According to data by Counterpoint's Technology Market Research,
published by the Korea Herald, Chinese Xiaomi continues its lead over
Apple in terms of market share in the Middle Kingdom. Back in August, Canalys first reported that Xiaomi is gaining ground in China, and even surpassed the Cupertino-based company.
Xiaomi, which is seeing stratospheric growth in its home country,
held 11% of the market in China in the first quarter of 2014. Known for
producing quality smartphones and then selling them with small mark-ups,
the local vendor continues to hold the number three, with Apple an inch
behind, at 10%. That's not surprising, seeing as the majority of
Chinese smartphone buyers mostly shop at the low-cost aisle, and the
iPhone only recently started selling on China Telecom -- the country's
biggest carrier.
The study also calls out the two market leaders in China -- Samsung
and Lenovo -- which grabbed an 18% and 12% share in Q1. Coolpad, at
10%, is tied with Apple, and both are closely-followed by Huawei, which
holds 8% of the pie. ZTE and Oppo had it the worst -- the two companies
captured 6% and 3% respectively.
As the world's biggest smartphone market, China is obviously
getting higher and higher on manufacturers' agenda, and there are
definitely those that consider it crucial for a company's future odds of
survival. That said, the commoditization of smartphones has brought
down (and continues to squeeze) profit margins to a point where only a
few brands are actually making a real buck. That's a godsend for
consumers, but it might cost us the current diversity in products
somewhere down the line.
source: Counterpoint Research via Korea Herald
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