Nubia Enters the Walkie-Talkie Market: Intensifying Competition Among Smartphone Manufacturers' "Side Hustles," Can the N1 Break Through?

Nubia Enters the Walkie-Talkie Market: Intensifying Competition Among Smartphone Manufacturers' "Side Hustles," Can the N1 Break Through?Smartphone manufacturers have been increasingly branching out into "side hustles" in recent years, no longer limiting themselves to the smartphone market. Recently, Nubia quietly launched a walkie-talkie the Nubia Walkie-Talkie N1 currently available for pre-order only on JD

Nubia Enters the Walkie-Talkie Market: Intensifying Competition Among Smartphone Manufacturers' "Side Hustles," Can the N1 Break Through?

Smartphone manufacturers have been increasingly branching out into "side hustles" in recent years, no longer limiting themselves to the smartphone market. Recently, Nubia quietly launched a walkie-talkie the Nubia Walkie-Talkie N1 currently available for pre-order only on JD.com's self-operated platform, with an initial price of 239. This move has sparked industry discussions about smartphone manufacturers venturing into traditional sectors and the future development trends of the walkie-talkie market. What are the features of this walkie-talkie? And can the "side hustle" strategy of smartphone manufacturers succeed? This article will delve into a detailed analysis.

Nubia N1: An Attempt to Balance Slim Portability and Performance

The Nubia N1 walkie-talkie is notable for its slim and portable design. With a body thickness of only 16mm and a weight of just 137g, it packs a 2190mAh battery, which the company claims can provide 13 hours of continuous use or 100 hours of standby time. This achievement stems from Nubia's innovation in heat dissipation technology, using aluminum alloy material to enhance heat dissipation, achieving a balance between a slim body and performance.

In terms of communication performance, the Nubia N1 has a 4W transmission power and supports communication distances varying depending on the environment: 1-5 km in urban areas, 1-30 floors in office buildings, 1-10 km in open areas, and 1-3 km while driving at high speed. It's worth mentioning that the Nubia N1 is not the first slim and high-performance walkie-talkie; the Xiaomi Walkie-Talkie 2S has achieved similar results.

Beyond core specifications, the Nubia N1 also boasts several practical features, such as intelligent noise reduction, a dot-matrix display, mobile app frequency setting, contactless frequency copying, and a 3.5mm headphone jack (supporting Bluetooth earphones). These features enhance user experience and strengthen the product's competitiveness. Considering Nubia's strong technical support from ZTE Corporation, this walkie-talkie is not a simple rebranded product but a practical application of Nubia's accumulated communication technology.

The Rise of Smartphone Manufacturers' "Side Hustles": Xiaomi's Success and Other Manufacturers' Attempts

Nubia is not the first smartphone manufacturer to venture into the walkie-talkie field. Xiaomi entered the market seven years ago and currently offers six models covering various price points, achieving remarkable market success. Users have praised the basic communication experience and convenient frequency setting of Xiaomi's walkie-talkies, finding them superior to WeChat calls in certain scenarios. Additionally, some Xiaomi walkie-talkies support location sharing, showcasing the advantages of smartphone manufacturers in terms of intelligence.

In contrast, Motorola, a veteran in the walkie-talkie industry, has held a leading position since developing the first mobile radio communication product in 1936. Its accumulated expertise in analog walkie-talkie technology results in products with excellent anti-interference and sound quality. However, traditional walkie-talkie manufacturers are relatively weak in supporting multi-device ecosystems, providing an opportunity for smartphone manufacturers to enter the market.

Market Demand for Walkie-Talkies and the Challenge of Offline Communication with Smartphones

Although smartphones have become the primary tool for long-distance communication, walkie-talkies still have irreplaceable advantages in short-range communication scenarios. Long-distance communication with smartphones relies on base station networks and signals, requiring multiple steps and failing to achieve the instant communication convenience of a walkie-talkie. The large number of discussions about walkie-talkies on social media indicates continued market demand, with group travel and organized activities being primary use cases.

In recent years, offline communication technology for smartphones has emerged as a potential alternative to walkie-talkies. Through Bluetooth connectivity, smartphones can communicate over a certain distance without a network. However, experiences with Xiaomi's offline communication function have shown that call quality is unstable, and distance and obstacles significantly affect call quality, still lagging behind the stability of traditional walkie-talkies. This is primarily because smartphone offline communication technology differs fundamentally from the frequency modulation technology of traditional walkie-talkies; the former relies on Bluetooth and LoRa, while the latter has higher transmission power and larger antennas.

Some Apple Watch models also offer a "walkie-talkie" function, but this relies on a network and cannot fully replace traditional walkie-talkies. Therefore, current smartphone offline communication technology primarily serves as a temporary solution and cannot completely replace traditional walkie-talkies, especially in outdoor activities.

Nubia's "Side Hustle" Strategy: Diversification and Brand Positioning

Nubia has been actively expanding its "side hustles," having previously launched smartphones with rear-mounted speakers, bare-eye 3D tablets, and wrist-worn smart devices. Its attempts in smart devices are comparable to other smartphone manufacturers. The launch of the Nubia Walkie-Talkie N1 aligns with its previous brand positioning and product strategy. Previously, the Nubia Z60S Pro focused on outdoor functions and launched an outdoor protective kit, aiming to create an image of an "outdoor digital brand." Therefore, launching a walkie-talkie is not unexpected.

However, judging from the promotion and sales channels of the Nubia N1, the company does not seem to be promoting it as a key product; it's more of a "miscellaneous goods" item aimed at increasing revenue. This "every little bit helps" strategy reflects, to some extent, the attempts of smartphone manufacturers at diversified operations.

Conclusion

The emergence of the Nubia N1 reflects the trend of smartphone manufacturers expanding into "side hustles" and the potential growth of the walkie-talkie market. Although smartphone offline communication technology is developing rapidly, the advantages of traditional walkie-talkies in specific scenarios remain clear. Whether the Nubia N1 can stand out in the fiercely competitive market remains to be seen. The "side hustle" strategy of smartphone manufacturers reflects both diversification and the search for new growth points. In the future, the walkie-talkie market may see more smartphone manufacturers join, leading to even fiercer competition.

(Space for images: Nubia N1 walkie-talkie, Xiaomi walkie-talkie, Motorola walkie-talkie)

(Space for images: Comparison of smartphone offline communication, application scenarios of walkie-talkies)

(Space for images: Other Nubia products, such as Nubia Music, Nubia Pad 3D, Nubia Alpha)

(Space for images: Xiaomi's ecosystem products)