According to Counterpoint’s China Smartphone Weekly Tracker, vivo has taken the #1 rank in China for the first time. As a result of an appealing product lineup, vivo outperformed its closest competitor OPPO in week 11 of 2021 (March 8-14).
The top rank on China’s smartphone market is quickly changing hands as the competition heats up. Weeks 11 and 13 saw vivo leapfrog OPPO thanks to the continuous success of its recently announced Y3 and S9 affordable models.
The Nex 3 5G and iQOO Pro 5G from vivo, released in August and September of 2019 respectively, were among the first 5G smartphones to hit the market. A paltry 0.5 percent of vivo’s sales in August 2019 now account for more than 76 percent of the company’s sales in February 2021.
vivo’s well-defined product positioning has paid handsomely. As of now, vivo’s lineup includes the NEX, S, Y, and iQOO models. vivo’s flagship series, the NEX and X, are known for their camera prowess, while the S and U series are known for their low cost. Budget clients are the focus of Y series phones, while iQOO has a strong internet presence. In addition, vivo has been working with German optical specialist Carl Zeiss to improve the camera’s capabilities.
In January and February of this year, OPPO’s Reno series rebranding and the strong momentum of the A series in the mid-segment helped the company become China’s top smartphone brand.
Immediately after Huawei began to struggle as a result of US sanctions, other Chinese smartphone manufacturers were keen to capitalise. A senior analyst predicted that “vivo and OPPO will continue to compete for the top rank in 2021,” citing “aggressive market and product strategies” by both companies.
