The latest report from IDC Asia/Pacific Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker reveals total smartphone shipments in the SEA region recorded nearly 28 million units in the second quarter of 2016.
The report covers countries in South East Asia including Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Smartphone market share for the second quarter of 2016 also shows that Samsung is still leading by 20%, while Chinese brand OPPO is trailing with other brands that are never heard locally are in number 3 and five. ASUS, on the other hand, is ranked fourth.
Samsung retained its top position by relying on its price and spec competitive Galaxy J series which was highly suited for the budget conscious SEA market. Meanwhile, the flagship Galaxy S7 series saw better YoY performance in terms of unit shipments compared to the Galaxy S6 series launched back in 2015.
OPPO moved to the second position for the first time. Despite Oppo’s continued marketing investments to build a solid brand equity for its F1 family, it was the Neo model that drove up its volume.
Asus’ position is supported by its highly affordable Zenfone Go model. Meanwhile, the growth of its flagship, the Zenfone 2 Laser, slowed down in preparation for the new Zenfone 3 targeted for launch in the third quarter.
Unit shipments for True and Lava were propelled by heavy operator activities to increase 3G subscribers nationwide in Thailand.
“Competitive price points and heavy marketing activities in a now crowded market are the key driving factors for the budget conscious SEA market. Smartphones priced at <US$150 make up for 68% of total smartphone shipments in 2016Q2. Some of the best-selling models in that price range are Samsung’s Galaxy J1 Mini, OPPO’s Neo 5, and Asus’s Zenfone Go,” says Jensen Ooi, Market Analyst, Client Devices Research, IDC Asia/Pacific.
