Toshiba makes its Smart TV range available in India - and the timing is just right

With the festive season fast approaching, Indian consumer electronics market, especially the smart TV segment is gearing up to make it count since the first half of the year was rather disappointing due to the pandemic outbreak.

Hence, it is not surprising that we’re seeing brands introducing their latest and best products in the market and also the e-commerce platforms as Amazon and Flipkart have already started coming up with tech deals offering an attractive discount to the users.

Riding the same wave, Toshiba, which had recently announced its debut in India, has announced the availability of its smart LED TVs in India. These new Internet-enabled TVs are available in sizes ranging from 32-inches to the premium 65-inches 4K QLED TVs.

Pricing of Toshiba smart LED TVs in India

Model	Price
65U7980	Rs. 66,990
55U7980	Rs. 46,990
55U5050	Rs. 36,990
50U5050	Rs. 32,990
43U5050	Rs. 27,990
43L5050	Rs. 22,490
32L5050	Rs. 12,990

Check out Toshiba smart LED TVs on Amazon

Check out Toshiba smart LED TVs on Flipkart

Features and specifications of Toshiba smart LED TVs

These TVs are categorised in three different segments based on their configurations and pricing. The base variant or L50 series represents the budget and entry-level smart LED TV that comes with a custom VIDAA operating system. These are available in 32-inch and 43-inch sizes and are equipped with an ADS panel. The L50 series is available with a 1-year warranty.

Next up is U50 series that come in three different sizes – 43-inch, 50-inch and 55-inches. These entry-level 4K TVs come with features like Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, Alexa Built-in and minimal bezel design. These also run on the VIDAA operating system. As an introductory offer, Toshiba is offering a 4-year warranty on the panel during the first 4 days of launch i.e. from September 18 till September 21. Any purchases made after this offer period will carry a regular warranty.

With the U79 series, the company’s premium range starts. These 4L LED TVs boast features like full-array local dimming, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, wide colour gamut and come in a minimal bezel design. Like other TVs under the Toshiba brand, these also run on Vidaa os and come with Alexa built-in.

Aside these, Toshiba also plans to bring the U80 QLED series which can be expected during the Diwali festive season.

Why a sudden spurt in affordable smart LED TVs in India?

There was a time when purchasing a smart TV would cost you anywhere between Rs. 1.6 to Rs. 1.7 lakh and were considered to be a status symbol. You can now bring home a smart LED TV at as low as Rs. 12,000. This sharp decrease in the price is directly related to the increased demand.

Compared to the earlier times when we could count the brand selling LED TV on your fingertips, we have over 80 brands selling TVs in India now. According to Counterpoint, India’s TV market is still unpenetrated and has a scope for over 200 million sales. For most of these companies, this is a massive opportunity and even a small pie of this market is a huge business opportunity for them.

Apart from cost, for smartphone makers like Xiaomi, OnePlus, Honor etc TVs offer yet another way to get the customer into their “ecosystem” and in turn sell more products. While these companies are already involved in making phones, branching into the IoT ecosystem makes a valid business sense and allows them to offer multiple entry points for the users, where the smartphone remains the core product. Other relevant IoT products and accessories include smart speakers, smart lights, security camera, sound-bars etc.

Additionally, since data is considered as the new Oil, having a new internet-enabled device at your home lets these tech companies assess how their users like to spend family time and their media consumption habits. This further opens a pandora's box of content collaborations, targeting, advertisements driven by a deeper analysis of both your smartphone and smart TV usage.