Chinese smartphone companies want to overthrow Samsung and Apple 2
Oppo and Gionee may not be big names in the West.
Last year, Huawei affirmed its position as the world’s third largest smartphone company in terms of market share, closely following Apple and Samsung.
Chinese smartphone brands increasingly appear at major events.
3 of the 5 largest smartphone companies in the world are Chinese.
At the Mobile World Congress (MWG) – one of the industry’s largest events held in Barcelona last week, Chinese companies did not miss the opportunity to stand out.
They took advantage of this event to prove that they can participate on the global playground, challenging names like Apple and Samsung.
Oppo, Vivo and Gionee are all successful in China thanks to traditional sales channels.
Large advertising and sponsorship contracts are also part of this expansion campaign.
Gionee products are currently available in 4,000 stores in India.
However, expanding into developed markets can be challenging.
`Recently, we have expanded to Taiwan (China), Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. The response so far has been quite good. In Singapore, we are currently ranked 3rd. In Australia, we have signed a contract
Huawei is currently the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world.
However, when asked whether the US could be their next destination, the companies all said that it was not the time.
The environment in the US has also become more difficult for Chinese companies.
`I don’t see that risk. I think the US-China relationship is the most important in the world. Our two countries need each other,` said Yuanqing Yang – CEO of Lenovo.
For now, though, most Chinese companies are still focused on countries where they can gain market share without much trouble.
`I think the Gionee brand is not ready to enter the US or Europe. But if we can cooperate with local brands, launch products with them and work with them to understand the market, we can enter the market.`
