Chinese BBK Group Oppo, Vivo, Real Me
Sold more smartphones than Samsung Electronics last year
Photo = Yonhap News
In the global smartphone market last year, the annual shipments of three smartphone companies under the Chinese couple Gao (步步高·BBK) group, including Oppo, Vivo, and Real Me, surpassed Samsung Electronics for the first time. The momentum of Huawei, which made the’third-finals’ with Samsung Electronics and Apple due to US trade sanctions, has been dampened, but other Chinese companies are taking the vacant positions. Experts are warning that as competition in the Chinese smartphone market intensifies, they will quickly pursue Samsung Electronics and Apple in the premium market.
Photo = Oppo website
Oppo Vivo Real Me, BBK Group’Brother’
According to counterpoint research, a market research firm on the 31st, Samsung Electronics shipped 25.57 million smartphones last year, ranking first with 19% market share. Shipments decreased by 14% from a year ago due to the influence of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19).
Apple ranked second with 21.1 million units (15% share), and Huawei ranked third with 187.7 million units (14%). Apple’s shipments, with the iPhone 12 first, increased 3% year-on-year, while Huawei’s declined 21% due to Corona 19 and US trade sanctions. In the fourth quarter of last year, it was pushed to the sixth place. With the sale of Honor, a low-end product brand, in November last year, the market share is expected to decrease further this year.
Huawei’s vacant positions are other Chinese manufacturers. Xiaomi reached fourth place with 145.8 million units a year (11% share). Oppo and Vivo also increased their share by exceeding 100 million units. Real Me ranked 7th with 42.4 million units, the highest growth rate of 65% among the top 10 companies.
Oppo, Vivo, and Real Me are’brothers’ under the BBK Group. The combined shipments of the three companies last year surpassed Samsung Electronics with 262.7 million units. Oneplus, which is rapidly increasing its share in the Indian market, is also a member of BBK Group. The company sold more than 20 million units last year in India alone. BBK Group has become the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer, overtaking Samsung Electronics and Apple.
Chinese companies showing off new technologies such as rollable phones
Until now, Chinese companies have been targeting the market with mid- to low-priced products. In the premium market, Apple and Samsung Electronics, and Huawei among Chinese companies, have been competing. However, it is a common evaluation of the industry that the technology of Chinese companies is growing rapidly in recent years.
They also boldly adopt new technologies. Chinese companies first introduced the display-integrated fingerprint recognition function and the under-display camera with the front camera placed under the screen. Oppo also unveiled the concept of a rollable phone at a technology presentation in November last year. LG Electronics also unveiled a rollable phone video at CES 2021, an IT and home appliance exhibition this year, but the launch of the product is unclear as it announced a full review of the smartphone business. Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi are expected to release foldable (folding) smartphones this year. An official in the smartphone industry said, “The Chinese smartphone market is where the world’s most fierce competition takes place.”
Samsung Electronics continues to be the No. 1 market share, but it is in a difficult situation to continue struggling competition. Samsung Electronics aims to target the premium market with its strategic smartphone Galaxy S21 and low-end foldable phones, and increase its market share with mid- to low-end 5G (5G) mobile communication smartphones.
Reporter Seung-Woo Lee [email protected]
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