The global technological environment is naturally dynamic. Continuous digital literacy and advancements in technological innovations seem to be gaining greater momentum now than ever before. The smartphone industry, now dominated by large smartphone companies has distinguished itself with some of the latest innovations such as multiple SIMS and high-speed data processors.
The rivalry in the industry has intensified partly due to strategic partnerships formed by smartphone companies. Some of the top companies in the smartphone brands market include the following:
Samsung
This company is based in South Korea, where it was established in 1938. It is one of those that dominate the global smartphone brands market. It offers a wide range of products for various industries. The company is well-known for top-notch innovations that set pace in the smartphones market. Galaxy A9 smartphone brand is one of its latest offers to the market.
Some of the unique features that the company has incorporated in this brand include a quad lens rear camera, Bixby virtual assistant, fitness tracker called Samsung Health, and a payment service called Samsung pay.
Other competitive products of this company include the Samsung Galaxy A7, Samsung Galaxy J6+, Samsung Galaxy Note 9, among many other brands.
Apple
Apple is a technology company based in the United States of America. It was established in 1976. It specializes in designing, developing, and distributing various types of computer software, consumer electronics, and online services. Apple has been focusing on offering innovative designs in computer software and hardware ever since it was founded. The company has a workforce of more than 123,000 people distributed to over 500 retail outlets across the world.
The company recently launched one of its latest iPhone innovations branded iPhone XR.
The new brand combines the features of iPhone Xs with other new features which include a next-gen Neutral Engine, Face ID, True Depth camera system, and an advanced camera system. Apple has joined the league of the world’s largest smartphone companies by market share.
The company’s key brands include iPhone Xs, iPhone XR, iPhone8, and iPhone7 among others.
Huawei Technologies
This is a China-based company founded in 1987. Its focus is on telecommunications equipment and multinational networking services. When it acquired Ericson in 2012, it became one of the largest telecommunications companies in the industry. The company’s total sales revenue is upwards of USD 92 billion. It employs more than 180,000 people globally. It has been encouraging the adoption of new competitive innovations to be built into its latest products. The company recently revealed that its 5G mobiles will have a foldable design feature.
Some of the company’s popular products include Huawei P20, Huawei P20 Pro, Huawei Mate 10, Huawei P10 Plus, and Huawei Y7 Prime 2018.
Xiaomi
This company was founded in 2010 and it is headquartered in China. It is mainly involved in the manufacture of smartphones, laptops, consumer electronics, and mobile apps. The company has been able to market its brands beyond China to other fast-growing economies such as India, Indonesia, South Africa, Philippines, among others. By 2017, Xiaomi’s total revenue had hit USD 18 billion. It has more than 15,000 employees serving in various locations across the world.
The company has benefited from a general increase in purchasing power and greater digital literacy of consumers in its markets. Xiaomi’s increase in market share is attributed to their use of online retail channels. The recent launch of the Black Shark gaming smartphone testifies about the company’s commitment to new innovations.
The company has faired on well with its key products which include Mi Max 2/Mi MIX 2, Redmi Y2, Redmi 6, Redmi 6A, 5Pro, POCO F1, and Redmi 5/Redmi 5A.
OPPO
Since this company was set up in 2001, it has consistently maintained its top position among the largest smartphone producers globally. It mainly deals in smartphones, electronic devices, and Blueray players. Due to the increasing demand for smartphones in the world’s rapidly growing economies such as China and India, OPPO has opted to strengthen and expand its plans. In line with this, the company has planned to establish its first research and development center in Hyderabad city in India.
This development is expected to take advantage of the government’s “Make in India” initiative targeting companies that offer a wide range of brands to consumers.
The company’s smartphone brands already in the market include OPPO F9, OPPO F9 Pro, OPPO Find X, OPPO F7, and OPPO A83.
Vivo
Vivo is owned by BBK Electronics Corporation of China. It was founded in 2009 with a mission to manufacture and sell smartphones, smartphone accessories, software, and to offer online services. The company’s research and development centers, which employ more than 1,600 professionals, were set up strategically in different advanced places of China. Generally, there has been an increasing acceptance of Vivo’s smartphone brands among the millennial generation. This has made the company to earn itself a position in the top 10 smartphone companies worldwide. The Indian millennial market segment has been of particular interest to Vivo.
This is because the demand for smartphone brands has been rising significantly in this market segment. This finding has motivated the company’s efforts to enter the Indian market. The efforts yielded some success in September 2018 when Vivo launched its latest smartphone brand, V9 Pro in India. The V9 Pro has many advanced features which makes it be preferred in the market.
Otherwise, the company is well-known for its Vivo V11 Pro, Vivo NEX, and Vivo V9 brands.
LG
LG is a South Korean electronics company which was established in 1958. It has a workforce of more than 82,000 people serving in different parts of the world. The company’s operations are classified under four strategic business units namely Home Entertainment, Home Appliance and Air Solution, Mobile Communication, and Vehicle Components. A variety of smartphone and tablet brands are part of the company’s extensive product portfolio.
The company has not been left behind in the quest for advanced innovative features in the development of its smartphone products. LG is known for its responsiveness to market demand for smartphones with advanced features such as 20-megapixel cameras, AI chips, full high-definition displays, human-machine interface (HMI), and other competitive features.
The company’s key products include LG7+ ThinQ, LG G7, LG V30, LG CANDY, and LG K7i.
Lenovo
Lenovo was established in 1984 with its Head Office in China. It produces smartphones, computers, servers, electronic storage devices, televisions, and IT management software. The company recorded total revenue of over USD 45 billion in 2018. It is served by more than 54,000 employees across the world.
Lenovo has been inclined to the production of budget smartphones for emerging markets. It ventured into the smartphones sector in 2012, just before it acquired Motorola. As a strategy for penetrating the online retail market, it launched Zuk, an online-only sub-brand for smartphones.
Lenovo’s key products include Lenovo P Series, Lenovo K series, Zuk Series, Lenovo A Series, and Lenovo VIBE Series.
Nokia
Nokia could be one of the oldest electronic companies in the world. It is a Finnish company founded in 1865. It employs more than 102,000 people and it operates in more than 100 countries across the world. The company serves a wide market and it leverages the 5G infrastructure and some of the latest innovations that include the Internet of Things. It has been striving to adopt online retail policies in order to expand its market. The company has journeyed from the feature phone market to the smartphone market where it has reaped valuable market share that has ranked it among the top smartphone companies in the world.
Its key products include Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 8, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6.1 Plus, Nokia 5.1 Plus, and Nokia 5.1.
OnePlus
This company is based in China and it was founded under BBK Electronics Corporation in 2013. It offers different types of smartphone accessories, smartphone and powerbank brands. The company is currently operating in more than 34 countries. It offers a wide range of smartphone brands using various marketing programs such as the buyback program, student ambassador program, and referral program. The company’s market position has mainly been boosted by its use of online and in-store retail channels. It is now among the largest smartphone companies globally.
OnePlus surprised its industry rivals in May 2018, when it hit the market with the latest premium innovation, the OnePlus 6 brand, which exhibits new technology from Qualcomm and OnePlus engineering. This company is also coming up with OnePlus 6 Android smartphone, which incorporates Android P Beta technology. Its partnership with Amazon has led to the launch of a dedicated webpage, which enables their customers to book their new OnePlus 6T smartphone brand in advance.
The company’s key brands include the OnePlus 6, OnePlus 5T, OnePlus 5, OnePlus 3T, and OnePlus 3.
The top smartphone brands companies have secured their position in the industry mainly because of their commitment to innovate the most competitive brands in the market. This is likely to remain the basis of their rivalry long into the future.