Smartphone shipments in the Philippines fell 10% YoY in Q4 2021 but increased 5% YoY in 2021, with companies also undergoing quite some shuffle in terms of ranking. Samsung for one snatched the top spot from vivo, thanks to it registering a YoY growth of 44%.
The third-biggest smartphone market in Southeast Asia experienced a COVID-19 lockdown in the first half of 2021, but improving vaccination rates paired with increased online sales helped the market achieve 42% growth in the second half.
In terms of market share in 2021, the top four OEMs were the same as 2020 but underwent a shuffle. Samsung took the first spot while realme made a switch with OPPO for the second position.
Samsung’s success can be owed to its strong supply chain. The company, after resolving supply issues in Vietnam, came up with a new strategy to strengthen its hold over the Southeast Asian markets. Channel campaigns targeting customer groups were launched and the brand maintained its uptrend starting from Q2 2021 to the end of the year.
Meanwhile, realme’s growth was driven by its more affordable models that targeted users upgrading from entry-level devices. Its C series continued to be one of the most popular offerings.
E-commerce is growing fast in Southeast Asia, with online channels accounting for 16% of total shipments in the Philippines market in 2021 — a YoY growth of 34%. Despite this, smartphone shipments in the final quarter of 2021 decreased 10% due to COVID-19 restrictions that were relaxed only at the end of the year.
Commenting on 2022 expectations, Lam said, “The Philippines economy expanded by 5.6% in 2021 after logging 7.7% growth in the fourth quarter. Relaxations in pandemic-related restrictions buoyed business activity. Therefore, 2022 should have a bright start. However, we need to factor in any uncertainty related to the elections that are to be held on May 9.”
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