VietNamNet Bridge – The unexpected decision by Nokia to cut the prices of its products has forced other big guys to follow the move. The smart phone has become more bustling than ever.

Shortly after Nokia on November 26 announced the sharp price decreases for its Lumia versions, Samsung, Oppo and HTC have quickly decided to lower the selling prices of their low-cost products.

Lumia 520 has seen the price dropping from VND3.5 million to VND2.9 million. As the price is uncontrollable, some shops even offer the products at VND2.6 million only to attract buyers.

The Nokia’s move has kept Samsung, another big guy on the market on the tenterhooks, which immediately announced the price decrease for its Galaxy Trend to VND3.19 million from VND3.62 million.

Oppo was the third manufacturer that has followed the same way, reducing Muse R821’s price from VND3.5 million to VND2.89 million. The representative from Oppo has affirmed that all the retailers have to sell the model at this price and not to dump the products.

However, the biggest surprise has been made by HTC. With the sharp price reduction from VND7.6 million to VND3.35 million, HTC’s 8S has been put among low-cost products instead of middle-class. The manufacturer’s brand showed the stiff competition in the smart phone market.

Vietnamese manufacturers still keep out of the price cut movement. However, their new products have been marketed at surprisingly low prices.

Mobiistar, for example, has caused a shock when launching Mobiistar Touch Bean 402M priced at VND1.8 million. The buyers would also get a free service package worth VND5,650,800, of which the 1-year MobiFone package (600 MB a month) alone is worth VND5.5 million.

Mobiistar has also reduced its Touch LAI 512 from VND2.99 million to VND2.69 million.

In the high-end market segment, Sony has cut the prices sharply by VND2 million fpr Sony Xperia Z and by VND4 million for Sony Z Ultra. Meanwhile, HTC has cut VND2.8 million for HTC One mini, and Blackberry cut VND3 million for Z10.

According to Mai Trieu Nguyen, Director of the Mai Nguyen mobile phone chain, it always happens that once a manufacturer slashes its prices, others would have to follow the move, or they would be dislodged from the market. After Nokia triggered the price reduction movement, Samsung and Oppo have to join the race, especially when Oppo has been making every effort to become a new power in the market.

Analysts have warned that as foreign manufacturers have slashed their selling prices sharply to make smart phones more popular and approachable to the majority of people, Vietnamese products would be refused in the domestic market.

However, General Director of Mobiistar Ngo Nguyen Kha said the brand would not suffer, because it has prepared to adapt to the new circumstances.

In related news, a report by GfK showed that Vietnam is one of the fastest growing smart phone markets in South East Asia, with the growth rate of 156 percent in the first 3 quarters of 2013 over the same period of 2012. The Vietnamese market is believed to have great potentials, with 70 percent of its people still using features phones.

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