https://www.scmp.com/rss/326835/feed The latest news, analysis and opinion on Vivo. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Wency Chen Wency Chen Xiaomi has raised prices on several smartphone models, joining a broader wave of increases across China’s handset makers as surging memory chip costs ripple through the global consumer electronics supply chain. The company said on Friday that prices for three models would rise by about 200 yuan (US$29), with the adjustments taking effect next Saturday. The move follows similar increases by domestic peers including Oppo, Vivo and Honor in March. Xiaomi attributed the hike to “continued sharp... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348944/xiaomi-lifts-handset-prices-memory-chip-crunch-ripples-through-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348944/xiaomi-lifts-handset-prices-memory-chip-crunch-ripples-through-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:00:13 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A “ChatGPT moment” for China’s humanoid robots – the tipping point at which the technology becomes widely usable – remains years away as persistent challenges in adapting to new tasks and training efficiency continue to hold back the industry, leading experts said on Wednesday at the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan. Despite rapid advances in recent years, humanoid robots were still far from large-scale deployment, with both hardware and software limitations yet to be fully resolved, panellists... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347864/why-chinas-humanoid-robots-are-still-waiting-their-chatgpt-moment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347864/why-chinas-humanoid-robots-are-still-waiting-their-chatgpt-moment?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 01:15:07 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese smartphone maker Oppo is mounting a fresh challenge in the foldable handset market after launching the latest product in its Find N series, as the industry faces rising memory prices and anticipation builds around Apple’s foldable iPhone. Find N6, launched globally on Tuesday, featured upgraded hinge technology designed to make the crease on the foldable screen “virtually imperceptible”, according to the company. “While foldables offer the advantage of a larger display, the crease has... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346829/chinas-oppo-doubles-down-foldable-smartphones-potential-apple-entry-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346829/chinas-oppo-doubles-down-foldable-smartphones-potential-apple-entry-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Chinese smartphone maker Vivo on Monday said it will increase handset prices, citing surging semiconductor and memory costs, joining peers such as Oppo and Honor. Vivo, along with its sub-brand iQOO, will adjust prices from Wednesday, though the scale has not yet been disclosed. The move came in response to the “continued sharp rise in global semiconductor and memory costs”, the company said. Last week, Oppo said it would adjust prices, with the new pricing taking effect on Monday. “We... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346758/chinese-smartphone-makers-vivo-oppo-raise-prices-memory-costs-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346758/chinese-smartphone-makers-vivo-oppo-raise-prices-memory-costs-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 10:30:08 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng The mobile industry buzzed with excitement over the artificial intelligence revolution showcased at MWC Barcelona 2026, but the optimism was overshadowed by the Middle East crisis and a memory crunch that could reshape the global smartphone supply chain. The AI showcase drew a large crowd, including King Felipe VI of Spain, to the booth of Chinese smartphone maker Honor, which displayed its “Robot Phone” with a built-in camera gimbal designed to become a companion to users. “This brings a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345760/middle-east-crisis-global-memory-crunch-dim-ai-smartphone-buzz-mwc-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345760/middle-east-crisis-global-memory-crunch-dim-ai-smartphone-buzz-mwc-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese smartphone makers are set to introduce their latest handsets at MWC Barcelona, as the mobile industry navigates an ongoing memory crunch and a pivot to artificial intelligence. Some Android phone makers are also expected to showcase experimental robots and other AI devices at the annual trade show formerly known as Mobile World Congress, which will run from March 2 to 5. Honor, an independent brand formerly under Huawei Technologies, will unveil more details about its highly anticipated... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344960/mwc-2026-chinese-smartphone-makers-bet-pivot-ai-weather-memory-chip-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344960/mwc-2026-chinese-smartphone-makers-bet-pivot-ai-weather-memory-chip-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen The US State Department will subsidise companies to roll out cheap smartphones running American software in the Indo-Pacific region, part of its “Pax Silica” initiative that seeks to shore up the resilience of the US artificial intelligence supply chain and win the AI race with China. The US has launched the Edge AI Package, which provides up to US$200 million of funding for mobile network operators and smartphone vendors to deploy “low-cost, high-performance” handsets in some partner nations in... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3344055/washington-offers-us200-million-boost-american-smartphone-industry-indo-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3344055/washington-offers-us200-million-boost-american-smartphone-industry-indo-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 23:23:13 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese electronics companies Insta360 and Vivo are preparing aggressive moves into the gimbal-stabilised camera market, setting up a direct challenge to DJI’s dominance, though analysts warn the newcomers may struggle to match the drone maker’s entrenched content ecosystem. Insta360, a key rival to GoPro, is planning a handheld gimbal camera aimed at DJI’s popular Pocket series, currently slated for release in the first half of the year, according to people familiar with the matter. Separately,... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3342930/insta360-vivo-challenge-djis-turf-eyeing-slice-gimbal-camera-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3342930/insta360-vivo-challenge-djis-turf-eyeing-slice-gimbal-camera-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:00:11 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang US tech giant Apple is offering discounts of up to 1,000 yuan (US$144) on selected products to customers in mainland China, the latest promotion from the iPhone maker ahead of an expected holiday shopping wave and heightened competition from local rivals. Promoted as a limited-time Lunar New Year offer, Apple said buyers of iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus from its mainland China website and official stores between January 24 and 27 would receive the discounts, which also applied to some MacBook,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340838/apple-slashes-prices-lunar-new-year-competition-heats-mainland-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340838/apple-slashes-prices-lunar-new-year-competition-heats-mainland-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 09:01:00 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese smartphone makers are bearing the brunt of a global memory crunch, slashing their 2026 shipment targets by tens of millions of units, according to industry supply chain sources. Beijing-based smartphone and electric vehicle giant Xiaomi cut its latest shipment forecast for the year by between 10 and 70 million units in its guidance for upstream suppliers, a source said. This follows a target of 180 million units the company had set in the fourth quarter of last year, the source... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340567/chinas-xiaomi-transsion-slash-2026-smartphone-shipments-memory-crunch-bites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340567/chinas-xiaomi-transsion-slash-2026-smartphone-shipments-memory-crunch-bites?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 11:15:13 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Huawei Technologies edged out Apple to reclaim the No 1 spot in mainland China’s smartphone market in 2025, a new report showed, as the domestic handset maker overcame crippling US sanctions. For the full year, Huawei captured 16.4 per cent of China’s smartphone market with 46.7 million units shipped, narrowly beating Apple, which shipped 46.2 million iPhones for a 16.2 per cent share, research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) said on Wednesday. Huawei’s smartphone shipments fell 1.9... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339863/huawei-reclaims-top-spot-over-apple-china-smartphone-market-after-chip-breakthrough?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339863/huawei-reclaims-top-spot-over-apple-china-smartphone-market-after-chip-breakthrough?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 11:30:12 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi CXMT Corporation, parent of Chinese memory chip giant ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), aims to raise 29.5 billion yuan (US$4.2 billion) from an initial public offering in Shanghai to fund technology upgrades, as Beijing presses ahead with its drive for tech self-reliance amid geopolitical tensions. The Shanghai Stock Exchange received CXMT’s application for a listing on the Nasdaq-style Star Market, a filing on the bourse’s website showed on Tuesday night. This marks a critical step towards... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/semiconductors/article/3338246/chinas-dram-giant-cxmt-plans-us42-billion-ipo-shanghais-star-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/semiconductors/article/3338246/chinas-dram-giant-cxmt-plans-us42-billion-ipo-shanghais-star-market?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 04:30:17 +0000 Ben Jiang,Ann Cao Ben Jiang,Ann Cao Smart glasses have been technology’s “next big thing” for at least a decade without actually getting very far. Chinese companies now hope that new developments in artificial intelligence (AI) could make the sector take off. Start-ups, such as Rokid, Xreal, Meizu and Rayneo, have introduced AI-powered smart glasses in China this year, along with established tech giants Xiaomi, Baidu and Alibaba. Facebook owner Meta, the global market leader, also debuted the AI-powered Meta Ray-Ban Display... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3334327/smart-glasses-makers-see-ai-long-awaited-killer-app?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3334327/smart-glasses-makers-see-ai-long-awaited-killer-app?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 08:00:13 +0000 Kandy Wong,Alice Li Kandy Wong,Alice Li Apple’s launch season has arrived, an occasion once treated like a festival in China and hailed by enthusiasts as the “Spring Festival Gala of the tech world”. Tan Hui used to be one of the devoted, closely following every iPhone launch and going all out to secure the latest model. At times, she would even fly two and a half hours from her home in Sichuan province to Hong Kong – where new models sometimes went on sale earlier than on the mainland – to ensure she was one of the first to get her... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3325358/how-apples-grip-china-slipped-and-what-it-means-other-multinationals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3325358/how-apples-grip-china-slipped-and-what-it-means-other-multinationals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Chinese smartphone maker Vivo unveiled a mixed-reality headset that resembles Apple’s Vision Pro in name, design and interface, but weighs about 35 per cent less and is likely to cost one third as much. The Vivo Vision is similar to the Apple gadget that is controlled with intuitive eye tracking and hand gestures, according to information published on Vivo’s website on Thursday. But the Vivo device weighs 398 grams, much less than its US rival, which weighs at least 600g, addressing one of the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322883/chinese-smartphone-maker-vivo-challenges-apple-vision-pro-cheaper-lighter-vr-headset?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322883/chinese-smartphone-maker-vivo-challenges-apple-vision-pro-cheaper-lighter-vr-headset?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 01:00:19 +0000 Hannah Wang Hannah Wang China’s five leading Android-system smartphone brands – Honor, Lenovo, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi – have formed a platform to promote a new privacy permission system, marking a key step towards standardising privacy protection among Android users in the artificial intelligence era. As Chinese smartphone makers rush to equip AI features, the issue of user data collection has become the focus of debate. The initiative by the five brands aims to strike a balance between privacy protection and user data... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3322486/chinas-android-phone-makers-promote-new-privacy-permission-platform-protect-user-data?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3322486/chinas-android-phone-makers-promote-new-privacy-permission-platform-protect-user-data?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 10:00:15 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Chinese tech giant Xiaomi became the largest smartphone vendor in Southeast Asia for the first time in four years on the back of strong second quarter sales of its budget and premium handsets, bucking a downturn precipitated by US-China trade tensions, according to Canalys. Xiaomi’s smartphone shipments in the region jumped 8 per cent year on year to 4.7 million units in the second quarter, propelling it to the top spot for the first time since the same period in 2021, the research firm said in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3321719/xiaomi-regains-top-spot-southeast-asias-smartphone-market-first-time-4-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3321719/xiaomi-regains-top-spot-southeast-asias-smartphone-market-first-time-4-years?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Aug 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Coco Feng,Sam Phillips Coco Feng,Sam Phillips Apple is closing a retail store in Dalian, marking the US firm’s first shutdown of a directly managed outlet on the mainland amid struggling iPhone sales. Meanwhile, Huawei Technologies returned to the top of China’s smartphone market in the second quarter. The store, located in the northeastern city’s landmark Parkland shopping centre, will cease operations on August 9, according to Apple’s website, leaving the city of 7.5 million residents with just one remaining Apple-owned outlet. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3319861/apple-shuts-dalian-store-huawei-tops-mainland-chinas-smartphone-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3319861/apple-shuts-dalian-store-huawei-tops-mainland-chinas-smartphone-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Huawei Technologies topped mainland China’s smartphone market in the second quarter – the first time in four years – “underscoring its strong brand appeal and effective shipment management”, according to International Data Corporation (IDC). However, China’s smartphone sales shrank 4 per cent to 69 million units in the April to June quarter due to weak consumption and reduced government subsidies for electronic devices, data from the consultancy released on Tuesday showed. It was the first... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3318415/huawei-returns-top-chinas-mobile-phone-charts-first-time-4-years-idc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3318415/huawei-returns-top-chinas-mobile-phone-charts-first-time-4-years-idc?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2025 09:00:17 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Apple’s iPhone shipments in mainland China fell 9 per cent from a year ago to 9.8 million units in the first quarter, according to research firm IDC, three months after the US tech giant recaptured the top spot in the world’s largest smartphone market. That made Apple the only top-five-ranked handset vendor in China to record a decline last quarter, when domestic smartphone shipments grew 3.3 per cent year on year to 71.6 million units, IDC data showed. Apple, which is still awaiting Beijing’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3307112/apples-china-smartphone-shipments-fall-first-quarter-ahead-trumps-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3307112/apples-china-smartphone-shipments-fall-first-quarter-ahead-trumps-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Apr 2025 13:00:13 +0000 American economist Noah Smith recently wrote a blog about how “China is trying to kneecap Indian manufacturing”, adding to the narrative that China views India as a geopolitical rival and potential economic threat, leading to it blocking investments and technologies from reaching India. This narrative coincides with the heated debate in India sparked by the Modi government’s decision to let the US$23 billion Production Linked Incentive scheme lapse. Both Smith’s argument and the policy debate... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3304334/dont-blame-china-indias-manufacturing-decline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3304334/dont-blame-china-indias-manufacturing-decline?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Mar 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Iris Deng,Xinmei Shen Iris Deng,Xinmei Shen Honor’s newly appointed CEO pledged to invest US$10 billion over the next five years to drive the artificial intelligence (AI) transformation of the Chinese smartphone maker, as it seeks to integrate the technology across the company’s devices. The “Alpha” investment plan would support Honor’s new strategy to evolve from a smartphone maker into an ecosystem company focused on AI devices, CEO James Li Jian announced on Sunday in Barcelona ahead of the annual MWC mobile trade show. The initiative... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3300662/honor-unveils-us10-billion-investment-drive-ai-upgrade-smartphones-tablets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3300662/honor-unveils-us10-billion-investment-drive-ai-upgrade-smartphones-tablets?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Mar 2025 23:00:15 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Huawei Technologies took the crown in China’s smartphone market in January, buoyed by a government subsidy scheme for electronics purchases, according to the latest numbers from industry consultancy Counterpoint Research. Last year’s bestselling brand Vivo came second, followed by Xiaomi. Together, the top three vendors contributed around 54 per cent of the nearly 29 million smartphones sold in China last month, the report on Wednesday showed. Total sales in the market rose 17 per cent from a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3300373/huawei-vivo-xiaomi-lead-chinas-smartphone-sales-surge-fuelled-government-subsidies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3300373/huawei-vivo-xiaomi-lead-chinas-smartphone-sales-surge-fuelled-government-subsidies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Feb 2025 10:00:23 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese smartphone makers are gaining more ground in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, according to the latest figures by Canalys, as they ramped up expansion in emerging markets amid stiff competition at home. In the Middle East, Chinese brands Transsion, Xiaomi and Honor all saw rapid growth in 2024 to take the second, third and fifth place in the region, excluding Turkey, according to a report by Canalys on Monday. Transsion, a Shenzhen-based budget handset maker known for its dominance in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3299163/chinese-smartphone-brands-see-rapid-growth-middle-east-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3299163/chinese-smartphone-brands-see-rapid-growth-middle-east-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2025 10:30:07 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Apple and its rivals in the Chinese smartphone market are in a heated race to adopt the country’s fast-improving artificial intelligence (AI) models, including those from DeepSeek and Alibaba Group Holding. The iPhone maker struck a deal to use Alibaba’s Qwen models for Apple Intelligence in mainland China, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday, citing sources. Apple Intelligence is supported by OpenAI’s ChatGPT in most international markets, but in China, only AI models approved by... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3298522/chinas-smartphone-brands-embrace-deepseeks-ai-models-apple-partners-alibaba?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3298522/chinas-smartphone-brands-embrace-deepseeks-ai-models-apple-partners-alibaba?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:51:22 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s antitrust investigation into Google, which does not offer most of its consumer-facing services including search and email in the country, seems to make little sense on the surface, but analysts said the move could be seen as a warning shot to the US and a threat to the Android operating system. The inquiry into Google was unveiled on Tuesday in tandem with China’s fresh tariffs on US imports and new export controls of certain minerals, as well as the addition of two US companies to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3297518/chinas-antitrust-probe-google-seen-warning-shot-us-android-target?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3297518/chinas-antitrust-probe-google-seen-warning-shot-us-android-target?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:40:45 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Apple recaptured the top spot in China’s smartphone market in the fourth quarter, but it fell to third place in 2024 after a year of escalating competition from domestic players, including a resurgent Huawei Technologies. The US tech giant saw smartphone shipments in China plummet 25 per cent to 13.1 million units in the three months through December, down from 17.5 million a year earlier, according to data released by research firm Canalys on Thursday. It narrowly edged out Chinese vendors Vivo... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3295034/apple-trails-huawei-vivo-china-smartphone-market-2024-iphone-leads-fourth-quarter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3295034/apple-trails-huawei-vivo-china-smartphone-market-2024-iphone-leads-fourth-quarter?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2025 11:00:17 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Apple dominated the global smartphone market in the final quarter of 2024 despite facing challenges in China, according to recent research. The Cupertino, California-based technology giant captured 23 per cent of the global market last quarter, driven by the launch of its iPhone 16 series in mid-September, which boosted sales during the holiday shopping season, according to a report on Tuesday from market consultancy Canalys. The popularity of the new iPhone helped it offset a sales decline in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3294727/apple-leads-smartphone-market-fourth-quarter-overcoming-china-decline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3294727/apple-leads-smartphone-market-fourth-quarter-overcoming-china-decline?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jan 2025 12:00:11 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding’s video gaming unit will withdraw its flagship mobile title from the app store of smartphone maker Vivo, months after Tencent Holdings pulled its mobile game from several Android app stores. The cooperation between strategy game Three Kingdoms Tactics and the Vivo app store had ended, Alibaba’s Lingxi Games said in a statement published earlier this week, without elaborating on the reason. The game will be removed on March 7, and users will no longer be able to log into the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3294303/alibaba-studio-pulls-top-game-vivos-app-store-after-similar-move-tencent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3294303/alibaba-studio-pulls-top-game-vivos-app-store-after-similar-move-tencent?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2025 12:00:07 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Apple’s latest iPhone models are mostly excluded from China’s new subsidy scheme for boosting domestic consumption, giving domestic smartphone makers the opportunity to lift sales on the back of the stimulus measure. China will offer a 15 per cent subsidy for purchases of smartphones, tablets and smartwatches that cost under 6,000 yuan (US$818), in line with the government’s expanded trade-in scheme for consumer goods, according to a notice on Wednesday by the National Development and Reform... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3293944/apples-pricey-iphones-out-chinas-new-subsidy-scheme-ceiling-capped-us818?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3293944/apples-pricey-iphones-out-chinas-new-subsidy-scheme-ceiling-capped-us818?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2025 13:00:18 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese smartphone maker Honor plans to expand in Indonesia to tap into the growing appetite for premium handsets in Southeast Asia’s largest economy and most populous country. Shenzhen-based Honor, which was spun off in 2020 as an independent company by Huawei Technologies, expects to launch more than 30 products that range from smartphones to wearables, as well as open over 10 “experience” stores across the Indonesian archipelago this year, according to Justin Li, president of Honor South... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3293624/chinese-smartphone-maker-honor-targets-indonesias-growing-appetite-premium-handsets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3293624/chinese-smartphone-maker-honor-targets-indonesias-growing-appetite-premium-handsets?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jan 2025 01:00:19 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Apple is offering consumers in mainland China fresh price cuts on iPhones and other products via its local website, as the US tech giant seeks to boost sales amid stiff competition with Huawei Technologies and other domestic rivals in the world’s largest smartphone market. Cupertino, California-based Apple on Thursday announced a promotion running from January 4 to 7 that will provide a 500-yuan (US$68) discount on its latest premium models, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. A 400-yuan... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3293187/apple-offers-fresh-price-cuts-iphones-china-huawei-competition-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3293187/apple-offers-fresh-price-cuts-iphones-china-huawei-competition-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jan 2025 11:00:08 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Huawei Technologies gained more ground in mainland China’s high-end smartphone segment in the third quarter, narrowing the gap with US rival Apple, which still leads that handset category, the latest data from research firm Canalys showed. Shenzhen-based Huawei’s domestic shipments of premium-priced smartphones – handsets that cost more than US$600 – surged 34 per cent in the September quarter from a year earlier, resulting in a 33 per cent share, according to a report released by Canalys on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3289747/huawei-premium-smartphone-shipments-surge-apple-continues-lead-segment-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3289747/huawei-premium-smartphone-shipments-surge-apple-continues-lead-segment-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Dec 2024 12:30:16 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Oppo has brought back its high-end Find X series smartphones to overseas markets in a renewed international push, as Chinese Android handset vendors step up expansion efforts amid cutthroat competition at home. The Chinese smartphone giant – the world’s fourth-largest handset vendor by shipments last quarter, according to research firm IDC – on Thursday held the global launch of its new Find X8 and Find X8 Pro in Bali, Indonesia. The launch comes after a two-year hiatus for Oppo’s flagship... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3287683/oppo-brings-back-premium-find-x-smartphones-global-markets-amid-slow-growth-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3287683/oppo-brings-back-premium-find-x-smartphones-global-markets-amid-slow-growth-home?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Nov 2024 01:00:15 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Apple saw a sharp decrease in iPhone sales across China during this year’s Singles’ Day, the world’s biggest shopping festival, amid stiff competition from mainland smartphone rivals and weak domestic consumption, according to a new report. The country’s two-week Singles’ Day sales period this year yielded “a double-digit, year-on-year decline in iPhone sales”, as Apple “faced pressure from an abnormally high number” of new flagship smartphone models that domestic competitors launched just... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3287516/apples-iphone-sales-fall-during-chinas-singles-day-shopping-festival-report-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3287516/apples-iphone-sales-fall-during-chinas-singles-day-shopping-festival-report-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Nov 2024 10:00:23 +0000 Reuters Reuters Chip designer Qualcomm on Wednesday forecast sales and profit in the current quarter would exceed Wall Street estimates as the company benefits from a wave of launches of flagship Chinese smartphones. The company’s shares rose 5.5 per cent in extended trading. They had surged 12 per cent right after it reported results after the company also flagged a new $15 billion stock buy-back. The San Diego, California-based company is the biggest supplier of smartphone chips and is benefiting from a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3285566/qualcomm-chip-sales-surge-thanks-chinese-smartphone-makers-apples-shift-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3285566/qualcomm-chip-sales-surge-thanks-chinese-smartphone-makers-apples-shift-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Nov 2024 07:00:07 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s smartphone market is on track to record its first annual sales growth in five years, according to Counterpoint Research, which placed Apple out of the top-five domestic rankings in the third quarter. Sales in the world’s largest smartphone market rose 2.3 per cent year on year in the September quarter, marking four consecutive quarters of growth that reinforce projections of a low single-digit increase in 2024, according to a Counterpoint report on Monday. Chinese smartphone vendors... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3284324/china-smartphone-market-close-2024-first-annual-sales-growth-5-years-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3284324/china-smartphone-market-close-2024-first-annual-sales-growth-5-years-report?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Oct 2024 11:00:12 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Strong iPhone 16 sales in China have returned Apple to the No 2 spot in the local smartphone market in the third quarter, after it had fallen out of the top five in the previous three months, according to the latest data from research firm IDC. iPhone shipments captured 15.6 per cent of the market in the three months ended September, behind only Vivo at 18.6 per cent, according to IDC on Friday. While Apple’s latest handsets helped it perform better than earlier in the year, its market share was... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283738/apple-iphone-16-sales-china-put-it-back-no-2-local-smartphone-market-q3?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283738/apple-iphone-16-sales-china-put-it-back-no-2-local-smartphone-market-q3?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Oct 2024 00:00:13 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao E-commerce powerhouse Alibaba Group Holding on Monday kicked off direct sales for its annual Singles’ Day campaign that saw strong demand for products from major brands such as Apple and Lululemon Athletica, indicating a recovery of consumer spending in the world’s second-largest economy. Taobao and Tmall Group (TTG), Alibaba’s domestic e-commerce business unit, started direct sales at 8pm on Monday and within the first five minutes recorded more than 1 billion yuan (US$140 million) worth of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283414/alibaba-kicks-singles-day-direct-sales-apple-and-lululemon-seeing-strong-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283414/alibaba-kicks-singles-day-direct-sales-apple-and-lululemon-seeing-strong-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2024 11:30:09 +0000 Ben Jiang,Coco Feng Ben Jiang,Coco Feng Apple chief executive Tim Cook returned to Beijing on Monday, his second visit to mainland China this year, as speculation swirls over the domestic launch of the US tech giant’s on-device artificial intelligence (AI) system. Cook’s latest visit to the country saw him accompanied by famous Chinese photographer and filmmaker Chen Man, as well as meet with students from China Agricultural University and Zhejiang University at a farm in the Beijing district of Shunyi, according to posts published by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/ai/article/3283384/tim-cook-makes-low-key-visit-china-apple-intelligence-roll-out-remains-uncertain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/ai/article/3283384/tim-cook-makes-low-key-visit-china-apple-intelligence-roll-out-remains-uncertain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2024 09:02:19 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese smartphone brand Vivo claimed the No 1 spot among handset makers in India for the first time in the third quarter, ahead of the region’s long-time leaders Xiaomi and Samsung Electronics. Vivo shipped 9.1 million units in India in the three months through September, growing 26 per cent year on year and capturing a 19 per cent share of the market, according to a report from research firm Canalys on Friday. The company’s growth has been driven by an aggressive push across various sales... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283034/vivo-becomes-indias-top-smartphone-brand-third-quarter-overtaking-xiaomi-and-samsung?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283034/vivo-becomes-indias-top-smartphone-brand-third-quarter-overtaking-xiaomi-and-samsung?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Oct 2024 08:00:07 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese Android smartphone brands saw shipments soar in the third quarter, boosting the global handset market along with Apple, which launched the latest version of its iPhone last month, according to data from industry researchers. Worldwide smartphone shipments climbed 4 per cent to surpass 316 million units, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of growth despite economic headwinds, according to a report by research firm IDC on Monday. Xiaomi, which introduced new flagship devices and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3282470/chinese-brands-and-apple-drive-global-smartphone-shipment-growth-5th-straight-quarter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3282470/chinese-brands-and-apple-drive-global-smartphone-shipment-growth-5th-straight-quarter?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Oct 2024 10:32:06 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Chinese smartphone giant Vivo on Monday launched its premium X200 series on the mainland, featuring MediaTek’s new 3-nanometre processor and Live Photo format capability, weeks after Apple and Huawei Technologies rolled out their latest flagship handset models. Priced from 4,299 yuan (US$608) to 6,799 yuan, the X200 series marks the latest effort by Vivo to crack the industry’s lucrative high-end segment in the world’s largest smartphone market and across the globe. Vivo said it will start... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3282343/vivo-launches-premium-x200-smartphone-weeks-after-apple-huawei-release-new-handsets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3282343/vivo-launches-premium-x200-smartphone-weeks-after-apple-huawei-release-new-handsets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2024 13:57:01 +0000 China’s rapid rise as a global innovation powerhouse is often attributed to government subsidies and policies. This narrative misses the real drivers behind the country’s innovation outperformance: its vast domestic market, user-centric products and services, as well as fierce competition. These elements create an environment that fosters fast-paced innovation, enabling Chinese companies to stay ahead. With a 1.4 billion-strong population, the sheer size of China’s domestic market offers... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3280959/what-truly-drives-chinas-breakneck-innovation-its-not-subsidies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3280959/what-truly-drives-chinas-breakneck-innovation-its-not-subsidies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Oct 2024 08:30:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters China’s Xiaomi has asked India’s antitrust body to recall its report that found the company and Walmart’s Flipkart breached competition laws, arguing it contains commercial secrets, two people familiar with the matter said. Any recall of the Competition Commission of India report could delay its antitrust investigation, which began in 2021. In a rare move in August, the commission recalled an antitrust report on Apple after the company similarly complained commercial secrets were... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3279609/xiaomi-wants-indias-competition-watchdog-recall-report-flipkart-over-sensitive-data?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3279609/xiaomi-wants-indias-competition-watchdog-recall-report-flipkart-over-sensitive-data?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Sep 2024 08:34:02 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Samsung Electronics has notified employees in mainland China of a restructuring that will eliminate about 130 positions – equivalent to 8 per cent of domestic sales staff – according to South Korean media reports, as the company continues to grapple with sluggish smartphone and television demand in the world’s second-largest economy. This marks the start of a broader restructuring initiative that would potentially cut up to 30 per cent of Samsung’s mainland workforce by next year, the Seoul... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3277208/samsung-said-slash-8-sales-team-mainland-china-amid-weak-performance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3277208/samsung-said-slash-8-sales-team-mainland-china-amid-weak-performance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Sep 2024 12:02:40 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese smartphone brand Honor surpassed Samsung Electronics to become the No 1 foldable-handset maker in western Europe, according to data from industry consultancy Counterpoint Research. Honor – a spin-off from Huawei Technologies – took that crown for the first time in the second quarter. Western Europe is the second-largest foldable handset market after China and a fierce battleground for players including Motorola, Oppo, OnePlus and Google, according to a new Counterpoint report. Honor,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3276886/honor-overtakes-samsung-claim-top-spot-west-europes-foldable-smartphone-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3276886/honor-overtakes-samsung-claim-top-spot-west-europes-foldable-smartphone-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Sep 2024 13:00:13 +0000 Since its debut more than 17 years ago, Apple’s iPhone has been more than a smartphone in the eyes of Chinese consumers – it has been a status symbol. This was especially true for China’s younger generation, who grew up with US cultural influences from drinking Coca-Cola to watching Hollywood films as Beijing opened its economy to foreign investment in the early 1980s. Recently, however, the iPhone has seen a decline in appeal, and Apple, the world’s leading consumer technology company, is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3275082/why-apples-iphone-losing-its-shine-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3275082/why-apples-iphone-losing-its-shine-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2024 12:30:09 +0000 Xiaomi, mainland China’s fifth-largest smartphone vendor by sales, is taking big market shares in several regions and countries – including Latin America, Japan and India – as competition with rivals at home gets intense. The Beijing-based company shipped 6.2 million handsets or 35 per cent more units to Latin America last quarter, making it the second-biggest smartphone brand in the region, consultancy Canalys said in a report. Samsung Electronics topped the ranking, after shipping 10.2 million... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3274217/xiaomi-gains-share-latin-america-japan-india-amid-heated-smartphone-rivalry-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3274217/xiaomi-gains-share-latin-america-japan-india-amid-heated-smartphone-rivalry-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Aug 2024 12:00:17 +0000 Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi is working with Google to integrate its Gemini large language model (LLM) into the Chinese firm’s next flagship series for international markets, intensifying competition in the nascent segment for handsets with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. “Thrilled to collaborate with Google on upcoming Xiaomi flagship devices for international markets,” Xiaomi founder, chairman and chief executive Lei Jun wrote in a post on X, following an announcement at the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3273886/xiaomi-adopt-googles-gemini-ai-model-next-flagship-smartphone-overseas-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3273886/xiaomi-adopt-googles-gemini-ai-model-next-flagship-smartphone-overseas-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Aug 2024 10:30:09 +0000