VoLTE, a conversational video service attempting to enhance voice services with a high-quality video channel.
With 1000 operational service centers across the country, Mobiistar aims to effortlessly provide after-sales services to its user pool in India.
Partnering with Indian e-commerce giant, Flipkart, Carl highlighted how they have co-created a range of products thanks to consumer understanding built over a decade.
Thanks to an exclusive alliance with Flipkart, sales were kick-started at 12 noon on May 30, and have been going strong so far. The price point for XQ Dual is ₹7999, while for CQ, it is ₹4999. Bang for the buck with enviable features, I must say.
As if the devices themselves weren't enticing enough, Mobiistar has brought Exclusive Offers into play by associating with Flipkart yet again for their Exchange Deal and Complete Mobile Protection, the latter being a comprehensive post-purchase solution able to tackle any and every phone-related issue except for theft, of course.
As for Complete Mobile Protection, it covers the following device issues (barring theft of device):
On the other hand, Jio has stepped into the arena by offering a ₹2200 instant cashback, making the purchase of Mobiistar's devices in India the perfect steal deal.
With that, Carl's presentation was drawn to a close and Shobha once again took center-stage to throw open the Question Hour for bloggers to interact with Carl.
During the Q&A session, while a blogger tried albeit in vain to find out which three phones other than Mobiistar's were in the running during the selfie satisfaction survey, another was curious about other features that the 'Selfie Star Series' possessed apart from a powerful camera.
 |
| The Selfie Satisfaction Experiment ~ Demo Zone |
To that, Carl reiterated that the phones had been designed in compliance with the industry standard, keeping in mind that Mobiistar had to be a part of the ECOSYSTEM, and as the folks at Flipkart had told Mobiistar that any new smartphone launched in India must possess a 3000 mAh battery, both CQ and XQ Dual had been endowed with a powerhouse that would last an entire day, from the moment one steps out in the morning to the moment one steps back in.
Keeping in mind Brand Positioning, Mr. Carl wanted Mobiistar to build on Social Capital i.e. focus first on consumers' mind share and heart share, and thereafter on market share - on being asked what is the market share that Mobiistar aims to capture within say a year of its sales and presence in India.
Also, he could not help but emphasize the fact that word of mouth through social media would be most beneficial to Mobiistar as a new brand in the Tech Arena in India.
Coming to an interlude, High Tea was laid open for some chit-chat, with a melodious Musical Duet in the meanwhile by two talented musicians being the highlight.
As always, food, music, and good company are the best comrades, without a doubt. In case you missed it, here's a snippet of the talented rendition on violin and saxophone.
Upon resuming, it was time for Networking - The IndiBlogger Way - as ten teams with ten members each were formed and it was 'Story Time Through Selfie Time' wherein the theme was #EnjoyMore. Each team had to click at least 15 selfies (which could be 30 at the maximum) within a twenty-minute timeline, using the Mobiistar phone provided.
With the activity drawn to a close, it was also time to draw the curtains on the first IndiMeet of 2018 - with the customary group capture taken by Renie himself! Spot me all smiles, below. :)
As we bid adieu, each of us had a bit of the #EnjoyMore stardust and some sweet delicacies to take back.
