Chinese upstart Realme looks to take on Apple, Samsung as it launches its first high-end smartphone overseas
Chinese smartphone brand Realme is set to launch its first high-end smartphone overseas next week in a bid to grow market share in Europe and continue its rapid growth.
The move will pit the company, which began in 2018, against the likes of Apple and Samsung which dominate the high-end segment, as well as Chinese rival Xiaomi which has grown quickly overseas.
The GT 2 and GT 2 Pro smartphones will launch on Monday at the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. It is the company's first appearance at the world's biggest mobile trade conference, underscoring its desire to grow market share outside of China.
“In China and the European market, we want to focus on the breakthrough to the high-end market,” Realme CEO Sky Li said in an exclusive interview, according to a CNBC translation of his Mandarin remarks.
“In the European market, as well as any other market, we position ourselves as providing affordable phones with outstanding performance and trendy design. In the European market, we have the same strategy.”
Lofty targets
Realme may not be well-known to consumers in Western Europe or the U.S. but it has been growing quickly. In the fourth quarter, Realme shipped 20.65 million smartphones, up 48% year-on-year, according to data from Counterpoint Research. Apple meanwhile saw a decline while Samsung saw just 8% growth.
However, Realme is comparatively small with a global market share of just 6%. Apple shipped around 81.5 million smartphones in the December quarter, for example, Counterpoint Research data shows.
But Realme has made headway in markets with more price-conscious consumers where its lower priced, yet high spec phones have found appeal. It is the second-largest smartphone player in India.
CEO Li is hoping to maintain that healthy growth this year.
“In 2021, we managed 50% growth. In the past three years, we kept high growth. In 2022, we want keep the growth rate, at 40% or 50%,” Li told CNBC, adding the company wants to sell more than 85 million phones globally.
Apple, Samsung challenge
Realme faces a number of challenges in its push to gain share in the high-end market, most notably trying to convince consumers to buy their devices instead of from established players like Apple, Samsung and even Xiaomi.
The GT 2 will retail for around $600 while the GT 2 Pro will start at around $800.
“Its next challenge will be to convince customers who are used to purchasing established brand names to pay similar prices for Realme,” Harmeet Singh Walia, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, told CNBC.
“In this regard, while it will face some challenge from Samsung and Apple, it will also face a challenge from vendors such as Xiaomi and OnePlus that sell devices in a similar or its desired price range.”
中国智能手机品牌Realme将于下周在海外推出其首款高端智能手机，以扩大在欧洲的市场份额并继续保持快速增长。 此举将使这家始于 2018 年的公司与主导高端市场的苹果和三星等公司以及在海外迅速发展的中国竞争对手小米展开竞争。
GT 2 和 GT 2 Pro 智能手机将于周一在西班牙巴塞罗那举行的年度移动世界大会上发布。这是该公司首次亮相全球最大的移动贸易大会，突显了其在中国以外扩大市场份额的愿望。
“在中国和欧洲市场，我们希望专注于向高端市场的突破，”根据 CNBC 对他的普通话的翻译，Realme 首席执行官 Sky Li 在接受独家采访时表示。
“在欧洲市场以及任何其他市场，我们将自己定位为提供具有出色性能和时尚设计的价格实惠的手机。在欧洲市场，我们也有同样的策略。”
崇高的目标
Realme 在西欧或美国的消费者中可能并不为人所知，但它一直在快速增长。根据 Counterpoint Research 的数据，第四季度 Realme 智能手机出货量为 2065 万部，同比增长 48%。与此同时，苹果出现下滑，而三星仅增长 8%。
然而，Realme 相对较小，全球市场份额仅为 6%。例如，Counterpoint Research 的数据显示，苹果在 12 月季度的智能手机出货量约为 8150 万部。
但是，Realme 在消费者对价格更加敏感的市场上取得了进展，其低价但高规格的手机已经找到了吸引力。它是印度第二大智能手机厂商。
李首席执行官希望今年能保持这种健康增长。
“2021 年，我们实现了 50% 的增长。过去三年，我们保持高速增长。到 2022 年，我们希望将增长率保持在 40% 或 50%，”李告诉 CNBC，并补充说该公司希望在全球销售超过 8500 万部手机。
苹果、三星挑战
Realme 在争取高端市场份额方面面临许多挑战，最明显的是试图说服消费者购买他们的设备，而不是从苹果、三星甚至小米等老牌厂商那里购买。
GT 2 的零售价约为 600 美元，而 GT 2 Pro 的起价约为 800 美元。
Counterpoint Research 的高级分析师 Harmeet Singh Walia 告诉 CNBC：“它的下一个挑战将是说服习惯于购买知名品牌的客户为 Realme 支付类似的价格。”
“在这方面，虽然它将面临来自三星和苹果的一些挑战，但它也将面临来自小米和一加等供应商的挑战，这些供应商以类似或所需的价格范围销售设备。”
