OnePlus is now one of the top 5 Android premium phone companies in the world
OnePlus continues to be the top premium phone maker with a 40 per cent market share, and two of its phones -- OnePlus 6 and the OnePlus 5T -- are the top selling phones in the segment above Rs. 30,000 price point.
Over a month after CounterPoint pointed out that OnePlus is India's top premium phone company, the market research firm has come out with its global findings. Globally, the list of biggest premium phone companies is led by Apple with a market share of 43 per cent, but for the first time, OnePlus enters the group of Top 5 with a 2 per cent market share. In India, OnePlus continues to be the top premium phone maker with a 40 per cent market share, and two of its phones -- OnePlus 6 and the OnePlus 5T -- are the top selling phones in the segment above Rs. 30,000 price point.
CounterPoint hints that the latest success of OnePlus is because of the OnePlus 6, which has found good favour with consumers and which has helped the smartphone maker become the company with the highest growth rate in $400-$600 segment. "OnePlus was one of the fastest growing brands in the $400-$600 segment. OnePlus sales were driven by India, China and UK. In India it surpassed Apple and Samsung to become the No. 1 premium smartphone OEM during the quarter with a strong 40 per cent market share," said Tarun Pathak, associate director at Counter Point.
In the list of Top 5 phones, Apple is No. 1 with a market share of 43 per cent. It is followed by Samsung that has a market share of 24 per cent, Oppo with a market share of 10 percent, Huawei with a market share of 9 per cent and Xiaomi with a market share of 3 per cent. OnePlus has a 2 per cent market share. But the most interesting bit about the OnePlus is that, along with Huawei, it is the only Chinese phone company that has found favour with customers outside China for its premium phone. Not only is OnePlus selling a good number of phones in India, it is also increasingly getting love from customers in Europe.
On Thursday, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei shared a photo of the company's new HQ in Europe. The company also has 6 regional offices in European countries, and according to CounterPoint, it is the fourth biggest brand in the premium market in France, Germany, Netherlands and UK. In addition, OnePlus occupies the fifth position in Italy in a similar list and the third position in Sweden. All of this is, according to Counter Point, because of "strong initial sales of the OnePlus 6".
Pei also hinted that OnePlus may open a retail store in Europe soon. As the popularity of its phones grow, OnePlus is also hoping to expand further in the US with rumours suggesting that the upcoming OnePlus 6T could be the first OnePlus phone to be available in the US through a major telecom company in partnership with T-Mobile.
For OnePlus, finding a mention in the list of top premium phone makers is a big deal. It is the youngest brand in the list, achieving the distinction in just four years after it entered the market. And it's growing in the way that you can call organic. Since its launch in 2014, OnePlus has focussed on delivering quality phones like OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T, OnePlus 5, OnePlus 5T and the OnePlus 6 that have been remarkably good high-end phones, and yet they have sold at prices that are half of what Apple or Samsung charge for their premium phones.
The focus on quality, simplicity, and delivering incredible value has also helped OnePlus build a fan base and community that now gives it an edge compared to some of the other, even bigger, brands.
This is the kind of growth that CounterPoint believes makes OnePlus one of the brands to watch out for in future. The idea is that with Apple increasing the cost of its phones -- the iPhone XS in India starts at Rs. 99,900 and globally costs $999 -- OnePlus phones may become even more attractive to consumers, even in markets where Apple has been traditionally very strong. "With 5G around the corner (OnePlus will launch a 5G phone next year) and players like Apple pushing the price points higher, Chinese OEMs have a good chance of entering new price tiers in the premium segment to drive both increased revenue and profit," said Tarun Pathak.
OnePlus is gearing up to launch the OnePlus 6T in October. Like other OnePlus phones, this one too is expected to come with high-end components and top features. The OnePlus 6T is expected to sport a large 6.4-inch screen with a waterdrop notch, a better battery life, a fingerprint sensor that will be embedded under the display, and a new Oxygen OS based on Android 9 Pie. It will almost certainly be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 and will have up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.