Back in the 1990s, Europe led the mobile phone market, dictating trends all the way. European cell phone brands were at the front end of innovation in the industry, with Nokia mostly leading the way for at least 10 years. Then the torch was picked up by the United States when Apple and then Google stepped in with the iPhone/iOS and Android OS. In the last few years, it has been clear that the torch was moving again, this time to China.
The Chinese brands are pulling stunts. They are bringing high-end specs and performance to the masses. They are bringing quality hardware and software that people adopt by the bucketful. And they are making tons of money while at it. While the average Western mobile brands are struggling to post a profit, the Chinese brands are smiling to the bank.
While there are those who argue that manufacturers cannot make a kill from budget smartphones, the Chinese continue to prove them wrong. They started years ago by lifting and copying. Now, they are matching and beating those they lifted from. This seems to be just the beginning. They are invading country after country, and region after region.
Think Lenovo, Huawei, ZTE, TCL, Xiaomi, and Yulong, among several smaller players. The first four on that list are in the global top 10 smartphone makers already. Other brands from China will rise and take premium spots in the industry. They will conquer the budget market and then move to the mid-range and then tackle the premium smartphone market. It won’t be long before we will see premium Chinese smartphones standing side-by-side Apple’s iPhones and Samsung’s Galaxy S series. Mark my words.
If you want to understand the direction that the global smartphone market is heading, please turn to the east and gaze upon China. Chinese phones will one day rule the industry.