realme Tops Samsung as Philippines' Smartphone Shipments Fell 9% in Q1 2023

Smartphone shipments in the Philippines witnessed a 9% year-over-year decline in Q1 2023, according to Counterpoint Research.

This dip can be attributed to high inflation, which adversely affected consumer sentiment and purchasing power. Additionally, elevated inventory levels resulted from fewer consumers purchasing smartphones following the festival season in Q4 2022, combined with the impact of rising inflation.

realme emerged as the top brand during the quarter, capturing 21% of the market and surpassing Samsung. Samsung experienced a 33% year-over-year decline, contributing to realme's ascent.

Promotional offers on realme's C series smartphones as part of the Lazada 2.2 sale played a role in their success, with the realme 10 being one of the brand's top-performing models. Samsung's Galaxy A14 5G, A04, and A04e were the best-performing models for the brand, but the overall shipments decreased due to high inventory levels.

Among the brands that witnessed year-over-year growth were Infinix (59%), Xiaomi (22%), and Apple (22%). Infinix's Hot series gained popularity in the gaming realm, while Xiaomi's 12 series and Redmi's A series drove growth for the brand. Despite inflationary pressures, Apple experienced year-over-year growth fueled by the popularity of the iPhone 14 series in the country.