Counterpoint: OPPO overtakes Huawei, becomes number 1 smartphone brand in China

For the first time, OPPO has emerged as the number one smartphone brand in the China market in January of this year, beating the big names in the industry.

File photo: OPPO A series phone

OPPO tags as number 1 smartphone brand in China

According to a report from Counterpoint, OPPO secured a 21 percent market share in the period, higher than Vivo's 20 percent. Huawei, Apple, and Xiaomi all got 16 percent, it noted.

Data showed that OPPO's sales jumped by 33 percent month-on-month, and 26 percent year-on-year.

Screenshot from Counterpoint

Varun Mishra, Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research, said the strong performance of OPPO could be attributed to its move to "reposition" its product lines, further strengthening its status in the lower price segment.

OPPO has been successfully able to reposition its product lines in 2020. The rebranding of the Reno series and launching a more capable device at a lower price point than its predecessor helped OPPO capture the affordable premium segment. The strong momentum of the A series in the mid segment strengthened the product portfolio for OPPO and it was able to cater to the 5G demand in China across a wide price band, explained Mishra.

Mishra also noted OPPO gained from the weaker performance of Huawei due to insufficient supplies amid the US-China trade war.

Tech giant Huawei along with its sub-brand HONOR has been losing its share in the Chinese market due to component shortages resulting in fewer launches following US sanctions.

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Source: Counterpoint