Meizu, one of the leading smartphone manufacturers in China, is in negotiations with Vietnamese distributors to enter the country, introducing the M2 Note in July with a price tag of VND3.99 million ($183).

Meizu expects to sell the M2 Note and other products in the market online - a distribution channel that brought it success in China and other Asia markets, including India, Singapore, and Indonesia. According to insiders, however, Meizu may face challenges as Vietnamese consumers prefer to buy mobile phones via traditional channels such as stores, where they can directly experience the products before buying.

Chinese smartphone manufacturers including Huawei, Oppo, and Lenovo are already in Vietnam and picked up some attention from consumers over recent years as the country is considered to have potential.

A total of 28.7 million mobile phones were shipped to Vietnam in 2014, reflecting an annual growth rate of 13 per cent year-on-year, according to IDC’s Asia/Pacific Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker for the fourth quarter of 2014.

Smartphones enjoyed the highest growth, with total shipments of 11.6 million units, for year-on-year growth of 57 per cent. Smartphones also represented 41 per cent of all mobile phones shipped to Vietnam last year and are expected to eclipse feature phones this year.