How Entry Level Smartphones Survived and Thrived in 2022, Chinese Brands in Wrestle, and a New Smartphone Contender?

Counterpoint Research, the Hong Kong primarily based international evaluation agency, just lately launched a press launch regarding the cargo of smartphones in the South East Asian market in 2022.

The article, titled Entry-level Smartphone Shipments Bounce Back in Key SEA Countries, Up 28% QoQ in This fall 2022, contained a multitude of attention-grabbing info.

The Rise of the Entry-Level Smartphones?

2022 noticed an general drop in the cargo of smartphones to the SEA nations, with 13% much less shipments in comparison with final 12 months.

While mid-tier smartphones (priced $200-$400) and high-end smartphones ($401-$600) noticed a slight decline in cargo from Q3 to This fall, there was an upward pattern in the direction of the cargo of price range smartphones (priced lower than $200) and premium smartphones (priced greater than $600) by the top of the 12 months, with every smartphone value class gaining 28% and 22% over their earlier quarters respectively. Could this recommend the rising reputation of price range smartphones, in addition to premium smartphones?

Malaysian Smartphone Shipments

Regarding Malaysia in 2022, information exhibits that the nation suffered a regular, however not steep, decline in smartphone shipments Q1 to Q3, earlier than barely rising in This fall 2022. Malaysia was additionally stated to be one of many small markets of SEA, alongside Myanmar and Cambodia, to be probably the most affected in declining smartphone demand. This was probably as a result of nations’ excessive share of economically deprived residents, those who have been probably the most affected by the declining general smartphone shipments of 2022, particularly that of the entry-level smartphones.

Chinese Brands in Trouble?

In 2022, Chinese smartphone manufacturers equivalent to vivo, Realme, and Xiaomi all suffered from overwhelming client demand and underwhelming stock and inventory. Amidst the group, OPPO was the one model who was capable of meet their client’s demand expectations.

However, the entire manufacturers talked about above suffered in smartphone shipments all through 2022, posting decrease numbers in comparison with their earlier 12 months. Amongst the most well-liked smartphone manufacturers, solely two remained comparatively undisturbed, that being Samsung and Apple, who posted related numbers to their earlier 12 months’s shipments.

The report additionally talked about how corporations trying to diversify their manufacturing would possibly impression China’s financial system, as extra and extra smartphone manufacturers are constructing manufacturing crops in SEA nations equivalent to Vietnam.

In this 12 months of declining smartphone shipments, nonetheless, one model managed to rise above the remaining, posting a constructive enhance in shipments in comparison with the opposite manufacturers’ declining shipments. Infinix was stated to have made 21% extra smartphone shipments in comparison with final 12 months, a formidable feat contemplating the general downward pattern this 12 months had. Infinix’s give attention to price range oriented units may need helped propel them ahead, particularly contemplating the recognition of entry-level smartphones in the direction of the top of 2022.

Overall, it may be seen from the information that entry degree smartphones are on the rise, Chinese manufacturers aren’t fulfilling their calls for, and Infinix could possibly be a actual contender in the way forward for smartphone manufacturers.