The $125 Chinese Smartphone Surprise: How a Budget Device Conquered the Global Market

According to a report by Counterpoint Research, Apple and Samsung accounted for 9 out of the top 10 best-selling smartphones globally in Q2 2024, a decrease of one position compared to the same period last year when these two tech giants dominated the entire top 10. Samsung ceded a position to Xiaomi, marking the Chinese brand’s comeback after two consecutive quarters of absolute dominance by Apple and Samsung.

Although Apple maintained its number of representatives in the top 10, there was a shift in the ranking of iPhone models. While the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 series occupied all four top spots in Q2 2023, this year, the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 15 Pro took the top three positions, respectively, with the iPhone 14 series landing in sixth place.

Apple’s total sales and market share within the top 10 best-selling smartphones decreased compared to the previous year. However, the sales and market share of the Pro models grew, indicating a shift in consumer demand towards premium smartphone models and a decline in the ranking of older iPhone generations.

On the other hand, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra dropping to ninth place in Q2 2024 compared to the eighth position held by the S23 Ultra in Q2 2023 seems contradictory to the premiumization trend. However, this is mainly due to the earlier launch of the S24 Ultra, causing a portion of its sales to be recorded in Q1.

The leading Samsung smartphone in this quarter was the Galaxy A15 5G, followed by its 4G variant. The A15 series offers efficient multitasking capabilities and is highly popular in the affordable mid-range segment.

Samsung’s other models in the top 10 also belong to the A series. The Galaxy A55 5G, positioned in the premium mid-range segment with some intriguing security features, took seventh place, while the Galaxy A05, another affordable offering, secured the tenth spot.

Xiaomi was the only brand besides Apple and Samsung to make it to the top 10 with its Redmi 13C 4G in eighth place. Its predecessor, the Redmi 12C, had also made it to the top 10 previously.

Redmi’s presence continues to expand beyond its traditional key markets in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The Redmi C series is an upgraded version of the affordable A series, which are frequent entrants in the top-selling smartphone rankings.

In the Vietnamese market, the Redmi 13C 4G is priced at just over 3 million VND. This affordable smartphone from the Chinese mobile giant is highly regarded for its attractive design and powerful performance.

The Redmi 13 4G is the successor to last year’s Redmi 12 and offers notable improvements, such as a 108 MP camera and the Helio G91 Ultra chipset.

Overall, the number of premium smartphones in the top 10 best-selling list for Q2 2024 remained the same as in Q2 2023, with five models. However, their combined sales in the global smartphone market decreased by approximately 1.5%. This decline can be attributed to Samsung’s earlier launch of the S24 Ultra and the challenges faced by the iPhone 15 series in China, which do not reflect the broader market trend.

Additionally, a significant portion of the market share lost by Apple in China went to Huawei’s premium smartphone offerings. With the increasing number of smartphones integrating GenAI capabilities this year, especially after the launch of the iPhone 16, we can expect the premiumization trend to persist in the long term.