Chinese phones dominate Southeast Asia—but it's 'now or never' for these budget brands to go premium

(Credit: Courtesy of Oppo)

China’s leading smartphone brands, after dominating the world’s budget segment, are rushing to go premium in search of growth.

In Southeast Asia, Apple and Samsung together make up more than 90% of the market for smartphones over $600, according to data from market intelligence firm Canalys. Yet “brands like Xiaomi, vivo, Oppo, and Transsion dominate the lower price segments,” Sheng Win Chow, a smartphone analyst at Canalys, says.