Telefónica Spain has taken another step in its commercial strategy and launched a dedicated unit to manage everything related to terminals, devices, and technological equipment. This is the Hardware and Devices Division, which falls within the business-to-consumer (B2C) area and will be headed by a top-level executive: Alberto Ruano, who until now led Lenovo in Spain and Portugal. Ruano will join the company on October 1st and will report directly to Óscar Candiles, Chief Revenue Officer of Telefónica Spain, with whom he will also serve on the management committee.
The creation of this new division responds to a clear shift in customer behavior, as people no longer come to Movistar just to buy a mobile phone. According to Borja Ochoa, president of Telefónica Spain, people are now also looking for living room televisions, tablets for their children, laptops for working from home, or smartwatches for fitness. This change is reflected in sales figures, which have grown significantly in recent months. Therefore, the company wants to give this business its own identity and a similar level of service to that already provided to other areas such as home television or digital services for businesses.
A unit that covers the entire device lifecycle
The new Hardware and Devices Division will assume comprehensive management of the equipment business. This includes defining the product catalog, negotiating with manufacturers, designing commercial offers, sales, logistics, procurement, supply chain management, and financial control . In practice, this means a single team will handle the entire process, from deciding which products to sell to delivering them to the customer and monitoring their profitability. The aim is for devices to achieve the same level of importance as other businesses Telefónica has developed independently within the group, such as home television and digital solutions for businesses.
Figures that support the decision
The numbers speak for themselves. Between January and August of this year, Movistar sold 900.000 devices, 10% more than in the same period last year . And what's most striking is that this growth isn't coming from smartphones, but from other categories. 42% of the devices sold so far this year are no longer mobile phones, six percentage points higher than twelve months ago. Smartwatches and tablets have seen a 29% increase in units sold, home appliances (both small and large) have grown by 28%, and televisions have risen by 26%. The company currently offers more than 800 different products, ranging from mobile phones and game consoles to laptops, fitness trackers, and audio and video equipment.
To further boost this business, Telefónica has opted for innovative commercial models. Movistar Swap, launched in September 2025, allows customers to enjoy a device by paying a monthly fee and then decide, after 24 months for smartphones or 36 months for some laptops and tablets, whether to upgrade to the latest model or keep the current one . In the case of an upgrade, the company collects the old device, delivers a new one, and inspects the returned device for refurbishment or recycling. This model has been well received and has become one of the drivers of growth.
Alberto Ruano, a proven profile
The person chosen to lead this new phase is Alberto Ruano, an executive with over 25 years of experience in the technology sector. A graduate in Law from UNED (National University of Distance Education) and with a General Management Program from IESE Business School, he began his career at Toshiba Spain in 2000 , where he served as General Manager from 2006 to 2013. In 2013, he moved to Lenovo as General Manager of Enterprise and Public Administration for Spain and Portugal, and since 2016 he has led the multinational's entire operation in the Iberian Peninsula. Under his leadership, Lenovo consolidated its position as the market leader in PCs in this region. Ruano has a deep understanding of how customers think when purchasing a device and knows what they expect from a brand, something Telefónica particularly values.
The executive has expressed ambition regarding his new challenge. Alberto Ruano pointed out that Movistar has a daily relationship with millions of homes and businesses that trust the company, and that his goal is for that trust to also become the best gateway to technology , leveraging advancements such as 5G NTN satellite connectivity . In his remarks, he emphasized his desire to offer the best product, under the best conditions, and at the right time. For his part, Borja Ochoa underlined that the company embraces the challenge of being the best access point for citizens to digital technologies, and that to achieve this, they have sought out someone with unparalleled knowledge of the sector.
In short, the creation of this department represents another step in Telefónica's strategy to transform devices into a fully-fledged business, leveraging current sales strength and the experience of a proven executive. The new structure, headed by Alberto Ruano, will be responsible for coordinating all aspects of hardware from October 1st , with the goal of ensuring that Movistar remains the go-to place for customers to find everything they need in the technological field, both for themselves and their homes.