Chinese smartphones: Looking for good value
Meizu becomes the latest Chinese manufacturer to bring its range of affordable smartphones to the SA market
Thriving Chinese smartphone manufacturers have developed aggressive strategies to expand into the rest of the world, and SA is high on their priority list. Browsing through catalogues of cellphone network operators and retailers shows a growing number of previously unheard-of brands that are beginning to compete with Apple and Samsung in the high-end market, even among SA’s brand-conscious consumers. The more familiar brands are Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo, Xiaomi, Hisense and TCL Mobile, which is behind the revival of Alcatel. TCL also has its own branded handsets. The latest entrant — a new brand for SA — is Meizu, which introduced its smartphones to SA last year. Chinese-made devices have highly attractive features and most offer value for money. Their main target is medium-to low-end buyers and entry-level handsets are priced around R2,000. Low prices have accelerated smartphone adoption in SA. Cellphone network operators have recorded a double-digit increase in smartphone usage, result...
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