Smartphones are a big part of our daily lives, helping us stay connected with friends, family, and work. We look at how some smartphone brands in the Philippines target different audiences, what features they highlight, and how they create phones for people with different needs.
Many people use smartphones in the Philippines for social media, online shopping, studying, and more. Because of this, different smartphone brands create models that are aimed at different types of users. Each brand tries to meet the needs and preferences of specific groups, based on what they want in a phone and how much they are willing to spend.
Newsflash: Not everything released by the brand is targeted to just one consumer group. They always offer different phones at different price points to provide consumers with options on what they would really want with a phone with their available budget. Here are some segments in the market that you should know about:
Affordable Phones for Budget-Conscious Buyers
The Philippines has a lot of people who are budget-conscious, meaning they want to spend their money carefully. Because of this, brands like Cherry, realme, Redmi, and Xiaomi have become popular in the country. These brands focus on providing smartphones with good features at a low price. Their target audience includes students, young professionals, and people who may not have a high income but still want a phone that works well for daily tasks.
For these users, the most important features are usually a long battery life, enough storage for photos and apps, and a decent camera for taking pictures and videos. These phones are often priced between PHP 5,000 to PHP 10,000, which makes them affordable for a wide range of people. Xiaomi’s Redmi series and realme’s C series are examples of smartphones that target this audience.
Transsion also thrived by offering bang-for-the-buck phones with good specs on paper from their iTel brand, which mainly marketed outside of Metro Manila. Note that they only have one store in NCR, and that is in SM Mall of Asia. The rest are at the rest of the country, which shows how good their strategy was.
Mid-Range Phones for Practical Users
There is another group of people in the Philippines who want a bit more from their smartphones but still do not want to spend too much money. These users are often young professionals or tech-savvy individuals who care about the performance of their phone but do not necessarily need the best or most expensive model.
For this audience, brands like vivo, OPPO, and Samsung offer mid-range smartphones. These phones usually have better processors, more RAM, and improved camera systems compared to budget models. Mid-range phones also have more stylish designs, catering to people who want their phone to look good as well as perform well.
The price range for mid-range smartphones is usually around PHP 10,000 to PHP 20,000. Phones like vivo’s Y series, OPPO’s A series, HONOR’s X series, and Samsung’s Galaxy A series are popular choices in this category. These smartphones target people who use their phones for more than just social media and messaging, such as gaming, photography, and light work tasks.
This is also where Infinix and TECNO thrived by offering phones with good hardware at unbelivably good price points, raising Transsion’s market share dominance and becoming a mobile powerhouse for multiple quarters now.
High-End Phones for Power Users
High-end smartphones are targeted at power users. These are people who use their phones for heavy tasks, such as gaming, video editing, and running multiple apps at once. They often look for phones with fast processors, large amounts of RAM, high-quality displays, and top-of-the-line camera systems.
Brands like Apple, Samsung, and Huawei focus on this audience. Their flagship phones, such as the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S series, and Huawei Mate series, offer the best features available on the market. These smartphones often have the latest technology, such as advanced camera systems with multiple lenses, high refresh-rate displays, and fast charging capabilities.
The price for high-end smartphones in the Philippines can go above PHP 40,000, which means that this category is often aimed at professionals, tech enthusiasts, and people who want to have the latest technology. These users are willing to spend more to get the best performance and features, knowing that their phone will last them for several years.
Rugged Phones for Outdoor and Active Users
Some people in the Philippines need smartphones that can withstand tough environments, such as construction workers, hikers, or people who enjoy outdoor sports. For these users, rugged phones are a good option. These smartphones are built to survive drops, water, dust, and extreme temperatures.
Brands like Doogee and Ulefone offer rugged smartphones that target this specific group. The Doogee S series is an example of a rugged phone designed for active users. These phones usually have larger batteries, stronger frames, and are often water-resistant and dust-proof.
Rugged smartphones are not as common as other types, but they serve a specific purpose for those who need a durable phone. Their prices can range from PHP 15,000 to PHP 25,000, depending on the features and specifications.
Phones for Camera Enthusiasts
Another growing audience in the Philippines is people who are passionate about photography and videography. These users want smartphones with advanced camera systems that allow them to take high-quality photos and videos. Social media influencers, vloggers, and photography enthusiasts often fall into this category.
Brands like Huawei, HONOR, vivo, and realme offer smartphones with excellent camera technology. Huawei Pura and Mate series are well-known for their camera performance, using features like artificial intelligence (AI) to improve photo quality and offer multiple shooting modes. Same goes with HONOR’s number series that recently focused on software portrait enhancements, and realme’s pursuit to push further hardware excellence by presenting a periscope lens in a mid-range phone.
There are also those who have partnered with famed camera brands to further add credibility to their camera tech. Leica is currently to Xiaomi (previously Huawei), as ZEISS is to vivo and Hasselblad is to OnePlus.
The price of these smartphones is often in the high-end category, but they attract users who prioritize camera quality over other features.
Entry-Level Smartphones for First-Time Users
There are also people in the Philippines who are getting their first smartphones. These can include older people who are not very familiar with technology or younger children who need a phone for school and basic communication.
For these users, entry-level smartphones are a good option. These phones are easy to use and usually offer just the basic features like calling, texting, and internet browsing. Brands like ZTE, vivo, and realme focus on providing affordable entry-level smartphones for this audience.
Entry-level smartphones are often priced below PHP 5,000, making them an affordable option for first-time users. These phones are not packed with the latest features, but they serve the purpose of introducing people to smartphones without overwhelming them with too many functions.
Why Phone Prices Are Rising This Year
Why are your phones surprisingly marketing higher prices this year? There are a lot of factors we can consider. One major reason is the global shortage of semiconductor chips, which are essential components in all smartphones. This shortage has increased production costs for manufacturers, leading to higher prices for consumers.
Another factor is inflation, which affects the cost of materials, shipping, and labor. As the cost of these essentials goes up, brands have to adjust their prices to cover expenses. Additionally, smartphones now come with more advanced technology, such as 5G connectivity and improved cameras, which also contributes to the higher prices.
Surprisingly, most of the price increases are justified. For example, the realme 13 Pro+ is a lot pricier because it uses the latest Sony camera module, custom-fit to add in a periscope zoom for telephoto zoom, which made it a good alternative for a phone you can use in concerts.
Others absorb the inflation costs and try to market the prices as low as they can. In the introduction of the TECNO Phantom V Flip, the price of a new phone is a lot cheaper than getting a replacement for the whole flip phone at a service center. Most brands do these kinds of pricing strategies to entice consumers to check their products, purchase them, and subsequently lock their brand loyalty to them further on.
The weakened value of the peso compared to the US dollar has also made imported phones more expensive. These combined factors have led to an overall increase in smartphone prices this year.
Different smartphone brands cater to various audiences based on their needs, lifestyle, and budget. From budget-conscious buyers to power users and photography enthusiasts, there is a smartphone for everyone. By understanding the different groups of users, brands are able to offer products that match their preferences and make smartphones accessible to a wider range of people in the country.
