Thailand smartphone sales in Q3 2021 saw a 14% YoY decrease, mostly due to the peak of COVID-19 infection rates in the country in August, which in turn led to the slowing of the economy. But on the bright side, 5G smartphone sales during the same period were the highest ever.

Counterpoint Senior Research Analyst Glen Cardoza commented saying that Thailand’s government and industry have made sure to continue with 5G ecosystem improvements. However, OEMs have suffered due to supply constraints coupled with unfavorable consumer sentiment in Q3 2021. Decreasing shipments saw consumer demand increase for the sub-$150 band, with the realme C series and Samsung’s entry-level A-series devices selling quite well.

Samsung, as a result, led smartphone shipments in the country in Q3 2021 thanks to offerings like the A12, A02, and A22. The company managed to grab a share of 22% with OPPO and Xiaomi following with 17% each.

But amid the decrease in shipments, online channels shined with a QoQ increase, reaching 24% of total sales. This growth will likely be carried forward to Q4 2021 as well. A major contributor to the rise in online sales is the 9.9 online festival sales in September. Platforms like Shopee, Lazada, and JD Central, as a result, performed quite well.

But Q4 2021 will not be doing well in the online channel alone as Thailand has shown quite the potential to absorb the COVID-19 impact. This could mean that the country’s smartphone market could do better than other SEA countries.

OEMs have begun launching 5G SA (standalone network) compatible models as 5G infrastructure becomes a priority. Thailand’s digital transformation is progressing well, with an emphasis on Industry 4.0. With their experience and investments in the country, technology companies like Huawei are at the forefront. Because of all of these considerations, 5G will become more widely adopted, not just for smartphones but also for smart homes and other IoT devices.

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