Smartphone sales to dip 20%

© The Bangkok Post
Mr Chanon, centre, encourages a few new Oppo models of 5G-enabled smartphones.

Thailand’s smartphone marketplace is envisioned to decline 20% this year as the pandemic takes a toll on purchaser sentiment and 5G-enabled smartphone adoption, claims Chinese smartphone maker Oppo.

5G-appropriate handsets are anticipated to attain momentum by the to start with quarter upcoming year, driven by equipment priced lower than 10,000 baht, affordable 5G information deals and users’ desire for a prosperous working experience.

Korean smartphone giant Samsung last month rolled out Galaxy S20 FE5G with a foundation price of 23,900 baht for its flagship S20 product. Apple is anticipated to unveil a 5G-compatible Iphone 12 this thirty day period.

“Smartphones have seen fewer effects from the pandemic than other sectors,” mentioned Chanon Jirayukul, senior govt vice-president of Oppo Thailand.

“The smartphone market place is most likely to see a fall of 20% in 2020 from 14 million units in 2019, assuming there is not a 2nd wave of the pandemic nor another lockdown in the place.”

In the initial half this year, the marketplace dropped 20%, predominantly attributed to the lockdown from March to Might, stated Mr Chanon.

The marketplace is anticipated to decrease more in the third quarter simply because of the segment’s reduced period.

He explained in the fourth quarter, mobile operators Sophisticated Data Support and TrueMove H are likely to shift in direction of 5G standalone (SA) engineering, which supports greater velocity of 5G throughput. The operators started out with non-SA tech for a 5G community early this calendar year.

“From the fourth quarter until eventually the initially quarter upcoming yr, we will see a complete changeover to 5G,” Mr Chanon mentioned.

Despite the availability of a 5G community and 5G-enabled handsets, consumer sentiment requires to be monitored, he said.

“The pandemic and financial downturn are impacting customer adoption of 5G gadgets,” explained Mr Chanon. Cost-effective 5G deals, this kind of as a regular monthly cost of 499-599 baht with limitless facts utilization, require to be rolled out, he stated.

Mr Chanon claimed new 5G-compatible handsets are probable to be ushered in with prices decreased than 10,000 baht possibly by the end of this 12 months or early subsequent calendar year, and this could cause more demand from customers.

With 5G, buyers will have a lot quicker downloads and better quality stay-streaming and online video information, he claimed.

To seize the rise of 5G, Oppo on Monday released three 5G-enabled smartphone models: Reno4 Z 5G (13,000 baht), Reno4 Professional 5G (25,000 baht) and Discover X2 Professional Environmentally friendly Vegan Leather-based Edition (40,990 baht).

Teerit Paowan, cell telephone market analyst at study firm IDC Thailand, stated the country’s smartphone industry shrank 11% in the to start with fifty percent of this year, when compared with the identical time period last yr.

All over this yr, the industry is anticipated to drop a lot more than 10% from 18 million models in 2019 in phrases of shipment.

“We think the Iphone 12 with 5G could improve demand from customers in the high-finish phase, with far more desirable costs supported by the sturdy baht,” stated Mr Teerit. Chinese smartphone makers are focusing on 5G handsets ranging from 10,000 to 15,000 baht, he mentioned.