VietNamNet Bridge - Since the first iPhone 2G was launched on the market in 2007, nine iPhone generations with 12 models have been marketed. Many Vietnamese fans of iPhones have begun to be a bit bored with the phone.

 

 

Many Vietnamese fans of iPhones have begun to be a bit bored with the phone.

“Though rice is delicious and suited for Vietnamese, you will not be able to eat it every day. You sometimes need some noodle soup, vermicelli or even instant noodles,” said Vu Thanh Tan, an information technology engineer, who sold his iPhone 5S for VND5 million to buy a Samsung product.

Apple has taken moves to ‘pamper’ the South East Asian market by allowing FPT and The Gioi Di Dong to distribute iPhones.

“I have loved the iPhone for nine years, and that is enough,” Tan said. “I cannot use the same operating system forever.”

Nguyen Tat Dac, the owner of a mobile phone shop on Thai Ha street in Hanoi, noted that the Vietnamese ‘loyalty’ to iPhone has begun to‘ shake’.

Dac said that he has many loyal clients who never thought they would ever buy ‘something not an iPhone’. However, they have made unexpected decisions – buying a Samsung or Sony products instead.

iPhones are not a profitable business for many phone distributors. “The profit from iPhone distribution is the lowest. We can expect much higher profits from low-cost models, up to 30 percent,” Dac said.

The owner of a phone shop in Cau Giay district also said the number of iPhone buyers at his shop has dropped sharply. “Customers nowadays tend to choose something non-iPhone,” he said.

As the demand for iPhones has decreased and the iPhone sales cannot bring high profits, he is now focusing on selling low-cost models. “

We can earn more money from selling low-cost smartphone models to the workers in the industrial zones in Bac Ninh and Tu Son,” he said.

Some years ago, an iPhone was the best choice for medium- and high-income earners because of its outstanding features in taking pictures.

iPhones also offer good apps to edit photos which can be immediately posted on social networks such as Flickr and Facebook.  

However, these features are no longer ‘outstanding”. 

“LG G4 and Galaxy Note 5 can be even better in depth of field. They are more helpful to those who want to take pictures in low-light conditions,” Tan said.

However, though the interest in iPhones has decreased, distributors said iPhones will still be in high demand, especially because Apple has taken moves to ‘pamper’ the South East Asian market by allowing FPT and The Gioi Di Dong to distribute iPhones.

Apple has also shown interest in Vietnam by using images of HCM City and historic Duong Lam village in its ads for iPad Air and iPad Air 2.

 

Buu Dien