Oppo has had a wonderful life (and year) in China. The little-known company (at least in US) managed to come out at the top of the biggest smartphone vendors list there #mobilemagic
In 2016, Oppo sold more smartphones than anyone else in China. Their good-looking phones equipped with the newest technology and marketed at a smaller price than rivals were winners in the most users’ eyes. An IDC report shows that Oppo sold 78.4 million devices last year, up to 122% year-on-year:
The company owned by BBK took over Huawei’s supremacy, even leaving its sister, Vivo, behind. Fact is, Oppo gained followers with its R9 series, targeted at young adults. With a 16MP front camera and latest FotoNation Beautification technology for group or solo portraits, the smartphones are more than suited for this era’s selfie trend.
For the first time, both Apple and Xiaomi registered shipment declines, barely making the top. This win/loss situation matters to both Chinese and US companies, since the Chinese smartphone market is the world’s largest based on sales.
These numbers mean one thing – BBK, the group that has both Vivo and Oppo under its umbrella, owns now one-third of this massive market. Apple will have to give their next phone the “wow” element its fans await, if they want to reclaim their position here. IDC analysts believe this is likely to happen at the 10-year anniversary: “Most Apple users are expected to be holding out for the new iPhone that will be launched this year, and that will help the brand to see a growth in 2017. Apple’s 10-year anniversary iPhone will also likely attract some of the high-end Android users in China to convert to an iPhone.”
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