The recent data for the first quarter domestically has shown a tight competition among brands, with little disparity between them and even some experiencing year-on-year declines. Therefore, it's evident that the pivotal factor determining the sales of each brand now lies in the overseas markets, as the domestic market has reached a saturation point.
According to industry insiders from "Smart Chip Insider" on April 7th, there's an unusual update from the globally renowned data research firm Canalys. They've just released a report for the Malaysian market in February 2024, which is quite unexpected since they typically only produce quarterly reports for Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, this shift to a single-market, single-month report seems a bit out of the ordinary.
The data indicates that in February 2024, Xiaomi took the lead in the Malaysian market with a market share of 19.4%, marking a 5.8 percentage point increase compared to the previous period. Following closely behind is vivo, ranking second with a market share of 13.4%, experiencing a marginal 0.2 percentage point increase. Apple secured the third spot with a market share of 12.5%, showing a significant 7.4 percentage point surge year-on-year. Transsion claimed the fourth position with a market share of 11.9%, marking a notable 6.9 percentage point increase. Meanwhile, Samsung slipped to fifth place with a market share of 11.8%, witnessing a considerable decline of 15.5 percentage points compared to the same period last year.
Honor ranks sixth with a market share of 10.6%, up 4.7 percentage points year-on-year. OPPO (including OnePlus) ranks seventh with a market share of 8.3%, down 11.1 percentage points year-on-year. Realme, ranking eighth, holds a market share of 6.7%, down 0.8 percentage points year-on-year.
Looking at the overall data, Xiaomi, Vivo, Apple, Honor, and Transsion all saw year-on-year growth. Samsung, OPPO, and Realme experienced declines. Among them, Apple saw the largest increase, reaching 7.4 percentage points, while Samsung saw the biggest decline, reaching 11.8 percentage points. Excluding Apple and Samsung, most domestic brands saw growth, with only OPPO and Realme experiencing declines, with OPPO experiencing the largest decline at 11.1 percentage points.
The market has seen a year-on-year growth of 10%, indicating significant success for domestic brands in encroaching upon Samsung's territory in the Malaysian market. However, there have been instances where certain domestic brands faltered, with specific reasons left unspecified. It is hoped that domestic brands in overseas markets do not engage in cutthroat competition as they do in the domestic market. Instead, they should unite and collectively challenge the dominance of Samsung and Apple.
