According to a new market report released by Counterpoint Research (CR), Vietnamese users are shifting from using budget smartphones to mid-range models. Specifically, the market share of models priced under VND5 million (USD200) is only 50%, the lowest ever recorded. Meanwhile, smartphones in the VND5-10 million (USD200-400) segment grew by 19% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
In contrast to budget smartphones, the increase in mid-range phones is the highest ever. In addition to changes in criteria and usage needs, one of the reasons why Vietnamese users are looking for smartphone models is the commercialization of 5G in Vietnam from the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2024. Phones in the price range under 5 million VND are currently not commonly equipped with 5G connectivity, while in the price range under 10 million VND, users have many options from different brands. On genuine shelves, all of these devices use the Android operating system, while the cheapest phone running iOS with 5G, the iPhone 13, has recently been discounted but still fluctuates around 11 million VND.
5G contributes to the trend of shifting from low-end smartphones to mid-range phones in Vietnam
Photo: Anh Quan
CR's report said that 5G market share in Vietnam's smartphone shipments reached 46% by the end of the first quarter of 2025, the highest ever.
CR analysts believe that the decline in the low-end smartphone market share reflects the increasing affordability of smartphones, along with a preference for higher-end products that offer more features, utilities, and better designs. In the coming time, 5G smartphones are expected to continue to grow, expanding their coverage on shelves in the context of new network technologies being increasingly deployed.
In terms of smartphone shipments, Apple saw the strongest growth in the first three months of 2025, up 37% year-on-year. Xiaomi and Oppo also saw increases of 9% and 8%, respectively. The other two brands in the top five manufacturers, Samsung and vivo, saw declines of 13% and 25%. It should be noted that this is the number of devices delivered to distribution channels, not the number of devices reaching end consumers (actual sales). Although no specific figures were given, Counterpoint said that shipments were down 5% year-on-year.
Samsung still leads the market share in Vietnam with 28% in hand, followed by Xiaomi (23%), Apple (17%), Oppo (17%), vivo (5%).
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/smartphone-binh-dan-giam-hap-dan-nguoi-viet-185250519003707547.htm
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