Samsung Electronics’ mid-to-low-end smartphones “Galaxy A57” and “Galaxy A37,” unveiled on March 25. Photo courtesy of Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) has secured the top smartphone market share in the Global South, the non-English-speaking emerging markets including Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
According to market research firm Omdia on the 25th, Samsung Electronics took the industry’s top spot in the Latin American smartphone market in the first quarter of this year with a 37% shipment share. Led by its mid- to low-priced “Galaxy A” series, the company raised its share by 2 percentage points from a year earlier, widening the gap with second-place Xiaomi (17%).
In the Middle East market, its first-quarter share also reached 35%, up 2 percentage points year-on-year, far outpacing rivals such as China’s Honor and Transsion. Notably, while overall shipments in the Middle East market fell 6% in the first quarter and most vendors posted negative growth, only Samsung Electronics and Honor managed to increase shipments.
In Southeast Asia, where the market also contracted, Samsung Electronics’ shipments fell 9% from a year earlier, but it took the top spot with a 21% share. In particular, it overtook Oppo, which had previously held the No. 1 position in the region. According to Omdia, the average selling price (ASP) of smartphones in the Southeast Asian market rose 19% in a year to $349, but Samsung Electronics simultaneously targeted demand for its premium “Galaxy S” series and existing Galaxy A models.
Amid a contraction in the global smartphone market driven by rising memory prices, Samsung Electronics plans to actively tap into demand in the Global South emerging markets, going beyond the existing premium market, to counter concerns over weak earnings. “We will pursue revenue growth from the previous year through the launch of new Galaxy A models in the second quarter,” a Samsung Electronics official said.