IDC: OPPO reclaims top smartphone crown in the Philippines (Q4 2020)

According to the latest data from IDC's Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, the Philippine smartphone market ended the year strong. The top vendor? OPPO.

File photo: OPPO Reno4 Z 5G

Top smartphone vendors in the Philippines last Q4 2020

IDC noted that the smartphone market in the country totaled 6.5 million units in 2020Q4 or a 19 percent QoQ and 6 percent YoY growth despite the economic onslaught brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The research firm this compares to an already impressive third-quarter rebound and accumulated a total of 18.9 million units for 2020, a 5 percent growth compared to last year.

Top smartphone brands in the Philippines Q4 2020

OPPO took the lead from realme with 17.9 percent versus 16.9 percent of the market share. According to IDC, OPPO achieved this feat by focusing on the low-end segment (USD 100<USD 200), which accounted for more than 80 percent of its total. OPPO A12 drove shipments through exclusive pricings and bundling promos with Smart. 5G shipments also gained momentum with the launching of Reno4 Z, a sub-USD 400 (PHP 20,990) smartphone.

At number 2 is realme, but it has more than doubled its shipments YoY thanks to its best-selling C series driving the volume. The company also expanded its channels further by entering the postpaid market for the first time to introduce its first 5G smartphone called the X50 Pro.

At number 3 is vivo with a strong 16.4 percent of the market share. The strong models of the company are Y11 and Y20i.

Transsion group rocketed to 15.0 percent to leave number 5 Samsung with 8.4 percent in the dust. Transsion has 3 brands in total: itel, Infinix, and Tecno.

Philippines Top 5 Smartphone Companies, 2020Q4 Unit Market Share

1. OPPO - 17.9 percent

2. realme - 16.9 percent

3. vivo - 16.4 percent

4. Transsion - 15.0 percent

5. Samsung - 8.4 percent

The market’s 2020 performance is an indicator of how smartphones play an important role in people's lives despite the Philippine economy plunging into recession. The smartphone industry continued to thrive as they proved to be a critical tool, not only as a means of communication, but also because the pandemic accelerated the adoption of the digital economy. Filipino consumers as well as local merchants embraced online shopping and the shift from cash to digital payments, paving the way for the country to catch up in the digital world, says Medez.

Despite the huge product push in 2020Q3 to fulfill pent-up demand, existing as well as relatively newer brands continued to drive shipments as retail expansion in provincial areas resumed and demand remained strong throughout the rest of the year, driven by the festive Christmas season in the country, says Angela Jenny Medez, Client Devices Market Analyst at IDC Philippines.

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Source: IDC