Chinese Smartphone Brands Lead Import Market in Russia, Xiaomi and Tecno at the Top
In 2023, Chinese smartphone brands captured nearly 80% of the import market share in Russia. Among them, Xiaomi took the lead with approximately 30% market share, followed by TECNO and Infinix, both under the umbrella of Transsion Holdings, occupying the second and third positions.
(Image Source: Global Times)
According to reports from Xinhua News Agency and China News Service citing Russian media, in 2023, the total import volume of smartphones in Russia increased by 13% compared to the previous year, reaching around 29.5 million units. Chinese brands accounted for 79% of this total, showing a 4% increase from 2022 and a significant 29% increase from 2021.
Data indicates that Xiaomi was the most imported smartphone brand in Russia, constituting nearly 30% of the total import volume, approximately 9.1 million units. TECNO and Infinix, both under Transsion Holdings, followed with supply volumes of 4.5 million units and 3 million units, ranking second and fourth with market shares of 13.8% and 9.6% respectively. Notably, Infinix’s supply volume nearly doubled compared to the previous period.
Furthermore, South Korean brand Samsung ranked third in terms of supply to Russia in 2023, holding a 10.2% share (3.3 million units) of the total smartphone imports, experiencing an 11% decline from 2022. The fifth position went to the American company Apple with 2.5 million units.
Reports suggest that the key driver behind the growth in smartphone sales in Russia in 2023 was the extensive marketing initiatives carried out by retailers. For instance, Chinese brands like Xiaomi and Infinix collaborated with the Russian operator MTS to launch a series of promotions, enabling Russian customers to acquire smartphones at more competitive prices.
Chinese smartphone products have long been popular in Russia. In 2018, Xiaomi and Honor ranked first and third respectively among the most preferred smartphone brands by Russians. By December 2021, Chinese brands had already claimed about 40% of the Russian smartphone market. Transitioning from 40% to nearly doubling their market share indicates the increasing appeal of Chinese phone manufacturers to Russian consumers, while industry giants Apple and Samsung are gradually losing ground in the Russian market.
A study released by Yandex.Market, the shopping platform under the Russian portal Yandex, in 2020 revealed that Nokia was the most popular mobile phone brand in 2010. However, it was soon surpassed by Samsung and Apple. By 2016, Xiaomi had outperformed Samsung and Apple after entering the Russian market. Since 2016, Xiaomi has surpassed Apple, with Redmi 4 Prime and Redmi Note 3 Pro claiming the first and second spots in the rankings. A year later, Xiaomi reclaimed the top position. In 2018, Xiaomi phones ranked eighth, but in 2019, Redmi Note 7 topped the sales charts. Entering the Russian market through a partnership with RDC in 2016, Xiaomi has become the most favored smartphone brand in Russia after seven years of development.
By Jiang Ran, Nine-Party News Reporter, compiled from Xinhua News Agency, China News Service, Jiemian News, Global Times, and Reference News
[Source: Nine-Party News]
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