2023 Smartphone Market Report Unveiled by Major Institutions
Recently, major institutions have released their reports on the 2023 smartphone market, such as IDC, Counterpoint, and Canalys. Looking at the shipment rankings of smartphones in the Chinese market in 2023, there isn’t much difference in the rankings of smartphone manufacturers. Apple has maintained its top position in the domestic market, with other domestic brands following closely with less than a 5% difference.
One of the most remarkable data among domestic brands is perhaps the third-place market share occupied by OPPO. Despite a slight decline in the scale of the domestic smartphone market, OPPO’s performance remains robust, with a shipment volume of over 43.9 million units, still maintaining a position in the top three domestic brands. Thanks to OPPO’s “Dual Flagship” strategy proposed last year, OPPO has not only achieved fruitful results in the straight-screen flagship segment but also made remarkable progress with its foldable flagship. The Find N3 Flip has helped OPPO secure the first place in the 2023 vertical foldable product market, and the second half of the year saw the Find N3 large foldable contributing to OPPO’s record market share in the above $800 segment.
Furthermore, in order to keep up with the trend of AI models on the edge devices, OPPO released the Find X7 series in 2024, making it the first batch of domestic smartphones with the capability to run generative AI functions. It can be said that the success of OPPO is beyond doubt.
Is OPPO’s foldable really that powerful? If you take a closer look at OPPO products, it’s hard not to be impressed by their top-tier flagship standards. Take the most popular small foldable from last year, the Find N3 Flip, for example. “Though small, it is fully equipped.” The Find N3 Flip features an industry-leading ultra-clear triple camera. In addition to an outstanding 2X portrait lens, the compact body also incorporates OIS large-base wide-angle lens and high-pixel ultra-wide-angle lens, almost inheriting the portrait experience of straight-screen flagships, making the Find N3 Flip the most outstanding among a range of small foldable models in terms of portrait shooting capabilities.
In terms of imaging algorithms, OPPO is also generous. Thanks to professional Hasselblad imaging and OPPO’s self-developed algorithms, the Find N3 Flip can accurately restore natural light and shadow colors on the face when taking portraits. The well-controlled alternation between light and darkness makes the final picture look natural, while the background blurring effect is natural, emphasizing the main subject while naturally transitioning between virtual and real, which overall produces a very high-quality effect.
In order to optimize the user experience of small foldables, the Find N3 Flip has also upgraded the external screen size. The 3.26-inch small screen enables smooth and unhindered interaction experience. The “Any Window” feature also provides exclusive UI designs and interactions for frequently used third-party applications, such as Xiaohongshu, Douyin, WeChat, Baidu Maps, and more, allowing a consistent interaction experience without the need to unfold. The Find N3 Flip can be considered a leading product in the industry.
In addition to the layout of flagship models, OPPO has also shown strong competitiveness in the mid-to-high-end market, especially with the popular mid-range model in the second half of the year – the OPPO Reno11, which achieved a sales volume 288% higher than the previous generation in the first 30 minutes of its initial sale. As a mid-range model focusing on imaging, the Reno11 is equipped with a single-lens portrait camera, coupled with flagship-level ultra-clear imaging algorithms, allowing mid-range models to have portrait capabilities close to that of flagships.
Moving into 2024, OPPO’s high-end layout remains strong, with the launch of the “legendary flagship” Find X7 series. The Find X7 Ultra is equipped with the industry’s first quad-camera dual-periscope long focal length structure, accompanied by a new generation of ultra-clear imaging system, excelling in both portrait and scenic photography, truly deserving the industry’s “top-tier” title. In addition, the Find X7 series also incorporates a 7 billion-parameter edge AI model, leading the way with practical and user-friendly AI functions such as OPPO AI Elimination, OPPO AI Call Summary, and the new Xiaobu Assistant. The Find X7 series is truly exceptional in all aspects and rightfully earns the title of “legendary.”
What direction will the future development of the smartphone market take? It’s difficult to obtain an answer at present. With the recovery of the smartphone market and the iterative updates in technology, even strong international brands like Apple, and domestic giants like OPPO, will continue to introduce even more impressive products in the future. Let’s stay tuned!