According to the IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Thailand's smartphone market saw initial signs of a recovery in the third quarter of 2023 after six consecutive quarters of annual decline as the market grew 1.6% year-on-year and 8.3% quarter-on-quarter.
Growth was strong in the premium segment (US$1,000+), which grew 25.9% year-on-year driven by new model launches such as Apple's iPhone 15 series and Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5. The mid-range (US$200 < US$400) also grew significantly in value and volume, driven by Oppo, Samsung, and Xiaomi with the segment growing 61.8% year-on-year. The Average Selling Price (ASP) for the entire market was US$360, rising 7.8% year-on-year.
Oppo rose to first place due to its mid-to-high-end Reno 10 series, various new low-end model launches, and partnerships with telcos. In second place, Samsung focused on the premium segment with its new foldable range and the mid-range segment with the Galaxy A series. Apple remained firmly in third with increases in total shipments from new models and previous generation models.
The share of 5G smartphones increased to 46%, up from 38% in the third quarter of 2022 and 37% in second-quarter 2023, driven by the increased launches and shipments of 5G Android models in the mid-range to lower-end segments as well as increased shipments in the premium segments.
"The Thai smartphone market is expected to round off 2023 with a high single-digit decline for the full year. Nevertheless, in third-quarter 202, the market experienced initial signs of a recovery with increasing consumer confidence and retail spending in the overall economy. The Thai smartphone market is expected to bounce back as the country enters the year-end season and the economy picks up steam from the government's planned stimulus policies in the coming quarters," said Apirat Ratanavichit, Research Analyst at IDC Thailand.
IDC: Thailand smartphone market, top-5 companies shipments, 3Q23 (k units) | |||||
Company | 3Q23 shipments | 3Q23 market share | 3Q22 shipments | 3Q22 market share | Y/Y |
1. Oppo | 832 | 22% | 637.1 | 17.1% | 30.6% |
2. Samsung | 658.3 | 17.4% | 940.9 | 25.3% | (30%) |
3. Apple | 623.6 | 16.5% | 612.4 | 16.5% | 1.8% |
4. Xiaomi | 535.5 | 14.2% | 534.6 | 14.4% | 0.2% |
5. Realme | 447.5 | 11.8% | 204.1 | 5.5% | 119.3% |
Others | 684 | 18.1% | 793.3 | 21.3% | (13.8%) |
Total | 3,780.9 | 100% | 3,722.4 | 100% | 1.6% |
Source: IDC, compiled by DIGITIMES, December 2023
