Chinese brands make up most of Southeast Asia's smartphone market
Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi are investing heavily to take on Apple and Samsung while the US trade war takes a toll on Huawei
Doan Kim Chi works for a local bank in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, and has been a loyal iPhone user for years.
She recently received an iPhone XS Max from her husband as a gift. It is the most expensive smartphone model from Cupertino, California-based Apple and retails at around US$1,100.
Although very satisfied with her new phone, Chi says she has noticed the rising popularity of new Chinese handsets in Vietnam in recent years, marking a change from the past dominance of brands such as Samsung and Apple.
“You can see adverts from the likes of Oppo everywhere [in Hanoi],” the 31-year-old Vietnamese banker said in an interview. “They have also hired local celebrities to help promote their phones here.”