Driven by Local Competitors
Samsung Electronics Co. has recorded a lower market share driven by local competitors in the Chinese smartphone market this year.
Chinese IT website cnBeta said on Dec. 19 that Samsung Electronics ranked fourth with a 7.7 percent market share in terms of the shipments in the Chinese smartphone market this year, citing data from market research firm Sino Market Research. This is largely due to its rapid drop in market share from upturns of Chinese manufacturers and Apple.
Huawei Technologies Co. won first place with a 13.6 percent share, followed by Apple Inc. with 11 percent and Xiaomi Inc. with 10 percent. Samsung Electronics, ranking in fourth place, was also followed by OPPO Electronics Corp. with 7.4 percent, Vivo Electronics Corp. with 7.3 percent, Lenovo Group Ltd. with 6.9 percent, Meizu Technology Co. with 4.3 percent, Coolpad Group Ltd. with 4.3 percent, and Gionee Communication Equipment Co. with 2.6 percent. Local Chinese producers made the top 10 on the list.
Samsung Electronics had an 18.2 percent share in the Chinese market in the second quarter of 2013, but the figure plunged to 7.7 percent this year. On the other hand, the market share of Apple surged from 3.9 percent to 11 percent during the same period. To be sure, other foreign brands, including Nokia Corp., Sony Corp. and LG Electronics, suffered a crushing defeat in the Chinese smartphone market.
There has been an increasing preference for Apple’s iPhone in the Chinese high-end smartphone market. In addition, Chinese consumers are more likely to purchase Chinese products, as their qualities have greatly improved. Accordingly, industry watchers say that Samsung Electronics can also face difficulties next year.