The Philippine smartphone market expanded by 6.1 percent year-on-year in 2024, reaching nearly 18 million units, according to the International Data Corporation’s (IDC) Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.
Despite challenges such as a weakening peso and extreme weather events, market growth was supported by steady economic conditions and vendors’ strategic focus on affordable entry-level models, it said.
China brand Transsion maintained its dominance, capturing 37.3 percent of the market, up from 34.1 percent in 2023.
Xiaomi posted the highest growth among top brands, increasing its share from 9.7 percent to 11 percent.
Vivo held steady at 11 percent, while realme and OPPO saw declines, dropping to 13.3 percent and 10.1 percent, respectively.
Affordability played a key role in the market’s resilience, with over half of all shipments in 2024 priced below $100.
Transsion, through its sub-brands Infinix, Tecno and Itel, shipped over 4.8 million units in this price segment, led by Infinix’s Smart series and Tecno’s Spark Go series.
As a result, the overall average selling price (ASP) dropped from $192 in 2023 to $179 in 2024.
Although the fourth quarter of 2024 saw an 11.8-percent annual decline due to early launches in the previous quarter, it remained the strongest period for smartphone shipments, reaching nearly 5 million units, driven by holiday demand.
