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LATAM Smartphone Shipments up 9% YoY; Samsung Widens Lead to All-time High

  • LATAM smartphone shipments increased 9% YoY and 8% QoQ in Q2 2022.
  • Samsung led the market with 43.5% share, followed by Motorola with 19.6% share.

Buenos Aires, New Delhi, Hong Kong, Seoul, London, Beijing, San Diego – August 16, 2022

Latin America’s (or LATAM’s) smartphone shipments increased 9% YoY and 8% QoQ in Q2 2022, according to the latest data from Counterpoint Research’s Market Monitor service. The growth came despite the regional economic crises and weak global smartphone shipments. Argentina led the region with 32% YoY growth, followed by Mexico and Colombia. Samsung’s shipments and market share reached all-time highs during the quarter.

Commenting on the market dynamics, Principal Analyst Tina Lu said, “Samsung, Xiaomi and Apple’s shipments grew YoY in the LATAM market. These brands managed to offset the loss registered by other brands in LATAM’s overall shipment numbers. But the shipments didn’t match consumer demand, resulting in a record-high inventory, especially for Samsung and to a lesser degree for Xiaomi.”

Lu added, “Inventory was especially high in the higher price bands. Shipments in the $250 and above price band more than doubled YoY. The economic crisis did not allow the consumer demand to be as high as the OEMs’ expectations. Furthermore, in terms of product rotation, many retailers and operators were offering longer payment terms of up to 24 installments. 5G is still not widely demanded in the region. Most 5G devices are from the high-end segment.”

Research Analyst Andres Silva said, “Q2 is usually the second biggest quarter of the year in terms of seasonality as it includes Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in most markets. Both these festivals see key promotional sales. This year too, OEMs had promotions to offer, like Xiaomi had the ‘Xiaomi Day’, where most models had double-digit discounts. Colombia also had the “Dia sin IVA”, a VAT (value-added tax)-free day. Although it was only for one day, it accelerated the market to some extent”.

Top Smartphone OEMs’ Market Share in Latin America, Q2 2021 vs Q2 2022

Source: Counterpoint Research Q2 2022 Market Monitor

Q2 2022 Market Summary

  • Samsung was one of the few OEMs that were able to resolve or significantly improve the supply chain issue. This drove a massive surge in volume in both YoY and QoQ terms.
  • Samsung’s shipments and share in Q2 2022 were at all-time highs. The brand saw strong shipments but softer sell-through, resulting in high inventory, especially in the mid-high- and high-price segments.
  • Supply shortages impacted Motorola’s shipments for most of Q1 2022. Starting Q2, it increased shipments and launched low-price models in the region, which led to higher sell-through despite the slower consumer demand.
  • Xiaomi continued to grow YoY and QoQ. Very aggressive pricing for the Note series, specifically the Redmi Note 11 model, led to this growth.
  • Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi grabbed 91% of its volume in the region. Redmi has been very aggressive in dropping the price of its Note series to compensate for the absence of the A series.
  • OPPO saw a shipment volume decline, but the brand improved its position in the region. Most of its volume is still concentrated in Mexico.
  • OPPO is pushing to increase its participation in the affordable premium segment ($300-$500). It has launched the Reno 7 model in the region but is facing fierce competition from established OEMs. The brand is intensifying marketing, particularly at the sales point.
  • Apple grew YoY driven by the iPhone 11 model and Apple Store and premium resellers partnering with banks to offer installment payments.
  • Apple’s volume and share in the region continued to grow. Its older 4G model iPhone 11 drove the growth. Brazil, Chile and Mexico led in volume terms.
  • The “Others” category continued to decline YoY, affected by larger OEMs’ aggressive promotions and bundling.

 

Background

Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the TMT (technology, media and telecom) industry. It services major technology and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects and detailed analyses of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are seasoned experts in the high-tech industry.

 

Analyst Contacts:

Tina Lu

tina@counterpointresearch.com

 

Andres Silva

andres.silva@counterpointresearch.com

 

 

Peter Richardson

Peter@counterpointresearch.com

Follow Counterpoint Research
press@counterpointresearch.com       

Latin America Smartphones Still Feeling Supply Constraint Headwinds

  • LATAM smartphone shipments decreased 5.8% YoY in Q1 2022.
  • Samsung led the market with 44.3% share followed by Motorola with 17.1% share.

Buenos Aires, New Delhi, Hong Kong, Seoul, London, Beijing, San Diego – June 8, 2022

Q1 2022 smartphone shipments dropped 5.8% YoY, affected by supply constraints, mainly among the Chinese brands. Also, last year’s first quarter sell-in was especially high making year on year comparisons tough. The supply issues are improving but might continue to be a drag for the rest of the year.

Commenting on the market dynamics, Principal Analyst Tina Lu said: “During Q1 2022, OEMs in LATAM (includes the Caribbean and Latin America) were in a fierce price war, which mitigated the impact of consumer demand that started to contract, but it might not be the same moving forward, especially in the mid-high price band segment smartphones. 5G devices volume and penetration continue to grow; in Q1 2022, 5G devices represented 15% of the smartphones sold in the region. Brazil, Mexico and Chile lead 5G-enabled sales volume and penetration share. Samsung overtook Apple to become the leading vendor in 5G-enabled device sales.”

Top Smartphone OEMs’ Market Share in Latin America, Q1 2021 vs Q1 2022

Source: Counterpoint Research Q1 2022 Market Monitor

 

Lu added: “Chinese brands might not yet have the power to drive growth. Samsung increased its share in the region and continued leading the LATAM market, driven by Brazil and shipments of the Galaxy A 03 model family. Motorola’s shipment decline was caused by the Chinese New Year and other supply chain disruptions. This impacted it in most markets except for Argentina. Xiaomi decreased share slightly, impacted by supply chain issues, but it increased its ASP.”

Market Growth in Latin America Biggest Countries, Q1 2022

Source: Counterpoint Research Q1 2022 Market Monitor

Commenting on country performance, Research Analyst Andres Silva, said: “Most of LATAM’s biggest countries followed the regional trend of YoY declines, except for Chile, which slightly improved. Chile is one of the most stable countries in the region. Mexico was flat YoY, fueled by Chinese brands entering the market and increased competition. Samsung is also resolving its issues with Telcel. Brazilian local manufacturing/assembly improved, but it is still impacted by component supply chain shortages.”

Q1 2022 Market Summary

  • Samsung retained leadership in all LATAM markets.
  • Samsung’s volumes declined YoY and QoQ, impacted by the decline in shipments from its Vietnam factory. But sell-in volume still outpaced most Chinese brands, so its share increased YoY and QoQ. Telcel Mexico’s issue with Samsung is slowly settling. Samsung did not have enough supply in the entry-level segment, so it saw a slight YoY decrease in its sales volume in this segment, particularly in Brazil and Mexico.
  • Motorola’s shipments dropped YoY and QoQ. Its sales declined following a lack of supply due to the Lunar New Year break in China and inventory issues.
  • Xiaomi continued to grow YoY, though it dropped compared to the previous quarter. It is strengthening its position in the region. But most of its volume is based on the Xiaomi Redmi Note series. It will need to become more aggressive with its entry-level A series to continue to grow in LATAM. Xiaomi is offering aggressive pricing and promotions, but still lacks strong brand recognition. The brand is facing some high inventory issues in its mid-high price segment models.
  • In Q1 2022, Xiaomi officially entered the Argentina market, but did not immediately make much headway achieving only 1% market share through April 2022.
  • Since the beginning of 2022, Apple’s supply into the region increased YoY in most of its markets resulting in the brand’s share increasing. Apple is expensive for the region’s average consumer but is considered a desirable brand. So, countries with high ASPs, such as Chile and, to a lesser extent, Brazil, account for most of its volume in the region.
  • ZTE continued to be the principal provider of entry-level devices with most of its sales coming from <$100 models.
  • Others brands continued to drop YoY as the Chinese new year and component shortages impact smaller Chinese brands and local brands, especially in the entry-level segment.

 

Background

Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the TMT (technology, media and telecom) industry. It serves major technology and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects and detailed analyses of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are seasoned experts in the high-tech industry.

 

Analyst Contacts:

Tina Lu

+54 91160411221
tina@counterpointresearch.com

Andres Silva

+57 3004929435

andres.silva@counterpointresearch.com

Peter Richardson

+44 7917231934
Peter@counterpointresearch.com

Follow Counterpoint Research
press@counterpointresearch.com       

LATAM Smartphone Shipments Grow 13.4% YoY in 2021 Despite Supply Constraints

  • LATAM smartphone shipments grew 13.4% YoY in 2021 and .03% YoY and 9% QoQ in Q4 2021.
  • Samsung led the market with 38% share, followed by Motorola with 22.5% share.

Buenos Aires, New Delhi, Hong Kong, Seoul, London, Beijing, San Diego – February 24, 2022

LATAM smartphone shipments grew a healthy 13.4% YoY in 2021 despite the ongoing component shortages. However, the number was still 9% lower than that for 2019, according to Counterpoint Research’s latest Market Monitor tracker. Most of the 2021 growth was in the first half of the year, as COVID-19 lockdowns had hit growth in the same period of 2020.

Commenting on the market dynamics, Principal Analyst Tina Lu said, “Most LATAM countries saw YoY growth driven by Chinese brands entering the region and increasing competition. But Brazil’s TAM decreased YoY. With local manufacturing/assembly representing more than 80% of its smartphone volume, Brazil felt the full impact of component shortages.”

Commenting on brand trends, Lu said, “All brands grew in volume during 2021, but some grew more than others.  Samsung, the absolute leader in the region, increased only 6% in volume, but its ASP grew more than 19% YoY. The OEM’s shipments increased less than the overall market as it decided to produce higher-ASP devices due to chipset shortages.”

“Furthermore, LG exited the market during the second half of the year, leaving a void in the entry-level segment. Motorola and ZTE spotted the opportunity and moved in. Motorola’s volume increased 39% YoY and ZTE’s 74% YoY. But the brand that grew the most was Xiaomi, which aggressively entered the operator channel. Its volume almost doubled YoY. Xiaomi has been pushing its brand image in LATAM since 2018.”

 

LATAM Smartphone Shipment Market Share, 2021 vs 2020

Source: Counterpoint Research Market Monitor, Q4 2021      Notes: Xiaomi includes POCO

Commenting on the Q4 2021 market dynamics, Research Analyst Andres Silva said: “Despite the annual growth, Q4 2021 shipments increased only .03% YoY but 9% QoQ due to a combination of seasonality and improved supplies from China and Vietnam and local manufacturing/assembly. The fourth quarter is usually the biggest quarter for the LATAM smartphone market. But in 2021 many OEMs could not anticipate production constraints that impacted most of the second part of the year.”

 

LATAM Smartphone Shipment Market Share, Q4 2021 vs Q4 2020

Source: Counterpoint Research Market Monitor, Q4 2021      Notes: Xiaomi includes POCO

 

Q4 2021 Market Summary

Samsung led the region in Q4 2021 with its volume rising 12% QoQ but falling 1% YoY. The brand led in most of the countries in the region, except Argentina and Mexico. Samsung was impacted by supply shortages and not having enough entry-level products.

Motorola was the second biggest brand in the region. It led in Argentina and Mexico. Motorola managed to combine its brand recognition built over 30 years in LATAM and its entry-level models to grow in volume.

Xiaomi continued to grow in the region. It is now the solid number three. In Q4 2021, it saw 71% YoY growth. Its QoQ growth was drastically lower, hampered by supply shortages and not having local production in Argentina and Brazil. Xiaomi has recently announced it will start assembling smartphones in Argentina this year. Its volumes should grow further after local production starts.

Apple suffered huge constraints right after the launch of the iPhone 13. But the shortage appeared to ease by the end of the year with significantly increased shipments. Apple is the absolute leader in the region in the premium segment (>$500).

ZTE grew its volume 44% YoY by expanding sales beyond Mexico. It has a long-term relationship with carriers and offers a portfolio of <$100 smartphones.

Other Chinese brands like OPPO, vivo, realme and TECNO are new entrants to LATAM. They spent most of 2021 building their branding in the region. OPPO was the most successful of all these brands, as it had already built some branding in Mexico several years ago. It is among the top five in Mexico, but Its expansion into other markets has not yet shown results.

“Others” decreased YoY. “Local kings” continue to drop with international and Chinese brands filling the gap.

 

Background

Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the TMT (technology, media and telecom) industry. It services major technology and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects and detailed analyses of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are seasoned experts in the high-tech industry.

 

Analyst Contacts:

Tina Lu

+54 91160411221
tina@counterpointresearch.com

 Andres Silva

+57 3004929435

andres.silva@counterpointresearch.com

Peter Richardson

+44 7917231934
Peter@counterpointresearch.com

Follow Counterpoint Research
press@counterpointresearch.com       

LATAM Smartphone Shipments Recover With 42% YoY Growth in Q2 2021

Boston, Toronto, London, New Delhi, Hong Kong, Beijing, Taipei, Seoul – August 19, 2020

LATAM smartphone shipment increased 41.8% YoY in Q2 2021 but declined 6.5% compared to the previous quarter, according to the latest Market Monitor report from Counterpoint Research. Smartphone demand in the region grew steadily but volume growth was impacted by the ongoing chipset shortages and manufacturing constraints.

The region is still suffering from COVID-19. Only a couple of countries have been able to fully vaccinate more than half of their population. Therefore, most countries are enduring various degrees and forms of lockdown, leading to an economic slowdown. This, in turn, has affected the purchasing ASP (average selling price) rather than the rate of replacement.

Commenting on the market dynamics, Principal Analyst Tina Lu said, “LATAM countries’ growth or decline rates varied during the quarter. Brazil was one of the most impacted by component shortages as it has a limited number of brands. On the other hand, Mexico grew compared to the previous quarter, fuelled by fierce competition from new entrants. This led to a larger TAM (Total Addressable Market) in the second biggest market of the region.”

Smartphone Shipment Market Share, Q2 2021

Counterpoint Research LATAM Smartphone Shipment Market Share, Q2 2021
Source: Counterpoint Research Market Monitor, Q2 2021

 Lu added, “The volume of most of the brands grew in double or even triple digits YoY. Samsung was the most affected due to the constraints related to its Vietnam factory. Brazilian manufacturing also had supply issues. However, retailers and operators had accumulated some supplies, softening the drop in sell-through. But sell-in was severely impacted. Still, Samsung remains the leading brand in the region, except Mexico and Peru.”

Smartphone Shipment OEM Ranking by Country, Q2 2021

 

Motorola gained both volume and share in Q2 2021. It capitalized on some of the volume lost by Samsung due to product constraints in the region. In Mexico, it became the market leader. Colombia was the only country that saw a substantial drop in Motorola’s volume affected by Xiaomi. It remains a solid second player in the region.

Xiaomi saw its highest growth ever in the LATAM region. Its volume more than tripled YoY, aided by Huawei’s decline. Xiaomi is now the third-largest player in the region. It has surpassed Samsung to become the number one brand in Peru, the first LATAM country to make it the market leader. In Colombia, it remains slightly below the market leader, Samsung. But Xiaomi’s LATAM growth might slow down due to increasing competition from other Chinese brands.

ZTE volume and share also increased. The brand is increasing its tie-ups with carriers. It benefited from the product supply constraints in the $100 and below segment and LG’s exiting the mobile device market. LG still has some demand, but Samsung, Motorola, ZTE and others are quickly grabbing its volume.

Apple decreased in volume compared to the previous quarter. This is due to the usual seasonality where its sales volume decreases as it gets closer to a new launch. But still, the best-selling model for the American OEM during Q2 2021 was the iPhone 11.

OPPO is the most successful among the Chinese brands that entered the region during the last year or so. However, almost 90% of its volume is concentrated in Mexico. OPPO is placing resources in other LATAM countries, but it still needs to build its branding there. It was in Mexico for a short period in 2017 and is now benefitting from the brand-building undertaken then.

The comprehensive and in-depth Q2 2021 Market Monitor is available for subscribing clients. Feel free to contact us at press(at)counterpointresearch.com for further questions regarding our in-depth research and insights, or for press enquiries.

Background:

Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the TMT (technology, media and telecom) industry. It services major technology and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects and detailed analyses of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are seasoned experts in the high-tech industry.

Analyst Contacts:

Tina Lu

Peter Richardson

Follow Counterpoint Research
press@counterpointresearch.com       

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