It has been a strong year for Realme, both in India and globally. A recent survey had claimed that Realme was the most trusted among smartphone brands. Now those words are backed by numbers. Realme was the fastest-growing 5G Android smartphone brand globally in Q3 2021, according to Counterpoint Research.
Realme outran the market with its 5G smartphone sales growing 831% YoY, while global 5G smartphone sales was at 121% YoY. This should make Realme happy even though it is not among the top-5 global smartphone brands.
Realme is actually at the 6th spot in global 5G Android smartphone sales, according to the report.
Other fast-growing 5G smartphone brands include Oppo and Vivo. Apple, of course, leads the 5G smartphone sales globally. It is followed by Samsung and Xiaomi.
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All Realme phones above Rs 15,000 to have 5G
There was no surprise in Realme growing the fastest. For, it has a strong multi-channel strategy and a wide 5G portfolio across price-bands. Realme Q3s, Realme GT Neo 2, Realme 8s 5G, Realme GT Master Edition, Realme Narzo 30 5G, Realme Q3 Pro carnival edition, Realme X7 Max, Realme V13 5G , Realme Q2i are some of its 5G offerings in India.
India was key to Realme's growth. China and Europe were also helpful to it. Realme 5G sales grew a whopping 9519% YoY, the most among all regions. Come to think of it, 5G is still to be deployed in India.
Counterpoint Research Director Tarun Pathak said, “5G as a tech has penetrated much faster than its predecessor. As 5G technology continues to evolve, we enter the next phase of growth supported by maturing and broadening device portfolios."
While 5G networks may not be available yet, industry watchers say 5G smartphones are in demand as consumers consider 5G among their top 3 priorities while purchasing smartphones.
Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth has been quoted as saying: "Given that 5G trials are scheduled for 2022, and spectrum auctions are likely to happen in H2 2022, we expect a higher demand for 5G devices in the upcoming year."
In the event, Realme is to equip all its smartphones above Rs 15,000 with 5G. "We are also working towards bringing this technology to the sub-Rs 10,000 segment," he added.
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