Interview: Realme CEO talks European expansion, 5G phones

Following the an introduction of the Realme X launch, we got a chance to sit down with Realme Global CEO Sky Li, CMO Xu Qi Chase, and CPO Dereck Wang and learn more about the company's future plans.

A lot of customers are confused about Realme's connection with Oppo. Can you talk us through the connection between the two smartphone manufacturers?

We have a lot of experience at Oppo and we want to bring this under a new brand for the young people. Realme is an independent company, regarding Research & Development, Marketing, Product Strategy, etc. We are still using the manufacturing plants and some key hardware and software, including several patents, but we are working towards changing that.

Does that mean we might see Realme moving away from Oppo's ColorOS and introducing phones with stock Android?

All we can say at this moment is that we listen very carefully to our customers and we provide different experiences to different markets.

What other products is Realme planning to launch in the near future?

Our goal for 2019 remains mobile products for young people. We have smartphones and some accessories, but we want to keep it clear - we are a niche company, creating devices for people who are online and want to share their photos and their moments.

We are here in China, witnessing an expansion to a new market, but what about other regions, Europe for example?

We are always willing to expand where people need us.

Next month we will launch Realme 3 Pro in Russia, with Europe to follow soon.

Editor's note: A launch is already scheduled for May 24 in Paris, France, meaning the device should appear in French stores in the weeks following the announcement.

Realme X has finally introduced USB-C and UD fingerprint scanner to the portfolio. What is the next big thing that you plan on implementing?

First, I want to say that fans really wanted USB-C, so that's why Realme X has it. Of course, when the market wants something, we try to provide it. China is a huge market and we expect an explosive growth due to the implementation of 5G, which means phones with the 5G modem by Qualcomm.

Does this mean we will see a Realme device with a price above the $300 threshold?

We are still a very young company and we want to keep our brand sustainable. We don't want to flood the market, we want to bring a lot of happiness to our customers. For example, this is why Realme devices do not have earphones in the retail box.

Young customers are really picky about their style, so providing them generic earphones is not an option. We want to keep them happy.

During the conversation, sales numbers were also mentioned, and the Realme executives pointed out that in the first 12 months the company pushed over 7 million devices.

Sky Li promised Realme is fully prepared for the 5G expansion and will be among the first group of manufacturers to introduce devices once the network is ready.