Realme Sub-Brand DIZO May Shut Down; Welcome To The DIZO, Realme Techlife And Realme Narzo Conundrum

Back in May 2021, Chinese smartphone brand Realme had launched a new sub-brand called DIZO. Abhilash Panda was made the CEO of DIZO and of course, the influencer hype was there to help the brand kickstart in India.

Under the DIZO brand devices like Bluetooth neckbands, TWS earbuds, smartwatches, feature phones, hair dryer, trimmer among others were launched. Within a short span of just 2 years, DIZO launched 13 Bluetooth audio products, 17 smartwatches, 2 feature phones, 3 hair trimmers and 1 hair dryer. This is indeed a huge product catalog for a new brand, especially after the world just came out of the pandemic. But these launches were hyped as a huge success for the brand.

Last year, DIZO ‘celebrated’ its anniversary. Abhilash Panda gave interviews claiming how successful the brand has become in India. They even quoted reports by Counterpoint Technology Market Research claiming to be among the “top five smartwatches brands in India” with “4.4 per cent of the market share”.

But this year, DIZO will not be celebrating its “second anniversary”. Why? Well, Abhilash Panda has quit and Realme seems to have quietly washed off its hands from the brand DIZO.

When Abhilash Panda was celebrating last year, he made a subtle point which many ignored. He quietly mentioned that DIZO was not a sub-brand of Realme.

In an interview with The Telegraph in June 2022, he said, “Dizo indeed is a part of Realme, to be more precise we are the first brand to be part of Realme’s TechLife ecosystem. However, we are not a sub-brand of Realme.”

Following the recent resignation of Abhilash Panda, rumours have emerged hinting at the possible shutdown of Dizo within just two years since its launch. In fact, DIZO’s media communications team has recently left as well.

The last 2 years has been a great learning experience. Over to some time off and opening of the next chapter! pic.twitter.com/B9SJcs0LcK

— Abhilash Panda (@panda_abhilash) May 27, 2023

Panda’s resignation has sparked speculation about the future of the brand, leaving many to question the longevity of Dizo in the market. No official statements or announcements have been made regarding the closure of the DIZO brand yet. We have contacted the media communication teams at Realme for the same and are awaiting their responses.

Since February 2023, the brand has remained silent without any updates or announcements. The most recent addition to their product lineup was the Dizo Watch D2, which was launched in February 2023.

So, what happens to the people who have bought any of the DIZO products? What about software updates or what about after-sales support?

Interestingly, in April 2023, Realme announced an overhaul for its Techlife brand, bringing all of its products under its existing Narzo sub-brand. The company had directed Techlife product fans to follow Narzo’s social handles in the future. Furthermore, the company also asked fans to follow Realme’s official handles for updates on AIoT products, implying that no AIoT products will be launched under the Narzo brand.

The recent announcement from Realme left many confused. Up until now, Realme has built a Techlife ecosystem consisting of three core components: industrial design, supply chain, and AIoT. These components seamlessly integrate with the Realme Link App. However, Realme has not provided any clarification regarding the future of AIoT devices under the Dizo brand.

Also, should people trust the Narzo brand from Realme after seeing the fate of DIZO?

Meanwhile, after the resignation of Panda, people are looking for answers from the brand. Reacting to the latest development, a Twitter user wrote: “What about those people who bought the Dizo product and they don’t have any service? Such an easy way to take an exit and say all good things about the company which is cheat and fraud, make money and run away. Also, mind #dizo is @realmeIndia company. Realme should help out…”

As customers await clarity and support, it remains to be seen how Realme and Dizo will respond to these calls for assistance.