Briefing: Little known Chinese smartphone brand dominates African market
China’s Transsion dominates African mobile phone market from FT (paywall):
“Solid design and low prices helped China’s Transsion Holdings overtake Samsung this year to become the number one smartphone company by sales in Africa, and now it is making inroads into India.”
What happened: Shenzhen-based smartphone maker Transsion is now number four in terms of units sold after Samsung, Apple, and Huawei, but its low cost means it ranks at 13 globally by sales value.
Why it’s important: Transsion’s success has come from its unusual route: Unlike its Chinese rivals, Transsion skipped the home market and adapted low-cost phones to local tastes. The little-known phone maker is also moving its manufacturing out of China, building a factory in India and an “industrial park” in Ethiopia. The phone in Africa has been compared to what Nokia was like in China a few years ago — many people favor it over other brands.