Despite the current Android-iOS duality, the mobile phone market is becoming increasingly diverse in terms of brands. Just a few years ago, Apple and Samsung dominated the market , with Huawei arriving and vying for its share. Now we've seen how things have unfolded in the high-end segment in 2018, with new entrants growing at a rate that is, in some cases, even... threatening. Can you guess which brands they are?
OnePlus, OPPO and Xiaomi play in the Champions League
We already knew that Apple and Samsung continue to rake in profits with high-end phones and that Huawei is increasingly nipping at their heels . So far, nothing new. What we didn't expect is that three other Chinese companies would break into this league with a growth rate that threatens to continue the same trend in the coming months.
We are referring to OnePlus, Oppo and Xiaomi , three Asian companies that continue to gain followers in markets like Spain - especially the third, with a catalog that goes beyond telephony - and that despite being better known for marketing mid-range phones at very good prices, have managed to slip their top-of-the-range phones among the most in-demand terminals, according to data from Counterpoint Research.
This wouldn't apply, however, to OnePlus , which, as you know, focuses all its efforts and objectives on a single device ( much like Apple with its iPhone) that it sells with high-end features at a truly attractive price. Thanks to the quality of its models (the latest being the capable and reliable OnePlus 6T ), the Chinese brand led by Pete Lau has climbed to fifth position as one of the companies with the largest market share in the high-end mobile phone segment. Not only that, but while its market share was 1% in 2017, it reached 2% in 2018 , experiencing a modest but nonetheless significant increase.
Just above them is Oppo , with an even greater rise . The brand still feels "new" in some markets, such as Spain, where it's still finding its niche, but that doesn't detract from the fact that globally it's already winning over consumers with its high-end devices. While in 2017 the company held a 1% market share in this segment, in 2018 it climbed to a considerable 6% . Much of the credit goes to its Oppo R15 and R17 , which have been extremely popular in the Chinese market.
Huawei , which held an 8% global market share in the high-end market, has risen to 10% . It's perhaps the least surprising brand given its unstoppable rise in recent times. For a long time, its strategy focused on the mid-range and low-end segments, but it's increasingly positioning itself in a more premium category, competing with the two giants with its P20 and Mate 20 series—remember, we're talking about the 2018 season. As for these giants, Apple's market share has dropped from 58% to 51% year-over-year, while Samsung has also experienced a much smaller decline, from 23% to 22%.
[RelatedNotice blank title=»»]https://eloutput.com/noticias/moviles/telefonos-android-espana-cuota-2018/[/RelatedNotice]
It doesn't appear in the "top 5" high-end phones table (by a narrow margin), but Xiaomi is showing promise, still enjoying a significant increase in market share in this segment thanks to its Mi 8 line , which has several versions and ended up settling quite well in the market.
Overall, the study shows that, despite appearances, the high-end phone sector saw a 14% year-over-year increase in sales, which undoubtedly demonstrates that there is still room and demand for these types of devices. And it's clear that everyone wants to secure their place in this segment.