Vodafone
told manufacturers that it would reduce the number of handsets in its range
this year.
The
operator gathered all of the manufacturers it uses for its annual meeting at
its head office in Newbury last week.
Chairing
the meeting was devices chief, Chris Edwards, who also hinted at standardised
services and user experience on the handsets.
One
manufacturer in attendance said: ‘The message was clear. They want to drive
down how much we charge them, and they want a richer, more uniform “Vodafone”
experience on handsets.’
A
spokeswoman for Vodafone said: ‘At a recent device conference that
Vodafone UK held for manufacturers, we updated on our strategy to continue to
take best in class devices that meet the cross section of customer types. This
will mean that we will continue to focus on a narrower range of devices
overall, avoiding duplication and improving in market execution and the
customer experience.’