Africa’s smartphone market had a strong 2025, even as global growth remained uneven. New data from Omdia shows the continent shipped 84.4 million smartphones last year, up 13% year-over-year, the fastest pace of recovery since 2021.

Growth accelerated toward the end of the year. Q4 shipments rose 14% to 23.1 million units, helped by expanded financing programs, improved currency stability in key markets, wider 4G rollout, and early 5G adoption in countries like South Africa and Egypt. Holiday promotions and aggressive pricing also played a role.

Smartphones now make up roughly 55% of total mobile phone shipments in Africa, highlighting the steady shift away from feature phones. Sub-Saharan Africa continued to outpace North Africa, acting as the main growth engine.

At the country level, South Africa led with 38% growth, driven largely by prepaid demand and strong uptake of sub-$100 devices. Nigeria followed with 25% growth, fueled by affordable 4G smartphones dominating the sub-$200 segment. Egypt grew 22%, supported by local manufacturing and value-focused portfolios. Kenya saw modest 3% growth amid cost pressures, while Morocco dipped 3% due to higher import tariffs.

Transsion — through TECNO, Infinix, and itel — maintained a commanding 48% market share for the year, shipping over 40.5 million units. However, its Q4 share slipped slightly as competition intensified in the entry-level tier. Samsung held second place, posting 27% Q4 growth thanks to the Galaxy A series and a broader mid-range portfolio. Xiaomi, Honor, and Oppo also recorded solid gains, particularly in expanding 4G and mid-range segments.

Still, challenges loom. Entry-level devices below $200 accounted for 81% of shipments in 2025, leaving vendors exposed to rising component costs. Average selling prices rose 11% in Q4 as consumers gradually shifted toward better-specced models.

Looking ahead, Omdia expects shipments to decline 23% in 2026 due to inflation and tighter channel inventory management. For now, though, 2025 stands out as a year of resilience and strong momentum for Africa’s smartphone market.

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The competition to redefine the smartphone industry is heating up as leading Chinese tech giants, vivo and Transsion, set their sights on unveiling the world’s first rollable screen smartphone. According to industry insiders, the phone is expected to debut by the end of the coming year.

Vivo and Transsion to challenge Samsung’s foldables with their rollable smartphones

So, what exactly is a rollable smartphone? Imagine a phone that can expand its screen size with a simple touch. This means users can enjoy a larger display when needed and switch back to a smaller one when it’s more convenient. It’s a glimpse into a future where devices adapt to the user’s immediate requirements.

Transsion has been quite vocal about its aspirations in this field and we have also seen numerous rollable concept phones and displays in the past. Just last September, the company showcased its vision for rollable screens with the Techno Phantom Ultimate. This concept phone featured a screen that could smoothly transition from 6.55 inches to a more spacious 7.11 inches in just around 1.3 seconds. But it’s not just about size; this display promises an impressive resolution of 2296×1596 pixels, a crisp 388 PPI, and complete DCI-P3 color gamut coverage. Another intriguing feature is the mini display on the back, designed for notifications. Additionally, a cleverly designed anti-slip back ensures users have a secure grip on the device.

Now, where are these cutting-edge panels coming from? While there’s still some uncertainty, there are indications that vivo might be sourcing them from well-known tech leaders like BOE or Samsung Display. Industry experts suggest that BOE may be the more enthusiastic participant in this venture.

This shift towards rollable technology might also be a response to the challenges of outdoing Samsung in the foldable phone arena. Samsung has undeniably established itself in the foldable sector, especially with its Galaxy Fold series. While Royole may have introduced the world’s first foldable smartphone, the “FlexPai,” it was Samsung’s Galaxy Fold that truly popularized the concept.

By focusing on rollable screens, Chinese smartphone makers may be aiming to carve out their own niche in an industry where standing out is increasingly difficult. Samsung is also exploring rollable devices which is expected to debut in 2025, but for now, its primary focus remains on foldables. The coming years are sure to witness an exciting competition to reshape the smartphone industry.

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Shenzhen-based Chinese telecom company Transsion, known for its three brands TECNO, itel, and Infinix, has made a remarkable comeback in the second quarter of the year, reporting robust revenue and profit growth after five consecutive quarters of decline. Despite facing challenges in the global smartphone market, Transsion’s strategic focus on Africa and expansion into South and Southeast Asia have paid off.

According to the company’s preannouncement on Wednesday, Transsion’s Q2 revenue surged by an impressive 30.7 percent year over year, reaching 15.8 billion yuan (US$2.2 billion). Profits witnessed a remarkable turnaround, doubling from the previous quarter to 1.6 billion yuan, an astounding 83 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

The growth momentum was not limited to just the second quarter. During the first half of the year, Transsion reported a healthy 8 percent increase in total revenue, amounting to 25 billion yuan, while profits experienced a substantial 27 percent rise, reaching 2.1 billion yuan.

Transsion attributes its impressive revenue growth to two key factors: market expansion and continuous product upgrades. The company has invested in research and development to improve its product offerings continually. Moreover, it has benefited from the increasing adoption of smartphones in Africa. As more people in the region switch from feature phones to smartphones, Transsion’s profitability has improved significantly.

The African market remains pivotal for Transsion as the continent’s population is predominantly young and rapidly urbanizing. The trend of skipping the personal computer stage and embracing mobile internet directly is a boon for companies like Transsion, which are not Western giants. Africa currently constitutes 40 percent of Transsion’s market share, a substantial portion despite a decline from its peak of 57 percent.

To ensure sustained growth, Transsion has been diversifying its product portfolio beyond phones since 2019. The company now offers electronic gadgets, and home appliances, and even operates a repair business called Carlcare, along with developing some operating systems. However, phones continue to generate 90 percent of its total revenue.

While Africa remains a promising market for Transsion, the company is wary of expanding into regions where smartphones have already reached ubiquity. As more than 80 percent of Transsion’s phones are already smartphones, the company will need to explore new avenues to maintain its profitability. One strategy involves manufacturing midrange and high-end products, both in the smartphone and IoT (Internet of Things) home gadget categories.

Despite challenges in the broader global smartphone market, Transsion’s strong African performance and expansion into South and Southeast Asia have reinvigorated its growth prospects. The company’s focus on innovative products and strategic market positioning is expected to keep profits growing for the foreseeable future. As the world witnesses continuous technological advancements, Transsion is committed to remaining at the forefront of the industry and meeting the evolving demands of consumers worldwide.

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(via)

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Transsion Holdings, the parent company of Tecno, Infinix, and Itel, announces a global strategic partnership with Google. This collaboration will involve in-depth cooperation in Android operating system, online advertising, and Google Cloud services.

The two companies aim to serve emerging markets like Africa through this new partnership.

The official press release notes that Google will help Transsion build a ‘smart life ecological platform’. This platform will power ‘digital smart lifestyles’ and serve hundreds of millions of consumers in emerging markets and global mobile developers.

Transsion will use Google advertising tools to transform its digital platform business. The company seeks to improve its advertising monetization efficiency with this move.

Further, Transsion will also utilize Google Cloud technology to enhance its business capabilities in operation. It will introduce Google Cloud’s advanced infrastructure, big data, AI/ML network, and Media CDN technologies to improve user experience and build a Transsion developer cloud platform

Google’s Media CDN is not only safe and efficient but also provides a full range of automated content delivery experiences. Since it brings service content close to end users, it will help developers going to Africa maximize their operational efficiency at a minimum cost.

About 5 billion of the 8 billion world population live in emerging markets. Transsion and Google intend to provide high-quality smart products and efficient mobile internet services to these consumers via their collaboration.

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There are a number of phone brands in the world. But there’s only one company that is more successful than any other in Africa. And it is none other than Transsion Holdings, the parent firm of TECNO, itel, and Infinix.

Counterpoint Research, a well-known research firm has published a report on Transsion’s success in Africa. According to which, this company went public on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in September 2019. Just within 15 months, its market capitalization rocketed by 146% and as a result, its value rose to RMB 110.8 billion ($16.9 billion).

Unlike other brands, Transsion brands have been targeting low-tier cities and rural areas in Africa since their early days in the region. These brands spend heavily on distribution, sales & marketing, and campaigns & go-to-market activities to different regions’ realities. When required, they even send their managers from the Chinese headquarters to live and work in remote African places for a longer period of time to gain local language.

Because of this strategy, Transsion brands continued to grow in 2020 despite the COVID-19 global pandemic. The company reported revenue and income of RMB 25 billion ($3.77 billion) and RMB 1.95 billion ($295 million) in the first three quarters of last year.

In Q3 2019, TECNO, itel, and Infinix together led the Arican Smartphone as well as feature phone markets with 38% and 67% respectively. Also, 45% of smartphones priced under $100 were shipped by these three brands alone.

With Africa slowly developing, these brands are expected to continue their growth as the number of possible consumers (youth) driving smartphone usage is forecasted to increase by 30% or to 506 million in the next decade.

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Transsion Holdings subsidiary Tecno Mobile has disclosed that it would be launching the Camon 16 series models soon. In an era of social distancing, the company is adopting the AR launch approach which was deployed by OnePlus for the Nord launch recently.

The Camon 16 series will be the direct successor of the Camon 15 series made up of the Camon 15 Pro and Camon 15, both of which were introduced in February this year. Although a specific date for the launch is yet to be given, it is scheduled for the second half of the year.

The company released a couple of teaser posters of the Camon 16, one of which shows the front render of the device. The Tecno device packs a fullscreen design with ultra-thin bezels at the chin. The phone comes with a dual punch-hole design located at the top left corner of the display. The device will pack a 48MP selfie camera but the second sensor is not known yet.

At the rear, the Camon 16 will adopt a Quad-camera setup which Tecno says will be of flagship level. The main camera is a 64MP sensor which is higher than the 48MP main sensor on its predecessor.

The company is yet to reveal other specs details. Since we are already in the second half of the year, we expect the launch event to take place pretty soon. The phone may likely be available in Tecno’s key markets such as Nigeria, India, Pakistan etc.

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Shenzhen Transsion holdings might not be a very familiar name for most smartphone users here. So, if this name is not ringing a bell, how about Tecno, Infinix Mobile or iTel? I’m sure many of you may have heard at least one of these brands before and if you didn’t know, they are all owned by Transsion. The company made its debut at the STAR Market (Nasdaq style board for tech stocks by Shanghai stock exchange) earlier today but just before its IPO, Huawei slapped a lawsuit against Transsion in China.

Huawei sued Transsion in a local court in Shenzhen China, where both these companies are based. The lawsuit is specifically for IP theft and concerns Transsion and five of its subsidiaries. The local court has reportedly accepted the lawsuit, so we should hear more about this in the coming weeks.

Intellectual Property (IP) Rights are very important for any smartphone company. However, Transsion doesn’t have a lot of patents under its belt. The company reportedly has only 630 patents and 286 computer software copyrights to its name in China, which is minuscule as compared to competitors like Huawei and Xiaomi which have over 100,000 patents individually.

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So how did Transsion become the largest smartphone vendor in China with such a small number of patents?

The company basically established its dominance in Africa with extremely cheap smartphones that rely on old technologies like 2G whose patents have expired. Its Tecno, iTel, and Infinix brands all individually rank within the top 5 vendors in the African smartphone market. But as competitors like Xiaomi and Huawei are expanding its presence in the African continent, IP rights are going to be very important for Transsion. Also, Africa is slowly modernizing with technologies like 3G and 4G, which will force Transsion to improve its IPR position in the region.

So a lawsuit from a giant like Huawei won’t be welcomed by the company.

However, this lawsuit hasn’t affected the company’s IPO today. Transsion’s shares opened at RMB 53 ($7.4) which was a strong 50.7% higher than the listing price of RMB 35.15 ($4.93) per share. The company is reportedly valued at around RMB 42.4 billion which comes to around $5.95 billion.

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(Via)

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