Counterpoint Research confirmed the emergence of I live took the number one spot in the Chinese smartphone market in April.
A business analyst today has a interesting article about how I live (and Oppo) managed to grow so much.
It all starts with the descent of Huaweiclearly hit hard by the US ban. The now independent Honour regains some of the lost market share, but its new products (such as the Magic3 series) are expensive and Honor still lacks the brand appeal that Huawei had and allowed the P and Mate series to achieve great success even at high prices.
The price is one important factor, explains the analyst. vivo has organized its offer in an orderly manner: the Y series covers the entry-level market at 2,000 Yuan (about $300), while the S series operates in the range of 2,000-3,500 Yuan ($300-550) and the X- family is focusing on the market of more than 3,500 Yuan.
Smartphones like the vivo X60 have successfully raised the profile of the company, but cheaper models have also delivered excellent performance: the Y series represents half of the market under 2,000 yuan in China. vivo even has a 5G model starting at 1,300 yuan. A major achievement in a time of chip shortage, which has caused all major chip manufacturers to raise prices.
however, the parent company BBK has built a strong supply chain, enabling its subsidiaries to keep costs low. vivo also focused on offline distribution, which is quite popular in some regions of China.
Oppo and vivo together hold 70% of the offline market. The iQOO brand does the opposite: it sells online and has Generation Z as its primary target.Honor of Kings King Pro League (KPL), which is a very popular esports league in China. vivo was the official sponsor of EURO 2020 (and will also be the reference brand for the competition to be held in 2024).