Global KaiOS feature phone market declined 16% YoY and 42% QoQ in Q2 2021. The decline was driven by lack of refreshed portfolio of the KaiOS powered devices. Also, as smartphones get more affordable with time, people are switching from feature phones to entry level smartphones. Jio, which was the leader in KaiOS shipments in 2019 has now shifted its focus on smartphones hence its feature phone shipments has dropped adding to the decline in overall KaiOS feature phone market.

This report tracks KaiOS shipments by key vendors on a quarterly basis from Q1 2017 to Q2 2021. While KaiOS feature phone just made up a very small volume share of total feature phone market this quarter, the wholesale price of KaiOS 3G and 4G feature phones are much higher (e.g. five times higher) than 2G dumb feature phones which are usually below US$10.

We recommend industry stakeholders like OEMs, operators who still focus on feature phone segment to closely watch the development and evolution of KaiOS feature phones in the following years. This report is a must for app players who have been developing apps for KaiOS platforms to understand the present dynamics. Also, OEMs with most of their portfolio in entry level smartphones should run through this report as well so as to understand the potential market for the years to come.