technology
Demand for Chinese brand smartphones rising in Southeast Asia
Huawei is a major smartphone brand from China which has grown by leaps and bounds in the past two years. – September 2, 2015.Demand in Southeast Asia for smartphones made by Chinese manufacturers shot up to 25% of all smartphones sold in the region from January to June this year, a big leap from only 4% two years ago, a market survey revealed recently.
By June 2015, one in every four (25%) smartphones sold in the region was a Chinese branded model, as compared to only 4% back in 2013, said research firm GfK.
“Following their successes breaking into the entry level segment, Chinese brands can be seen introducing models with design and features which are comparable to those offered by today’s international brands; in an effort to shift consumers who are currently spending on mid- to high-end smartphone models towards their offerings,” said the company's director for Technology Gerard Tan.
“This could greatly intensify the competition and shake-up the region’s smartphone marketplace,” he was quoted as saying in a media release marking the results of the survey.
The survey also found that the three biggest smartphone markets in the region were developing markets, such as Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, where sales volume soared to around 14.9 million, 6.6 million and 6 million units, respectively, in the first six months of this year.
Meanwhile, the three fastest growing markets were Vietnam, Thailand and Philippines, which all reported heightened demand from last year by 27%, 13% and 10%, respectively.
The low cost of smartphones attributed to the sharp rise in demand, with the survey noting that while only 15% of smartphones sold in the first half of 2013 cost US$100 or less, this pricing segment now occupied 35% of the total market in 2015.
“The availability of a wide range of lower price option nowadays have made it possible and much more affordable for price sensitive consumers in these developing markets to switchover and own their first smartphone,” noted Tan. – September 2, 2015.
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