With no chip semiconductor industry and a weak competitiveness in the international market, Vietnam’s smartphone brands have not been successful.

Retailers have begun taking orders for iPhone 14 and some versions have sold out. iPhone 14 Pro Max is the most popular model.

Vietnamese are willing to spend VND50 million to own an iPhone.

Worrying about the escalation of trade tensions between the US and China as well as China’s Covid-19 lockdown, Google may move its smartphone orders to partner factories in Vietnam in the near future.

Along with the trend of upgrading phones to be compatible with 4G/5G networks, the local smartphone market in 2022 is forecast to double sales in 2021. Last year smartphone sales in Vietnam grew by nearly 12%.

The segment for smartphones priced at about VND10 million ($480) in Vietnam is hotter than ever with many new models launched this month.

iPhone sales in Vietnam exploded in 2021, although Apple ranked 5th in terms of market share.

The Gioi Di Dong (Mobile World) has revealed the opening of a new chain named TopZone, with many indications that it will be their second retail chain abroad.

Vsmart phones now account for 16.7 percent of the Vietnamese smartphone market just 15 months since they were launched by VinSmart, a subsidiary of conglomerate VinGroup.

The competition among technology goods distributors has become cutthroat in the lucrative mobile phone market segment, which makes up 40 percent of the technology goods market worth $7 billion. 

 Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Friday said it expects to take a hit to its operating profit of about $3 billion over the next two quarters due to the discontinuation of its fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 smartphone.

VietNamNet Bridge - Experts have voiced their concern about Chinese phone products in the domestic market, warning that there are latent risks about information insecurity.

VietNamNet Bridge - BKAV (Bach Khoa Anti-virus Center) attracted people’s attention launching BPhone with shocking statements and an impressive debut ceremony. 

 Asian stocks are mostly trading lower after the US dollar recouped its losses following the Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday.

 Blackberry has launched a distinctive handset featuring a square screen and a keyboard that offers both physical keys and touch-enabled gesture controls.

Vietnamese technology groups have not given up on a plan to make Vietnamese-brand smartphones, and have announced plans to make phones not only for the low-end market segment.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Budget smartphone sales have risen significantly in the domestic market following the narrowing price gap between mobile phones and smartphones.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam ranked second among the fastest growing markets for smartphones in the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, owing to the popularity of 3G (third – generation network) and budget smartphones.

Price cuts on smartphones have hurt some distributors as potential buyers have canceled purchase plans for fear that prices will drop even further.