Smartphones (Russian market)

Chargers (Russian market)

• Chargers (Russian market)

Smartphones (EMEA Market)

Smartphones (EMEA Market)

2023

16x growth in smartphone shipments from India to $97.3 million

In 2023, smartphones worth $97.3 million were delivered to Russia from India, which is 16 times more than a year earlier, when the volume of imports was measured at $6.1 million. This is evidenced by the data of the Ministry of Trade and Industry of India, which were released at the end of February 2024.

According to RIA Novosti, citing materials from the department, the largest deliveries of smartphones from India to the Russian Federation in 2023 fell on November - $27.29 million. At the same time, in March and July there was no import of such equipment at all.

Smartphones worth $97.3 million were delivered to Russia from India

According to EvApps project manager Rodion Trufanov, major smartphone manufacturers have factories around the world, including in India.

Xiaomi Samsung,,, Google Apple they produce smartphones there both for the domestic market and for the whole world. In our opinion, this is just one of the flows of supplies from the above firms to our country. Smartphones from Indian manufacturers (for example) Micromax have characteristics at the level of 2014, and cannot compete with modern models, so they are unlikely to carry them, "he said in a conversation with the agency.

Mobile Research Group analyst Eldar Murtazin agrees that major brands like Xiaomi or Apple account for the main shipments of smartphones from India to Russia, not products from Indian manufacturers. According to the expert, phones are imported by parallel import, and everything that is in demand is supplied.

New Indian brands, they are in India, but they, as a rule, do not have localization, and prices are unprofitable different from the Chinese... Xiaomi is being transported a lot from the Indian market, since there is a factory there, it makes prices lower for India than can be obtained in China. Due to this, they are in demand. And this, as a rule, is not even a parallel import, but "sulfur carriers" often. Although there are also parallel imports, of course, Murtazin added.[1]

Smartphones of Chinese brands accounted for 79% of imports to the Russian Federation

Devices of Chinese brands accounted for 79% of imports smartphones Russia in 2023, which is 4 percentage points (pp) more than a year earlier, and 29 pp more than the share in 2021. This is evidenced by the data of the analytical company, GS Group published on February 20, 2024.

As Vedomosti writes with reference to this study, in 2023 a total of 29.5 million smartphones were delivered to the Russian Federation, which is 13% more than a year ago. A significant increase in imports occurred against the background of the "low base of 2022," experts explain.

Devices of Chinese brands accounted for 79% of smartphone imports to Russia at the end of 2023

According to their estimates, the share of Xiaomi products in the total volume of smartphones imported to the Russian market in 2023 amounted to about 30%, which corresponds to 9.1 million phones. Next are the devices of the Chinese brand Tecno (4.5 million units, 13.8% of imports). In third place in 2023 was the South Korean manufacturer Samsung, whose smartphone shipments to the Russian Federation in 2023 decreased by 11%, to 3.3 million units.

The fourth position is occupied by the Chinese brand Infinix, which accounted for 9.6% of smartphone imports to Russia at the end of 2023. It is noted that the supply of Infinix tubes increased almost three times year-on-year, Tecno - 1.6 times. According to CS Group estimates, the most popular smartphone models in Russia in 2023 were Tecno Spark 10C and 10 Pro; Infinix Note 30, Note 30i и Hot 30i.

Apple closes the top five in importing smartphones to Russia (2.5 million iPhones were delivered to the Russian Federation in 2023), the share of which has fallen 1.8 times since 2021 - from 14.3 to 7.8% in 2023.

According to M.Video-Eldorado, in 2023 the share of Chinese manufacturers reached its historic maximum in the Russian market - more than 75% in quantitative terms and about 50% in monetary terms. According to representatives of Ozon and Wildberries, the share of Chinese smartphones has grown and amounted to about 80% in unit terms.^[2]

Apple smartphones for the first time did not enter the top five best-selling in Russia

Apple smartphones for the first time did not enter the top five best-selling in Russia at the end of 2023. At the same time, the iPhone became the leader in the global market. This was reported on January 17, 2024 by RIA Novosti, citing a market source.

According to him, the three most popular brands on the market smartphones (in terms of sales in physical terms in official channels) in Russia at the end of 2023 included, and Xiaomi. Tecno In realme fourth place is located, Samsung while in 2022 it occupied the third line.

Apple has slipped from fourth to sixth place in terms of quantitative sales of smartphones in the Russian Federation. The combined share of Apple and Samsung in 2023 was 20% against 30% in 2022. At the same time, the companies remained the leaders in terms of revenue from the sale of phones with a share of 50% at the end of 2023 (in 2022 - 55%).

The press service of MegaFon told RIA Novosti that in 2023 in the salons of the united retail network, Samsung brand smartphones accounted for 12% of sales in physical terms, and Apple smartphones - 8%. At the same time, in 2022, Samsung had a sales share of 24%, and Apple - 10%.

The largest Marketplaces also record a drop in demand for Korean and American smartphones while the popularity of Chinese mobile phones is growing. According to the results of 2023, the top 5 brands in Wildberries look like this: Infinix, Tecno, Xiaomi, Samsung and Apple. As representatives of the trading platform told the publication, sales from Tecno and Infinix grew most actively.

Ozon The stats are very similar, with the top 3 being Xiaomi, Tecno and Infinix, at number four on Realme, while Samsung was in fifth place. Here the changes are very significant, because at the end of 2022 Samsung was in second place, and Apple, which is now not in statistics at all, was in fifth place.^[3]

The share of Chinese brands in the Russian smartphone market for the first time exceeded 75%

The share of Chinese brands in the Russian smartphone market in 2023 for the first time exceeded 75% in quantitative terms, and in money the figure was about 50%. Such data in January 2024 were cited by analysts at M.Video-Eldorado.

We are talking about sales of devices not only in the M.Video-Eldorado network, but also in other places of sale combined. According to the retailer, Xiaomi became the largest manufacturer of smartphones (in physical terms) on the Russian market in 2023. Next are the Tecno and Realme brands. Next on the list are Samsung, Infinix and Apple.

In monetary terms, Apple continued to lead. Xiaomi, Samsung, Tecno and Realme were also in the top five in this indicator. In unit sales, the share of devices worth up to 15 thousand rubles increased to 60%, in monetary terms these gadgets accounted for about 25%.

According to a study by M.Video-Eldorado, smartphones worth more than 50 thousand rubles were in the lead in monetary terms in 2023, their share remained at 40%. In quantitative terms, they occupied 10% of the market.

The retailer called 2023 the recovery of the Russian smartphone market after a turbulent 2022. The positive dynamics was influenced by pent-up demand, the expansion of the presence of Chinese manufacturers, the emergence of new products and the preservation of the assortment of departed brands through import operations.

We also see the demand for various industrial mechanics and credit products. Smartphones from the initial and middle price segments were in high demand in the past [2023], while interest in more expensive, functional and status devices, where the representation of foldable smartphones is expanding, "said Sergey Uvarov, head of the Telecom department at M.Video-Eldorado.[4]

30.7 million devices sold for a total of 681 billion rubles

PAO MTS analyzed the Russian market. smartphones At the end of 2023 Russia , 30.7 million devices were sold in the total amount of 681 billion. rubles Sales results on the Russian market became the second in terms of revenue and number of sales over the smartphones past five years. MTS announced this on December 29, 2023.

According to MTS analysts, the main factor that influenced the high sales results was pent-up demand. So, in the past two years, buyers have tried to postpone the purchase of smartphones due to the emergence of new economic factors. In turn, retailers were able not only to rebuild supply chains, but also to ensure continuous marketing activity. Another reason is the rapid expansion of offers in various price segments by Chinese manufacturers, which are actively replacing brands from other countries.

Starting from 2019, higher sales rates than in 2023 were recorded in 2020 in units (30.8 million smartphones) and in 2021 in money (728 billion rubles).

In 2023, compared to 2022, smartphone sales increased by 26% in pieces and by 22% in money. The average price of smartphones decreased by 3% due to high growth in the segment to 10 thousand rubles - over the year it increased 1.5 times. As of December 2023, it accounts for 37% of sales in pieces. Analysts also recorded a 50% increase in sales in the segment of 30-40 thousand (5% of the market) and in the segment more expensive than 80 thousand rubles (5% of the market).

Chinese brands continue to strengthen their position. At the end of 2023, their share in pieces and in money amounted to 81% and 50%, respectively, which is 10% and 5% more than a year ago. Infinix and TECNO posted the highest gains in both pieces and money. For example, sales of the Infinix brand grew 4 times in units, which allowed it to enter the top 5 popular brands by the end of the year. In money, brand sales increased 4.5 times. Sales of TECNO increased 2.2 and 2.4 times - over the year the brand climbed to the second position in sales in pieces.

Among the most popular models in pieces, Redmi (Xiaomi) is in the lead in 2023 - this brand accounts for seven devices in the top 10. In money, Apple became the most popular brand with a similar indicator in the top 10.

Chinese brands for the first time occupied the entire top 3 best-selling smartphones in Russia

At the end of 2023, Chinese brands for the first time occupied the entire top 3 best-selling smartphones in Russia. This is evidenced by the data released at the end of December 2023 by MegaFon, M.Video-Eldorado, Wildberries, Ozon, as well as IT holding Fplus.

According to Vedomosti, citing materials from retailers, Samsung, which once ranked first in smartphone sales in the Russian Federation, dropped out of the top three, and Apple does not even fall into the top five.

In the retail chain MegaFon"" in the top 3 leaders in unit sales of smartphones in Russia at the end of 2023, Chinese Realme (20%), (Honor 19.4%) and (Xiaomi 19%) entered. Chinese Tecno ranked fourth (17%). The most popular smartphone brands on Wildberries were Infinix Tecno, Xiaomi, Samsung and Apple. A representative of the marketplace in a conversation with the newspaper noted that the Infinix and Tecno brands increased their share the most significantly.

It follows from Fplus statistics that Redmi (23.3%), Tecno (13.7%), Samsung (11.3%), Realme (11.2%) and Infinix (9.5%) led in unit sales in 2023. In 2022, Samsung occupied the third position, Apple - the fourth. According to Ozon, the top five for 2023 is as follows: Xiaomi, Tecno, Infinix, Realme and Samsung. On Yandex. The market "leaders were Xiaomi, Realme, Apple, Samsung and Tecno. The most powerful dynamics of Itel and Infinix in 2023 was noted by Oleg Fomenko, director of the unified procurement department of Merlion and Citylinka - brands increased sales by 100% and 77%, respectively.

The most popular smartphone in the MegaFon retail network in 2023 was the Honor X6 (64 GB). He also headed the top in the price category up to 20,000 rubles. In the range of 20-50 thousand rubles, the Infinix Note 30 Pro is in the lead, and among smartphones more expensive than 50,000 rubles - the iPhone 13.^[5]

The cost of smartphones imported into Russia increased by 32%

According to the results of the first half of 2023 Russia smartphone , the average cost of imported into increased by 32% compared to the same period in 2022. Analysts GS Group cited such data in mid-August 2023.

According to Forbes, citing a GS Group study, smartphones are becoming more expensive not only due to the weakening of the Russian ruble. Importers are also switching to more expensive devices amid declining competition in the upper price segments. Chinese brands continue to conquer the middle segment.

Average prices are growing for almost all brands, according to the GS Group: for example, new models Apple are always more expensive than previous ones, and the American brand accounts for 34% of all deliveries in monetary terms. Logistics Samsung directed towards expensive models, since it is more profitable to import premium phones using parallel imports. Huawei aims for the most part at the upper price segment (from 30,000 rubles), and Chinese budget brands (, and) Realme Xiaomi Infinix leave the inexpensive segment at different speeds, striving for the middle (from 10,000 to 30,000 rubles).

In the first six months of 2023, smartphones totaling 312 billion rubles were imported into the Russian Federation, which is 42% more than in the first half of 2022. This dynamics is explained by the effect of a low base - in the first half of last year, the market turnover decreased by more than a third.

The leaders in sales in monetary terms in January-June 2023 were Apple (34% of revenue), Xiaomi (19%) and Samsung (16%). Nevertheless, their total share has decreased from more than 80% in past years to 59% at present.

In quantitative terms, supplies to the Russian Federation in the first half of the year are estimated at 12.4 million devices, which is 26% more than last year. The import leader is Xiaomi (27.9%), followed by Samsung (12.7%), Realme (12.1%), Tecno (10.4%) and Apple (9.2%).^[6]

You can get acquainted with the full version of the report of the analytical center GS Group on the results of imports into Russian mobile phones for 6 months of 2023 here.

Marketplaces in Russia for the first time overtook cellular operators in sales of smartphones

Marketplaces for the Russia first time overtook cellular operators in sales - smartphones this happened in the first half of 2023, when Internet sites accounted for 25% of phone sales against 5% in 2019. This was announced on August 10, 2023 by the publication RBC , citing a source who has the data of an analytical company at his disposal. GFK

According to the interlocutor, operators dropped to third place in terms of sales share, including online - it decreased from 25% to 20%. Federal networks, including M.Video-Eldorado, DNS and RBT, have increased their sales share by 10 percentage points to 45% since 2019. Specialized and single-brand networks such as Store and Svyaznoy have lost ground.

Among the reasons for the growth in the share of sales of online retailers, market participants named a variety of assortments, including in the low price segment, an increase in presence in the regions, a developed delivery system, competitive prices and digitalization of consumer behavior.

The growth of the share of marketplaces in the segment was confirmed by MTS, Yandex Market and Wildberries. Wildberries noted that in the first half of 2023, smartphone sales grew by almost 260% on an annualized basis.

According to IQ Technology, the share of counterfeits of smartphones from international manufacturers on Russian marketplaces amounted to 31% of offers, laptops - 30%, smartwatches - 63%. At the same time, by the end of 2022, prices for fakes were equal to the cost of original products.

A RBC source in one mobile operator noted that cellular companies are not chasing a share in smartphone sales, "do not buy it, but advocate organic effective sales supported by the service, since in the absence of warranty service support programs from device manufacturers today, operators take on these tasks on the market."^[7]

In Russia, demand for expensive smartphones fell due to fears of hacking. They are more often hacked

In January-June 2023, sales smartphones worth 18 thousand Russia rubles decreased by 22% compared to the same period in 2022, calculated in. MTS The decline was due to the weakening demand for devices and, Apple Samsung which, as they write on August 9, 2023, "" with News reference to market participants, is partly due to the fear of users about hacking devices. It is expensive gadgets that are hacked more often.

According to the publication, Russians began to avoid expensive smartphones from well-known brands due to concern about the possible leakage of personal information and potential device locks. Demand for such models decreased by more than 20%.

Earlier in 2023, the FSB, which warned about the infection of Apple smartphones with malicious software that allows you to monitor Russians. Against this background, employees of a number of Russian enterprises and departments were banned from using the iPhone for official purposes. According to experts interviewed by the publication, such messages caused a wary attitude towards technology from "unfriendly" countries. Also, the fear of users is caused by the possibility of blocking and disabling these devices in Russia.

Roskomnadzor assures that manufacturers of foreign software collect, store and process personal data and telemetry of devices. By August 9, 2023, the Russian Federation is developing its own mobile platforms and cloud ecosystems to replace foreign solutions, the department said. The service believes that, first of all, it is necessary to ensure the security of mobile devices for executive authorities, state corporations and companies, significant subjects of critical information infrastructure.

The demand for smartphones in Russia has shifted towards budget models, as a result of which, according to M.Video-Eldorado, the average check for the purchase of devices in the Russian Federation in the first half of 2023 decreased by 16% on an annualized basis - up to 21 thousand rubles.^[8]

The share of smartphones of Chinese brands in the Russian market exceeded 70%

The group M of Video El Dorado assessed the development of Russian the market for smartphones the six months of 2023 and shared the results on July 4, 2023. A moderate recovery in consumer activity contributed to an increase in unit sales of smartphones to almost 13 million units, which is 17% more than in January-June 2022. The average price decreased by 16%, to about 21 thousand. rubles Only in April-June, demand to the country in quantitative terms exceeded the indicators of the same period in 2022 by almost 40%.

{{quote 'author = said Sergey Uvarov, Head of Telecom Department at M.Video-Eldorado Group. | According to the results of the first half of the year, we see restrained consumer optimism in the smartphone category, which confirms the growth of unit sales. Russians continue to be actively interested in pre-orders, try new brands for themselves or remain within the usual ecosystems, partially approach purchases more pragmatic, pay attention to the value for money in the device or special offers. At the same time, smartphones from the upper price segments remain relevant, where we maintain a habitually high level of choice. For example, we offer non-standard devices like Nothing Phone and are actively expanding the assortment in the form factor of foldable models, in particular, the Huawei Mate X3 became the undisputed leader among such devices in the first week of launch. In total, more than 2,000 smartphone names are represented on our networks. Regular replenishment of effluents, the development of relations with producers and well-functioning import operations, as well as favorable industrial proposals and variability in credit products allow us to cover the needs of buyers as much as possible and demonstrate steady growth,}}

The share of Chinese manufacturers in unit sales of smartphones in the Russian market exceeded 70%, a year earlier it was about 55%. Brands from the PRC systematically continue to strengthen their presence, expand their assortment for various requests, especially in the demanded base and middle segments, enter new niches, while Russians are growing in recognition and confidence in such brands that offer competitive, reliable and technological devices at a reasonable price. Brands from China in the first six months of 2023 took 8 out of 10 positions in the ranking of leaders in the Russian market in unit sales.

In the country as a whole, Xiaomi continues to hold the championship among brands, realme has strengthened in second position, Samsung is in third place, Apple is in fourth, and the Tecno brand closes the top five, showing the highest sales growth rates by last year.

The largest share in money is occupied by flagship smartphones, folding models outgrow the status of niche devices. According to M.Video-Eldorado, in January-June 2023, in monetary terms, sales of all smartphones on the Russian market amounted to about 275 billion rubles. About 40% of this volume is occupied by devices at a price of over 50,000 rubles, which is comparable to last year.

In pieces, flagship smartphones account for more than every tenth device sold in the country. The share of Chinese manufacturers in this segment in the first half of the year increased fourfold to 8%, which is facilitated by the expansion of the assortment and the emergence of new products, a partial reorientation of demand for solutions from manufacturers from China offering technological and stylish devices at a reasonable price, as well as an increase in interest in alternative OS Android operating systems and stores, applications for example, from App Gallery. Huawei

Folding smartphones are developing in the upper price segment, according to the results of the first half of the year, the demand for them only in M.Video-Eldorado increased 2.3 times compared to 2022, and the average check decreased by a quarter. The development of the assortment contributes to a positive trend: in the second quarter, sales of a number of models from Chinese manufacturers started, positively received by buyers, as well as the emergence of high-tech solutions from the brands Tecno, Oppo, etc. Manufacturers offer devices with two options for folding mechanisms that allow you to expand the screen area for content consumption and work, give a new user experience and multitasking, and also act as an image device for those who are interested in originality or are interested in new technologies. The cost of foldable smartphones in M.Video-Eldorado currently starts at 64,999 rubles.

Demand for flagship smartphones Apple and Samsung fell to 2013 levels

Sales of flagship smartphones Apple Samsung Russia and in fell to the level of 2013. This was reported in "" at the M of Video El Dorado end of June 2023.

According to the retailer, Apple and Samsung devices account for 25% of the A-brand segment in pieces and 50% in money, while in 2021 their share was about 70%.

Flagships from Apple and Samsung were replaced by Chinese manufacturers, whose market share is growing rapidly. According to Tagir Kalimullin, vice president of M.Video-Eldorado, by mid-2023 it is "just over 70%" in pieces.

According to the editor-in-chief of the Ferra.ru portal Yevgeny Kharitonov, the reason for the decrease in demand for Apple smartphones was the shutdown of a number of functions due to sanctions from Western countries, and the drop in interest in Samsung was due to the loss of competitiveness of new products in conditions of parallel imports.

Notes the reduction in the share of Apple and Samsung and the representative of F+ techMarvell"-." "If we single out only Apple and Samsung, then their total share in the Russian market in value terms in 2022 decreased significantly - to 54%," said a company representative.

The demand for Samsung and Apple is fundamentally different: Samsung as the leader of the Russian market worked in all segments, so after the cessation of deliveries at the lowest positions, the brand began to quickly replace Chinese competitors Xiaomi, Realme, Honor and even Tecno.

Samsung and Apple devices come to Russia through "gray" channels, people independently import them from abroad and resell them on online ad services, said Mikhail Burmistrov, CEO of Infoline Analytics. According to him, this leads to the redistribution of sales of A-brand devices from retail to unofficial channels, and therefore their real market share is higher than that of retailers or marketplaces.^[9]

Apple's share of the Russian smartphone market has collapsed to a minimum in many years

The share Apple in the Russian market smartphones collapsed to a minimum in many years - up to 10.4% in units in the first quarter of 2023 against 14.4% a year earlier. This was announced at the end of May 2023 by a business analyst of the Group of Companies "-" F+ techMarvell Arthur Makhlayuk.

According to him, in January-March 2023, 677 thousand iPhones were sold in the Russian Federation against 951 thousand units for the same period in 2022. At the same time, the segment of Android devices during the same time increased from 5.65 million to 5.83 million units, and its share - from 85.6% to 89.6%. In monetary terms, the share of Apple phones in the Russian market decreased from 39.9% to 36.5% in the total market volume, and the share of Android smartphones increased from 60.1% to 63.5%.

According to Makhlayuk, the decline in Apple's performance in the Russian Federation is associated with a decrease in the volume of parallel imports of American equipment and with the emergence of new models from competing brands. The analyst said that the shutdown of a number of Apple services in the Russian Federation also left its imprint - audience loyalty in this regard is falling.

In the first quarter of 2023, the Citilink share of Android smartphones sold in units increased from 85% to 91%, and the share iPhone simultaneously decreased from 15% to 9% - in the retail network the trend was explained by the more modest price of Android devices. A similar picture for the same period was told in the combined network "" and MegaFon: Yota sales growth of Android smartphones from 84% to 93% and a simultaneous drop in the iPhone from 16% to 7%. Ozon The department noted an absolute increase in sales of both Android smartphones and the fall of the iPhone: the former showed threefold growth with a share of 92%, and the latter - a twofold drop and 6.5%.

In the GC "F + tech|Marvell" the leaders of sales in unit terms in the first three months of 2023 were smartphones Redmi Chinese (20.9%) Realme and (14.1%), as well as Samsung (13.4%).^[10]

In Russia, the share of domestic smartphones for the year decreased from 2% to 0.1%

In mid-May 2023, GS Group analysts released a study on the supply of smartphones to the Russian Federation. According to the results of the first quarter of 2023, devices of Russian brands accounted for 0.1% of the market against 2% a year earlier. At the same time, in the segment of push-button tubes, the share of domestic products, on the contrary, increased during this time - from 60% to 75%.

According to Kommersant, citing data from the GS Group, despite the sharp intensification of the general exchange rate for import substitution after the start of a military special operation in Ukraine, the decline in the share of domestic brands in the smartphone market began back in 2022. The head of the GS Group analytical center, Alexander Surkov, named among the reasons for this change the competition lost in all segments to Chinese vendors, the rise in logistics costs and difficulties with licensing Google services for installation on Russian smartphones due to US sanctions. According to the expert, the only opportunity for Russian smartphone brands to return market share is to ensure the localization of production in the country under state orders, Surkov said.

Now Russian smartphones are produced in China, and thanks to localization, vendors will be able to apply for participation in public procurement, which may be interesting against the background of the authorities' course on import substitution and strengthening data security, he added.

According to the source of the publication, by May 2023, Russian brands are supplied using parallel imports, but there are no new models of smartphones Dexp, F +, Digma and others in stores - retailers are selling inventory.

The largest share in monetary terms among smartphones in the Russian Federation is occupied by the segment of flagship devices (more expensive than 50 thousand rubles), they account for 40% of sales, according to M.Video-Eldorado (data are given in an article by Kommersant dated May 17, 2023).

MTS They said that in the first quarter of 2023, half as many Russian smartphones were sold than in the same period of 2022. The catalog "" Citilink presents only two domestic brands of smartphones - BQ and. Inoi^[11]

Demand for smartphones among Russians returned to the level of early 2022

In the first quarter of 2023, more than 6.5 million smartphones were sold in Russia, which approximately corresponds to the volume of the same period in 2022. This was announced on April 17, 2023 by analysts at M.Video-Eldorado.

According to them, in January-March 2023, when buying a smartphone, the average check in Russia turned out to be about 22 thousand rubles, which is 23% less than a year ago. The total volume of the Russian smartphone market in monetary terms amounted to about 145 billion rubles.

From the base price segment to 5 thousand rubles, demand was redistributed towards smartphones from 5 to 20 thousand rubles, the share of which for the year in monetary terms increased from 25 to 35%. Sales of flagship models over 50,000 rubles remain stable, they occupy about 40% of the market volume. Comparable results were also demonstrated by models with price tags from 30 to 50 thousand rubles, while the share of devices worth 20-30 thousand rubles decreased, the study says.

Demand for brands from China in quantitative terms increased by 42% relative to last year, and their combined share turned out to be more than 70%. The increase in interest in Chinese manufacturers is facilitated by the variety in the assortment for the requests of various audiences, the emergence of new products, the wide availability of devices, the growth of trust and recognition of new brands. The most popular manufacturer of the first quarter of this year in Russia in unit sales was Xiaomi (No. 2 in 2022), realme rose to the second position (No. 4 a year earlier), Samsung became the third, Apple became the fourth (the first and third positions last year, respectively). Tecno closed the top 5 and became the most actively growing brand among the leaders.

The top five most popular companies accounted for about three quarters of smartphones sold, a year earlier this share was more than 80%. At the same time, density has increased, brands from the second to the fifth position took in the range from 11% to 15% of the Russian market in physical terms.^[12]

2022

The average price of a smartphone in Russia decreased by 20% to 19,200 rubles

The average cost of a smartphone on the Russian market in 2022 amounted to 19,200 rubles, which is 20% less than a year earlier, when the price was about 23,300 rubles. This is evidenced by data from analysts at GS Group, which were published in early March 2023.

The information that smartphones in Russia are getting cheaper on average is confirmed by Wildberries. According to the retailer's estimates, the average check in 2022 amounted to 15,000 rubles. But this dynamics did not affect the cost of flagship devices: a sharp reduction in the assortment of expensive models of the brands Apple and Samsung that left Russia led to a drop in prices in retail chains, experts interviewed by Vedomosti indicate.

According to Mikhail Burmistrov, General Director of the Infoline-Analytics agency, the decline in prices is also due to the strengthening of the Russian exchange rate. In the ruble combined company M.Video - Eldorado"," as well as in, Tele2"" and Megaphone MTS confirmed the information about the fall of the average check. The companies also noted that the share of Chinese devices increased over the year from 50 to 65% and the rating of the most popular brands smartphones in 2022 was headed by,, Xiaomi Realme Samsung, Apple and. The share Tecno of Apple and Samsung in the Russian market decreased in 2022 to a minimum level.

Anton Fomin, a business analyst at F + tech-Marvel Group of Companies, in a conversation with the newspaper, called the reason for the cheapening the general drop in Russian spending on optional spending and the choice in favor of more budgetary device models. Experts interviewed by the publication predict that in 2023 the average price is likely to rise - according to various estimates, within 21-23 thousand rubles. In parallel, sales of devices will also increase - 26 million smartphones will be sold in 2023^[13]

iPhone imports from India to Russia doubled, to 165 thousand devices

Parallel import of iPhones from India to Russia in 2022 reached 165 thousand devices. This is double the volume of shipments of Apple phones in 2021. This is evidenced by the data of the GS Group.

The twofold growth of Indian iPhone supply traffic to Vedomosti was confirmed by Anton Fomin, a business analyst at F + tech-Marvel Group of Companies. But the lion's share of gadgets are still imported from China. According to the newspaper, the parallel import of iPhones into Russia in 2022 by 15% consisted of devices imported from India. In 2021, India's share in the supply of Apple products to Russia was only 2.2%.

The increase in iPhone imports from India to the GS Group is explained by geopolitical reasons, in particular, the gradual transfer of gadget production from China to India at the request of the US government, was also affected by long-term lockdowns in China. The newspaper notes that in parallel imports from May to December, three times fewer Apple smartphones were delivered to the country than through official channels. The company clarifies that iPhone imports fell from 3.2 to 1.1 million units. Shipments of Samsung smartphones have decreased more, and imports of Huawei devices, on the contrary, have grown fivefold.

On December 8, 2022, the Kommersant newspaper, referring to data from retailers, wrote that thanks to parallel imports, iPhones remain the leaders of the Russian smartphone market in monetary terms.

The general director of Infoline Analytics, Mikhail Burmistrov, in a conversation with the publication, noted that the purchase of devices imported into the country for parallel imports is fraught with a number of risks, for example, the lack of guarantees, which in turn significantly increases the cost of equipment. In addition, there are risks associated with country characteristics, which can worsen or completely exclude the operation of devices in Russia, the expert warned.^[14]

Imports of Chinese smartphones in Russia in money decreased by 24%

Imports of Chinese smartphones in Russia in money by the end of 2022 decreased by 24%, according to data from the PRC customs, which are cited in the American non-profit organization Silverado Policy Accelerator. The report does not specify the revenue from the supply of devices, but gives only an indicator in physical terms - in 2022, Chinese suppliers exported about 21.2 million smartphones to the Russian Federation.

As Silverado writes RBC with reference to the study, the reduction in the supply of phones in monetary terms is associated with "cheaper Chinese brands that replaced the brands of firms with headquarters in the sanctions countries." Rosstat smartphones According to the data, Russia fell in price by 8% in 2022.

Smartphones manufactured by Apple or Samsung were delivered to Russia by third-party firms in 2022. According to Silverado, such gadgets are first imported from Asia (sometimes through Europe or Hong Kong) to countries such as Armenia or Kazakhstan, and from there can be transported to Russia.

The authors of the report draw attention to the jump in the import of telephones, including mobile phones and smartphones, to Armenia (up to $81 million in August 2022 and the same in September compared to $82.5 million for all of 2021) and a jump in exports of the same commodity category from Armenia to Russia - up to $49 million and $78 million in August and September (compared to $0.2 million for the whole of 2021).

As for washing machines and refrigerators, domestic production (including localized production of foreign companies) in 2021 provided 75% and about 50% of Russian needs, respectively, estimated in Silverado. The main sources of imports were China, the European Union and Belarus. By the beginning of autumn 2022, Russia for the most part replaced the departed suppliers through imports from China, Turkey, Serbia, Uzbekistan, the authors say. At the same time, unlike smartphones, consumer prices for this household appliances increased significantly: for refrigerators - by 19.6%, washing machines - by 28.8% (December 2022 to December 2021), follows from the data of Rosstat.^[15]

Russian smartphone market fell for the first time in 7 years

In 2022, sales smartphones Russia in smartphones amounted to 24 million units, which is 20% less than a year earlier. Such data at the end of December 2022 led analysts "."M of Video El Dorado

According to Izvestia, the Russian smartphone market fell for the first time in seven years. The 20% decline in device sales was confirmed by analysts at Mobile Research Group: they estimated the market volume at 26.5 million units at the end of 2022 against 32.5 million in 2021.

MTS pointed to a decrease in smartphone sales by 19% in pieces and by 22% in money. In turn, Sales Director of Megafon David Borzilov noted that Chinese brands have strengthened their positions in the Russian market. He assumes that sales of smartphones from the PRC will grow next year.

It is noted that the share of Samsung and Apple in the Russian smartphone market collapsed by a third, the position of manufacturers from China increased by the same amount (from 50 to 65%). It was the expansion of players from the PRC and their competition with each other that prevented an even more serious market collapse, experts are sure.

In the ranking of the most popular brands among Russians in pieces, the first in 2022 was, Xiaomi which occupied the second line a year earlier. From the fourth to the second position rose, Realme increasing the share almost 2.5 times. The third was Samsung, which led in previous years. In fourth place is Apple. The brand was on the fifth line for the first time. In Tecno total, the brands of the Transsion holding (Tecno, and) Infinix Itel accounted for at least every tenth device sold in Russia.

In general, manufacturers from China were able to significantly strengthen their positions in the context of the limited presence of a number of popular brands, a difficult situation with logistics and reorienting demand after investment purchasing activity in the first quarter towards devices of the starting and average level up to 30 thousand rubles. In favor of Chinese brands, in addition to value for money with wide technical capabilities, variability in the assortment for different needs and design, also speaks the presence of Android OS with various application stores and the development of ecosystems from digital accessories.

According to M.Video-Eldorado, the average check for the purchase of smartphones in 2022 decreased in Russia by 5% to 22.5 thousand rubles - according to some experts, after the imposition of sanctions, buyers became more rational and it turned out that a smartphone with acceptable characteristics can be purchased "not for 100 thousand rubles, but for 30 thousand.." Experts believe that the lack of advertising has led to a decrease in demand for expensive models. Citylinka generally confirms the information, saying that the average check in the past year amounted to about 20 thousand rubles, and most often purchased smartphones for 5-15 thousand.^[16]

The development of the assortment by Chinese brands for different needs and the expansion of the assortment in the flagship niche contributes to the further mass penetration of a number of technologies and functions. So, 95% of devices sold have biometric sensors (88% a year earlier), 73% of smartphones have a battery of more than 5000 mAh (60% in 2021), 70%, at the level of 2021, the share of devices with NFC remained, every fifth has support for 5G networks (10% a year earlier), the average screen diagonal has grown from 5.8 to almost 6.2 inches, smartphones with a triple sensor of the main camera and a quad camera took about 60%.

According to M.Video-Eldorado, the rating of the five most popular smartphones traditionally includes mainly entry-level models, reflects the leading positions of manufacturers and the dominant position of Xiaomi (among the bestsellers Redmi 9A, Redmi Note 10S and Xiaomi Redmi 9C), while for the third year in a row the top includes the iPhone 11 (128 GB), for the first time in the top 5 was a smartphone from the Tecno brand.

In the mid-price segment, from 20 to 40 thousand rubles, the most popular was also a smartphone from Xiaomi - Redmi Note 10 Pro (128 GB). In second place is the Honor 50 Lite (128 GB), in third and fourth place are the Samsung Galaxy A52 and A32, respectively, the Xiaomi 11 Lite NE closed the top five. In the ranking of the best-selling devices more expensive than 55 thousand rubles, all five positions were taken by various configurations of Apple smartphones from the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 lines.

In the segment of flagships, the segment of foldable smartphones is developing. The main players for the Russian market, according to M.Video-Eldorado, are Samsung and Huawei, whose new items went on sale in 2022. Brands have offered devices with two options for folding mechanisms. Such devices allow you to expand the screen area for content consumption and work, give new user experience and multitasking, and also act as an image device for those who care about originality or lovers of new technologies.

At the end of 2022, foldable smartphones accounted for 1% of the total money volume of the Russian market and about 2.5% of the sales of flagship devices. The most popular manufacturers are Samsung and Huawei. The most popular model is the Samsung Galaxy Flip 3. The leaders include devices from Samsung - Fold 3, this year's new products - Fold 4 and Flip 3, from Huawei - P50 Pocket and Mate Xs 2.

Apple remains the leader in smartphone sales in Russia

On December 8, 2022, MTS PJSC shared an analysis of the gadget market. At the end of 11 months of 2022, Apple retains its leadership in smartphone sales in Russia in monetary terms.

The main trend in 2022 was the switch in demand of Russians from premium smartphones to models of the middle price segment. In January-November, price segments of 20,000 - 30,000 rubles and 30,000 - 40,000 rubles showed the greatest dynamics - sales of such gadgets increased by 6% and 30%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

The demand for premium devices, which increased throughout 2021, decreased - in 11 months of 2022, sales of devices more expensive than 50,000 rubles fell by 57%. At the same time, the interest of Russians in budget gadgets is decreasing - models worth up to 15,000 rubles began to be bought less often by 35%.

According to MTS analysts, in January-November 2022, Apple took the first place in the Russian market in monetary terms with a share of 34%, Samsung with 31% and Xiaomi - 24%, followed by Realme - 8% and Tecno with 3%.

The first place in the Russian market in terms of the number of gadgets sold for 11 months of 2022 was taken by Xiaomi smartphones with the Poco sub-brand - their share was 33%. Samsung is in second place - 19%. On the third - Realme with a share of 14%. Also in the top five most popular brands were Apple - 10% and Tecno - 7%.

For 11 months of 2022, about 21 million smartphones were sold in the amount of 477 billion rubles. The average price of a purchased smartphone was 22,700 rubles, which is 3% lower than the results of 2021. Smartphone sales in Russia in January-November 2022 compared to the same period in 2021 decreased by 19% in quantitative terms and by 22% in monetary terms.

Top 10 sold smartphones in kind in Russia for 11 months of 2022:

• Xiaomi Redmi 9A 32 ГБ
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S 128 ГБ
• Apple iPhone 11,128 GB
• Xiaomi Redmi 9C 128 ГБ
• Samsung Galaxy A03 Core 32 ГБ
• Tecno Spark 8C 64GB
• Xiaomi Redmi 10C 128 ГБ
• Apple iPhone 13,128 GB
• Apple iPhone 12,128 GB
• Xiaomi Redmi 9C 64 ГБ

The European Union intends to ban the import of smartphones into Russia

On September 24, 2022, the European Union proposed tightening sanctions against Russia. The next package of restrictions may contain a ban on the export of dozens of high-tech goods, including smartphones, radar equipment and laser equipment. Read more here.

Piece sales of smartphones with eSIM in Russia reached 11.5 million

The group M of Video El Dorado assessed market-supported penetration smartphones and eSIM Russian shared the results on September 15, 2022. Since 2018, when sales of the first models with support virtual SIM for cards (XR, iPhone iPhone XS, XS Max) started Russia , about 11.5 million such devices have already been sold. Only in 2022, about every sixth smartphone purchased turned out to be with eSIM - this is about 2 million devices.

Smartphones with eSIM (in addition to the standard SIM card slot) are becoming more and more popular on the Russian market, but the advantage for September 2022 is with models only with the traditional SIM format - such gadgets account for more than 80% of sales. With eSIM, consumers mainly have access to devices from, Apple flagships and foldable smartphones from, Samsung gadgets from and. Huawei Motorola The best-selling such smartphone in recent years has become. iPhone 11

It is expected that the first devices will appear in Russia that work only with eSIM, and without a slot for a physical card - smartphones from the iPhone 14 line. In M.Video-Eldorado, pre-orders of such models account for a little less than 10% of purchases, the rest of the customers continue to choose a combined option - with a SIM card slot and a built-in module.

Virtual eSIM will not break or get lost, while it allows you to use several numbers or tariffs at once, including abroad. The digital format is supported by all the main Russian operators, you can switch to eSIM from a physical card with your number in any convenient way, as well as purchase a new eSIM.

iPhone 14 pre-order: top Pro model, most popular color - Deep Purple

Apple devices remain in demand and a large number of consumers continue to choose products of this particular brand. At the start, Russians traditionally prefer models with the Pro prefix - more productive, functional, and including maximum improvements compared to the previous line. Consumers see such devices as a reliable investment for the next few years in a high-quality user experience. 2022 was no exception - in the early days of pre-order in M.Video and Eldorado, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro smartphones accounted for more than 90% of the devices sold. Buyers consider the most optimal option to be a device with 256 GB of internal memory. By the colors in the top of Deep Purple, Space Black and Silver.

MTS expects a rise in business on used smartphones

In 2021 , MTS transferred over 15 thousand phones for repair or restoration to specialized organizations. Such data are provided in the operator's sustainability report published in August by^[17]Last year, trade-in sales were organized in the MTS retail network, when a client can buy a new smartphone at a discount in exchange for an old gadget. And at the end of 2021, the company launched a pilot project to sell used devices in working condition through shop.mts.ru and partner online stores.

In 2022, MTS launched a full-scale sale of used and discounted smartphones both in its own retail and in an online store. At the same time, all devices in the "How new" category are covered by the warranty, and their cost can be up to 50% lower compared to new devices. The "How new" category includes models that were returned by buyers within a two-week period or have incomplete equipment, damaged packaging,^[18] without protective films].

As of mid-August 2022, the MTS online store contains about 150 used smartphone products in the categories "As New," "Excellent Condition," "Good Condition" and "Working Condition."

In 2022, MTS plans to give a second life to at least 35 thousand used phones, according to the operator's sustainable development report. Moreover, such devices can be implemented not only through sale: as a pilot project, the company is exploring the possibility of leasing smartphones.

Other major operators, as well as electronics retailers, have programs related to the implementation of used devices. For example, VimpelCom (operates under the Beeline brand), together with its permanent partner Belmont, annually holds promotions to provide discounts on new smartphones and communication services in exchange for old mobile equipment: phones, smartphones, tablets or routers. At all stages, the devices are sorted and tested, entering the secondary market or for disposal.

In 2022, Svyaznoy launched the buyout and resale of used smartphones. Smart Bazar, a company controlled by Megafon, became his partner in the purchase of gadgets. Later, Megafon itself launched a similar project. Citylink also has a project to resell the iPhone.

Earlier, various market experts predicted that the secondary consumer electronics market in Russia would gain momentum amid changes in supply chains in 2022 due to the complicated geopolitical situation. MTS, however, connects its initiatives for the restoration and implementation of used phones in the sustainability report with environmental programs. They also include repairs to the operator's customer equipment. So, as part of the partnership project with Superwave, more than 800 thousand units of client equipment for reuse were repaired and restored.

VimpelCom launched the Refrigeration project in 2021, which repairs most of the equipment in-house, and transfers equipment with more serious defects to partner company Superwave. The operator restores network, subscriber equipment, printing and computer equipment, video surveillance cameras. In the first year of the project, VimpelCom restored more than 157 thousand units of its own failed equipment (66%).

VimpelCom's sustainability report for 2021 also refers to the environmental bloc, but there is also a reference to the problem of a shortage of electronic components: "In Russia, a shortage of electronic components remains, supply chains are destabilized, and imports of a large number of foreign brands are suspended."

The Russian smartphone market in the first half of the year fell by a third

For 6 months of 2022, the volume of imports of mobile phones to Russia amounted to 15 million units, a decrease of 26%. More than half of this volume was brought in January and February 2022 (8.6 million units). The turnover of the Russian smartphone market in the first half of the year amounted to 220 billion rubles. (market prices, taking into account all commissions and VAT), and taking into account push-button mobile phones - 225 billion rubles. Thus, the market turnover fell by a third. Such data are provided in the report of the analytical center GS Group, which the holding shared with TAdviser on August 17, 2022. Apple remains the market leader in terms of turnover with a share of 34%, Xiaomi came in second - 26%, Samsung occupies 16%, Realme - 9%.

Analysts estimate that the share of smartphones was 66%, which corresponds to the level of 2018. Compared to 2021, smartphone shipments fell by 38% (6 months 2022 to 6 months 2021) - from 16 to 9.9 million units. The volume of push-button mobile phones, on the contrary, increased by 21% - to 5.1 million units. However, this does not mean at all that there is a reverse replacement of smartphones with push-button mobile phones. Smartphone shipments have seriously sagged due to the sudden flight of Samsung and Apple, whose share in the Russian market in the spring of 2021 was 43%. They have not yet had time to replace them, specified in the GS Group.

Four months of inaction will not pass without a trace, therefore, in the baseline scenario for 2022, smartphone shipments will decrease by 35%, and their share will reach 75% (2020 level), experts predict. Imports of push-button mobile phones increased in 2022 due to deliveries in January and February 2022 (2.8 million units). Importers ordered these volumes at the end of 2021, fearing production failures at factories in China or in maritime logistics due to the pandemic. Further, deliveries normalized: 0.5-0.7 million units per month.

Parallel imports are growing slowly, and in June 2022 amounted to 10.5% of all smartphones imported into Russia (or 18.1% in monetary terms). But if we take the usual market volume as the comparison base, for example, in June 2021, then the share of alternative supplies will be only 4,% of the required volume (7.8% in monetary terms).

Due to the departure of several leaders and general uncertainty, the smartphone market is temporarily shrinking, the lower and upper segments are stronger than the average, as a result, the price structure changes. Deliveries in the lower segment (smartphones to 10 thousand rubles) fell by 56% - to 2.7 million units. The middle segment (smartphones from 10 to 30 thousand rubles) suffered less: deliveries decreased by 24% - to 5.5 million units. Finally, the import of smartphones in the upper segment (smartphones from 30 thousand rubles) decreased by 38% - to 1.6 million units. As a result, the share of the lower segment fell from 38% to 27%, the middle segment now occupies 56% (it was 46%), and the share of the upper segment has not changed - 17%. The lower segment sank due to Samsung's flight, as well as a change in pricing policy for Xiaomi and Realme. Deliveries in the middle segment decreased due to a halving of Samsung imports and partly due to a third decrease in Xiaomi shipments. However, Realme shipments and Samsung's parallel imports supported the mid-price segment. The volume of the upper segment decreased due to the departure of Apple.

In total, for 6 months of 2022, deliveries of four leaders (Xiaomi, Samsung, Realme and Apple) amounted to 7.5 million units (76% of the smartphone market), which means a fall of 43%. Huawei and Honor shipments added Huawei 4%. Other smartphone brands account for 19% of shipments: 13% in the lower segment and 6% in the middle and upper segments.

For 6 months of 2022, Xiaomi imported 3.4 million smartphones (a decrease of 36%, 6 months 2022 by 6 months 2021), its market share grew to 35%. The decrease in Xiaomi supplies to the Russian market has nothing to do with the situation around Russia, but is explained by the update of the lineup and other features of the production of smartphones in China in 2022, which confirms the statistics of Xiaomi's global supplies, the GS Group explained. Russia's share in the company's global supplies decreased slightly - from 6% to 4.5%, that is, Russia is still one of the largest national markets for Xiaomi after China and India, the company concluded. According to analysts, by the end of 2022 Xiaomi will remain the leader in Russia, and its market share may grow to 40%. Xiaomi's fleet in Russia reached 27 million units by mid-2022.

Samsung's imports for 6 months of 2022 to Russia amounted to 1.9 million smartphones (almost all of this volume came in 1 sq. 2022), which means a 60% decline (6 months 2022 by 6 months 2021). The total fleet of Samsung smartphones in the hands of Russian citizens is about 48 million units (38% of smartphones in Russia). The company's share will fall in Russia, according to the results of 6 months of 2022, it has already decreased to 20%.

Realme's deliveries to the Russian market rose by a third - to 1.2 million units. Realme's share climbed to 12%. By the end of 2022, the brand may take second place with a result of more than 3 million units and a share of more than 15%, and the Realme smartphone fleet in Russia will exceed 6.5 million units, experts predict. According to them, Russia's share of Realme's global shipments already exceeds 6%, making the Russian market one of the most important for the company after India and China, especially after Samsung's demarche.

Apple imports for 6 months of 2022 are 1 million units - all due to the first two months. Due to the decrease in supplies by half, the company's share decreased to 10%. Due to the policy of blocking its services in Russia, especially payment services, Apple will strategically lose in the supply of iron and in revenues from services. As with Samsung, parallel imports will not save the brand, but will only increase the price of devices and service risks, the researchers said.

In addition to the top four, Tecno, ZTE, Honor, Itel, Infinix and Vivo had the largest deliveries in six months. In total, these six brands account for 17% of smartphone imports. The rest of the players provided 6% of the supply. Tecno had the largest deliveries - 0.5 million units for 6 months of 2022. According to analysts, Tecno will quickly take Samsung's place in the budget segment, but deliveries will also be in the middle segment, where the presence of the brand is necessary to show customers and dealers their manufacturability. At the end of 2022, Tecno is likely to bypass Apple in terms of deliveries and take fourth place in Russia with a market share of 8-9%.

At the end of 6 months of 2022, the share of Chinese brands in the Russian smartphone market jumped to 67%, fully compensating for the fall in 2021 due to the departure of Huawei. Other Chinese companies are replacing the outgoing players, so 67% is not the limit yet, experts are convinced. So, in the second quarter, the share of Chinese brands increased to 94%. At the end of the year, the share of Chinese smartphone brands in the base scenario will exceed 80%, GS Group predicts. In the push-button mobile phone market, the share of Russian brands is 75%, and the share of Chinese companies fell to 5%.

"The demand for smartphones fell due to the disorientation of buyers, but by the end of autumn we can expect a rise," said Alexander Surkov, head of the GS Group analytical center. - Obviously, despite the growth of parallel imports, it will not be a panacea for the smartphone market, at least for Samsung and Apple. Therefore, we are waiting for the emergence of new brands, mainly from China. Nevertheless, Russian companies, in particular retailers, have good chances to develop their own smartphone brands, including for the middle price segment, with the subsequent transfer of production to Russia. "

Chinese brand Realme bypasses Apple and Samsung combined in smartphone sales in Russia

In July 2022, the Chinese brand Realme accounted for 17% of smartphone sales in Russia in pieces against 13.4% a month earlier. The company was ahead of Apple and Samsung combined, which in the second summer month of 2022 recorded 8.5% and 7% of the Russian smartphone market, respectively. This is evidenced by MTS data released in August 2022.

According to Kommersant, in July 2022, Realme took second place in the list of the largest smartphone manufacturers on the Russian market. Xiaomi is named the leader in piece sales of pipes with a 42% share (taking into account the Poco sub-brand).

In monetary terms, Xiaomi and Poco are also in first place in sales with a 35% share, Apple is in second with 25% of the market, Realme is in third (12.5%), Samsung is slightly behind it with 11%, and closes Tecno the top five with a 4% share, follows from MTS data.

In total, in July 2022, 2.3 million smartphones were sold in the amount of 36.7 billion rubles, according to MTS. The average price of a smartphone for a month decreased by 6%, to 16.1 thousand rubles.

MegaFon confirmed that in July the number of Realme smartphones sold exceeded the total sales of Samsung and Apple in their retail. According to the executive director of diHouseAndrei Tarasov, the supply of smartphones from Apple and Samsung to Russia is now 80-90% less than until March 2022. Direct import of smartphones of these brands has completely stopped, and parallel imports do not work in the volume necessary for replacement, so retailers' stocks of these phones are running out by mid-August 2022, and their share is falling, Tarasov explained.

Marvel Distribution emphasized that the share of Chinese smartphones has also grown due to the fact that the products are becoming stronger. The company said that with poor supplies, the share of A-brands may sink below 10% until the end of 2022.^[19]

Demand for non-killing smartphones has grown sharply in Russia

On August 8, 2022, it became known about a surge in demand for shockproof and waterproof smartphones in Russia. So, in Citylink in June-July 2022, sales of such devices increased by 300% in units and by 27% in money compared to the same period in 2021 - to 16.5 thousand units.

According to the representative of the retailer Pavel Rabotenko, with whom he contacted Kommersant"," in the summer period, sales of phones with improved protection against shocks, moisture and dust grow by an average of 15%, but in mid-2022 the demand turned out to be higher than average. "" M of Video El Dorado also pointed to positive dynamics, but noted that these devices remain niche and occupy less than one percent in the Russian market. smartphones

MegaFon confirmed the trend. Marvel Distribution notes that they observe multidirectional trends in the segment:

In general, the demand for protected models is stable, the segment leaders in the Russian market are Doogee and Blackview, they are in demand from previous target audiences. On the other hand, Doogee is not only in demand in retail, but also increases sales in the corporate channel.

According to a newspaper source in the electronics market, the demand for such devices in past years has been stable. Now the reason for the growth in sales could be the sending of shockproof smartphones to volunteers or military personnel to Ukraine, he said.

Protected smartphones differ from ordinary ones in that they are equipped with a case or body with additional shock-absorbing edges. In addition, they are protected from moisture and dust according to the IP68 protection standard. A device with this protection class can be used at a depth of up to 1.5 m for up to 30 minutes without fear for its integrity. Prices for such smartphones on average start at 10 thousand rubles. and reach about 30 thousand rubles. Among the brands on the Russian market are Doogee, Oukitel, Blackview, etc.^[20]

Russia recorded a temporary drop in smartphone sales

In the second quarter of 2022, the minimum number of smartphones over the past five years was sold in Russia. Vedomosti writes about this on July 27, 2022 with reference to the press service of VimpelCom. Tele2 confirmed this assessment.

A source close to one of the operators called the quarterly sales of new smartphones "the lowest in a decade." rubles In addition, this indicator, according to him, decreased "to the level of pandemic [coronavirus pandemic - COVID-19 approx. TAdviser] 2020."

In Tele2, low results in the period from April to June are explained not only by economic, but also by seasonal factors - the demand for devices traditionally falls with the onset of summer and begins to grow again in the second half of the year.

MTS analysts believe that in April-June 2022, sales in pieces and rubles decreased by 30% year-on-year. Sales Director of MegaFon David Borzilov reported a decrease of 17%. Tele2 recorded a drop in sales by 23% in units and by 12% in monetary terms.

According to the calculations of the interlocutors of the publication, from the beginning of 2022 to the end of July, about 5.7 million new smartphones and ordinary mobile phones were sold in Russia for a total of 105 billion rubles. Among individual brands, Chinese Xiaomi and Realmi are the most popular among Russians. Apple and Korean Samsung, which left Russia, on the contrary, faced a decrease in demand.

The head of the Content Review agency, Sergei Polovnikov, explained the reduction in sales by a decrease in real incomes of Russians and an increase in prices for equipment. Instead of updating devices, customers prefer to repair existing ones. According to experts, despite the permission of parallel imports, the assortment of gadgets has become more scarce and buyers have begun to choose used devices. This segment has grown by at least 50% since the beginning of the year^[21]

Kazakhstan sharply increased the re-export of smartphones to Russia

Deliveries smartphones increased 2,000 times in the first half of 2022, and processors - 121 times, compared to the same period in 2021.

In January-June 2021, smartphone exports amounted to $36.8 thousand, and a year later they grew to $78 million, in quantitative terms - 328 times, from 560 units to 183.6 thousand smartphones.

Imports of 10.3 million units in the first quarter

The analytical center of the GS Group holding on May 23, 2022 shared a report on the import of mobile phones to Russia in the 1st quarter of 2022.

In 1 sq. 2022, the import of mobile phones to Russia amounted to 10.3 million units, which repeats the level of 2021 and 2020 (in 1 sq.). The share of smartphones fell to 66% (exactly fell - from 76% in 1 sq. 2021). In fact, the market has returned to 2018 proportions. Smartphone shipments fell by 14% (1 sq. 2022 to 1 sq. 2021) - from 7.9 to 6.8 million units. The volume of push-button mobile phones increased by 43% (1 sq. 2022 to 1 sq. 2021) - up to 3.5 million units. While maintaining the current bans, the leaders' deliveries will soon be replaced by other brands and partially parallel imports. Therefore, a drop in the share of smartphones to 60% is a temporary phenomenon.

According to GS Group estimates, in early 2022, the structure of the price segments of smartphones changed a lot. If in 2021 it could be described as 40/40/20, then in 2022 it changed to 20/60/20 (the share of the lower segment is 20%, the average - 60%, the upper - 20%). Deliveries in the lower segment (smartphones up to 10,000 rubles) fell by 60% (1 sq. 2022 by 1 sq. 2021) - up to 1.3 million units. This happened mostly due to the departure of Samsung and ZTE from Russia in March and the transition of Samsung and Xiaomi to the middle segment.

In the middle segment (smartphones up to 10 to 30 thousand rubles), deliveries increased by more than 20% (1 sq. 2022 to 1 sq. 2021) and reached 3.9 million units. Samsung managed to bring more than 1 million pieces before its flight, while 0.4 million pieces came from the lower segment. Xiaomi has similar numbers. The rest of the volume of the middle segment (1.5 million units) is half the import of Realme, half the supply of other brands.

The upper segment of the smartphone market (smartphones from 30 thousand rubles) is about 20-25%. It remained at the level of 1 sq. 2021 (1.5 - 1.6 million units), since Samsung deliveries in 1 sq. 2022 remained at the level of 2020 (about 0.3 million units), even taking into account the departure from Russia in March. And the drop-out volume of Apple (about 0.2 million units) was replaced by Chinese Xiaomi and Honor.

In 2022, the lower segment, in addition to existing players (BQ, Inoi, Itel), will actively include brands of retail chains, and it will grow to 30%. Xiaomi, Realme, as well as Tecno will fully occupy the middle segment, and a couple more unknown Chinese brands will be added to them. In the upper segment, Samsung and Apple will partially try to replace Xiaomi and Honor, which have enough competencies for this. Also, parallel imports of departed brands will partially help preserve the upper segment.

The total share of four representatives of the smartphone market - Samsung, Xiaomi, Apple and Realme - is 78% (along with Huawei and Honor - 83%). In absolute figures in 1 sq. 2022, deliveries of four companies amounted to 5.3 million units - a decline of 15%, mainly due to March.

According to GS Group estimates, in 1 sq. 2022 Samsung brought 1.9 million smartphones to Russia, that is, a third less (31%) than a year earlier. The company's share in the smartphone market fell to 27% (a year ago it reached 34%). The total fleet of Samsung smartphones in the hands of Russian citizens is about 48 million units (38% of all working smartphones in Russia). It is easy to predict that Samsung will lose its position in the Russian market if it does not resume deliveries.

In 1 sq. 2022 Xiaomi imported 1.6 million pieces of smartphones (a decrease of 24%, 1 sq. 2022 to 1 sq. 2021). The company's market share also decreased to 24%. Xiaomi will become the leader in Russia in 2 square meters. 2022, since after Samsung's self-elimination there are no other rivals left. The Xiaomi park in Russia in the hands of Russians at the end of 1 square meters. 2022 year exceeded 25 million pieces (the 20% of all smartphones in Russia), that is, it almost caught up with Huawei/Honor.

Apple imports in Q1 2022 decreased by only 20% - to 1 million units. The company's share remained at 14%. The total fleet iPhone in Russia amounted to 19 million units (15% of all smartphones in the hands of Russians).

Realme smartphone shipments to Russia are growing: in Q1 2022 - 2.7 times (by 167%, Q1 2022 to Q1 2021). Realme imports amounted to 0.8 million units, and the share in the Russian smartphone market exceeded 12%. The Realme smartphone fleet in Russia already exceeds 4 million units.

Import of smartphones of other brands from 10 thousand rubles. in 1 sq. 2022 amounted to 0.7 million units (together with Huawei and Honor - 1 million units). Honor has become a key supplier here. It is possible that according to the results of 2 square meters. 2020 Honor will be among the three leaders in deliveries to Russia, since it has the necessary competencies, model range and fame in Russia.

The share of Chinese brands in the smartphone segments reached 54%. If Samsung and Apple do not officially return to the Russian market, the share of Chinese in Russia may rise to 80%. The remaining 20% will be parallel imports, as well as official deliveries of Russian brands (BQ, Dexp, Inoi, Novex, Texet, etc.). If we analyze the entire market (smartphones and push-button mobile phones), then the share of Chinese brands is 38%, and the share of Russian brands has grown from 17% to 27% thanks to Inoi, F + and BQ push-button phones.

The turnover of the Russian smartphone market in 1 sq. 2022 amounted to 193 billion rubles. (market prices, taking into account all commissions and VAT), taking into account push-button mobile phones - 197 billion rubles. Spending on smartphones in Russia increased by 10%. The fall in volumes in units by 14% compensated for the increase in prices by 27%, including due to the growth of the exchange rate by 16%.

Apple remains the leader in revenue due to the high price of devices - 43% (85 billion rubles), approximately the same volume (44%) is occupied by the other three leaders: Samsung (20%, 39 billion rubles), Xiaomi (17%, 34 billion rubles) and Realme (8%, 15 billion rubles).

The turnover of push-button phones increased from 3 billion rubles. up to 4 billion rubles, but this happened only due to an increase in the number of devices (by 43%). Push-button mobile phones are the only segment where real prices fell (by 2% in rubles and by 16% in USD), against this background, the gains of Russian brands are no longer so obvious.

Due to the cessation of deliveries of individual brands, including leaders, the market is waiting for redistribution and fragmentation, but at the same time there are many vacancies, especially in the middle price segment. This is a good chance for Russian companies to gradually transfer the assembly of their own brands to Russia and develop their own application store thanks to state support for the electronics industry. - said the head of the analytical center GS Group Alexander Surkov. - At the same time, for the first time, the state receives an effective instrument of influence on the consumer electronics market in the form of regulation of parallel imports.

Electronics stores launched commission trading

Russian electronics sellers are beginning to actively master the secondary market. So, the resale of used smartphones has already been launched by Svyaznoy and Citylink. Other market participants are also expected to enter the segment. This became known on April 11, 2022.

The Svyaznoy project "Used Technology" has started, involving the redemption of used smartphones from users with their subsequent technical verification and resale. The partner was the Smart Bazar company controlled by MegaFon, which, within the framework of the project, provides software for checking equipment and ensures the redemption of devices, the company said. After the assessment, the gadget goes to the service center, and then on sale.

Citylink and CleverCel have a joint project to sell used iPhones with a guarantee, the company said, adding that demand in March increased by 39% by February. The model differs from trade-in in that the client receives not a discount on the purchase of a new gadget, but payment.

Mobile Research Group analyst Eldar Murtazin is confident that all retailers will develop the sale of used gadgets. In his opinion, the secondary market is flourishing and soon retailers will expand the range of used goods to laptops, TVs and photographic equipment.

Previously used goods began to sell Yandex.Market. For April 2022, the service sells only used smartphones, but plans to work with other categories - children's and sports goods, household goods and repairs and others^[22].

Until now, cellular retailers (MTS, MegaFon, VimpelCom) bought used smartphones only as part of the trade-in program, the same was done by sellers of a wide range of electronics, for example, M.Video-Eldorado. In 2021, the turnover of the Russian used smartphone market in 2021 reached 71 billion rubles., and the number of devices sold is 7.5 million Electronics^[23] to^[24]

2021

About 50% of sales in physical terms fell on Chinese brands

The group, M of Video El Dorado the Russian a company in the field e-commerce retail electronics and, household appliances on January 17, 2022, summed up the market development Russian in 2021 smartphones.

About 50% of sales in physical terms fell on the Chinese brands, a year ago they reached 55%. In 2021, their positions were strengthened Samsung and. Apple South Korean the brand has been the most popular manufacturer in for ten years, Russia Apple regularly ranks in the top 5 during this period. In general, the top five most popular brands smartphones among Russians at the end of 2021 (in alphabetical order) are Apple,,, Honor realme Samsung,. Xiaomi

Among Chinese brands, the Xiaomi brand has successfully continued to expand its consumer audience, which has risen from fifth place to second over the past three years. In 2021, together with the POCO sub-brand, its share in physical terms increased by more than 50%, and two models entered the top 5 most popular among Russians.

According to Canalys, Xiaomi took first place in the supply of smartphones to the Russian market in 2021. The share of Xiaomi deliveries was 31% and showed a 49% increase compared to the previous year.

The third line was taken by Apple, which successfully launched the iPhone 13 line, in addition, models of previous years, especially the iPhone 11, were in high demand. The breakthrough was made by the Chinese brand realme, which took fourth place. In fifth place was Honor, which at the end of the year introduced devices with Google services.

More than 95% of smartphones are more expensive than 50 thousand rubles are sold by Apple and Samsung.

"The category of smartphones continues to be the driver of the Russian electronics market and the largest segment in terms of sales. The device has become an integral part of our life - it is already the main tool for communication, making purchases and payments, entertainment, taking photos, videos and other tasks. 88% of devices sold in Russia have biometric sensors and a screen diagonal of 6 to 7 inches, 75% of models are equipped with a battery from 4000 mAh, 70% have an NFC chip, and 17% of devices support eSim. Models with built-in memory of more than 128 GB and RAM of more than 4 GB, as well as a front camera from 20 MP for selfie and video communication, become the standard for the consumer. The demand for foldable smartphones has quadrupled, and for devices with 5G support - almost 19 times, "said Nikita Tikhvinsky, director of Digital Technology at M.Video-Eldorado Group.

Dynamics of demanded technological solutions in the Russian smartphone market:

Smartphone sales increased by more than 25% in money and reached about 720 billion rubles

On January 12, 2022, M of Video El Dorado"," the Russian a company in the field e-commerce of and, retail electronics announced household appliances that it had analyzed the preferences of buyers electronic engineers in 2021 and highlighted key consumer trends in the Russian market.

According to the company, smartphones play an increasingly important role in consumer life and are becoming indispensable. It is the main tool for communication, shopping, entertainment and other daily processes. The growing frequency of use also affects the preferences of Russians when buying a smartphone - they choose devices for the future. At the end of 2021, sales of the category increased by more than 25% in money and reached about 720 billion rubles.

On January 17, 2022, M.Video-Eldorado shared updated data: in quantitative terms, sales amounted to just over 30 million units, the market volume in money reached 730 billion rubles, showing an increase of about 28%.

The highest dynamics was shown by smartphones from 50,000 rubles - sales grew year-on-year by about 70% in pieces. Their share has almost doubled, reaching 14% in pieces, and in money it already exceeds 45%. At the same time, for the first time in 10 years, push-button phones (+ 4%, up to 6.8 million units) demonstrated positive dynamics in quantitative terms due to interest among labor migrants, the elderly and children, popularity as a replacement for a landline phone and users worried about the safety of data. Read more here.

Russian smartphone market fell for the first time since 2017

The volume of the Russian market smartphones at the end of 2021 amounted to 29.4 million units, having decreased by 7% compared to 2020. Sales of these devices in the country fell for the first time since 2017, according to December 10, 2021. "Svyaznom"

According to the retailer, in monetary terms, the smartphone market in Russia in 2021 reached 751.1 billion rubles, which is 28% higher than the result of a year ago. Analysts explained the growth in revenue with a decrease in quantitative supplies by an increase in the average price of the gadget by 38%, to 25.5 thousand rubles.

Meanwhile, MTS announced the sale of more expensive devices in 2021. The Russians purchased one and a half times more smartphones more expensive than 50,000 rubles than they did in 2020. Push-button phones sold 4% more than a year earlier. According to a number of experts, the growth in sales of the latter is noticeable only in comparison with 2020, since at that time the market for phones without smart functions fell by 22%.

Experts attributed the fall of the Russian market in physical terms to its oversaturation. Most people who want to buy new smartphones did so in 2020. In addition, people began to use one model longer, so they buy more expensive options.

Smartphone sales also declined due to supply difficulties that resulted from a global component shortage, added Alexander Surkov, head of the GS Group analytical center.

At the same time, according to the data, the "Connected" decline in purchases in unit terms affected only smartphones on - Android new items Apple and push-button phones were sold even more actively than in 2020. Sales iPhone in 2021 grew in physical terms by 20% (in monetary terms - by 52%).

The popularity of Apple devices is due to the fact that an Android smartphone with active use in a year and a half or two may no longer give out the desired performance, a source Kommersant in one of the retailers explained, while "iPhones, as a rule, win over competitors at a long distance."^[25]

850,000 5G smartphones sold in five months in the amount of 75.5 billion rubles

The group M of Video El Dorado on June 18, 2021 presented an analysis Russian of market development smartphones and estimated the penetration of models 5G with network support for five months of 2021. The increase in demand for flagships by half and the expansion of the range in the middle price range contributed to the growth in sales of smartphones compatible with 5G networks by more than 30 times. In January-May, about 850,000 such devices were sold in the amount of 75.5 billion, which rubles amounted to a record 8% in pieces and 30% in money from the total sales of smartphones. In M.Video, the share Dorado reached about 14% in unit sales and 37% in money.

Sales of the first 5G smartphones began on the Russian market in the fourth quarter of 2019, as early as June 2021, more than 100 models are available to consumers. In total, from the moment the first devices appeared until May 2021 Russia , a little less than 1.4 million devices were sold in the amount of about 118 billion rubles. In just five months of this year, sales of smartphones with support for 5G networks amounted to about 850,000 units (in January-May 2020, 27,000 units were sold, for the entire year - 520,000 devices). In the top 5 brands in terms of unit sales on the Russian market in 2021 were,, Apple, and Samsung, Xiaomi Honor Huawei the most popular model - (128 iPhone 12 GB). Bestseller in M.Video-Eldorado - iPhone 12 Pro Max (256 GB).

The high penetration rate of smartphones with support for fifth-generation networks in 2021 is due in part to the increased interest in flagships. In the first five months of the year, smartphones costing from 50,000 rubles showed positive dynamics almost twice, both in pieces and in monetary terms. Their share among all devices more than doubled in pieces, to almost 15% of the total number of devices sold, and in money it approached 50%. Every fourth flagship device is purchased in M.Video or Eldorado.

In 2021, almost every seventh smartphone sold on our networks is 5G compatible. Technology support is not a key criterion when choosing a device, but taking into account the long-term nature of demand, device owners in the future will be able to take advantage of all the advantages of fifth-generation communication networks. About 45% of 5G smartphone sales in our networks in total are in the age categories 25-30 and 30-35 years. The proportion of men is slightly higher and is 60%, the proportion of women is 40%. Among the cities where such devices are most often purchased, in addition to Moscow and St. Petersburg, other large cities are included - Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Omsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, said Nikita Tikhvinsky, Director of Digital Technology at M.Video-Eldorado Group.

Reducing the minimum cost also has a positive impact on distribution. For June 2021, several models with 5G support worth about 20,000 rubles from brands such as Xiaomi, Honor and Realme (RM Communication) are presented on the Russian market.

{{quote 'author = noted Realme Russia Business Development Director Dmitry Gostev. |

The strategy of our company is based on the popularization of various technologies, and 5G is no exception here - we strive to make devices with support for the latest generation of frequencies available to everyone. In the next two years, 70% of the entire product portfolio of realme will support 5G, which means that many affordable and productive devices will become available to the Russian consumer very soon. At the same time, 5G is not only the transmission speed, data it is the latest architecture of powerful, processors and special modes of intelligent power saving, and scenarios for using smartphones, }}

According to M.Video-Eldorado Group, for a total of five months of 2021, about 10.5 million smartphones were sold in Russia for a total amount of about 253 billion rubles. Sales in the market rose 30%. In M.Video-Eldorado, the growth was almost 35%, which is higher than the market average. According to the results of five months, the five most popular brands among Russians included Samsung, Xiaomi, Apple, Honor, as well as relame. The Chinese brand was in fifth place for the first time and shows the highest sales growth compared to 2020.

10.3 million mobile phones imported in Q1

On May 11, 2021, GS Group presented a report on the import of mobile phones to Russia in the first quarter of 2021.

In the first three months of 2021, 10.3 million mobile phones were imported into Russia, imports decreased by only 0.4% (3 months 2021 to 3 months 2020). The share of smartphones with an estimated price of 8,000 rubles on store shelves continues to grow (68% or 7 million units). The share of mobile phones with a price below 8,000 rubles by the end of the quarter fell to 32% (3.3 million units), while back in 2017 it was 56%.

The leader of the Russian market at the end of 2019 - Huawei - temporarily leaves the Russian smartphone market. Imports of smartphones under the Huawei and Honor brands fell from 3 million units (in 1 sq. 2020) to 264 thousand units in 1 sq. 2021 (respectively 102 thousand units from Huawei and 162 thousand units from Honor).

For 1 sq. 2021, three leaders (Samsung, Xiaomi and Apple) brought 6.1 million units (together with Huawei and Honor - 6.35 million units), which is significantly higher than the level of 2017-2019 and almost at the level of 2020 - 6.57 million units. The total share of the three leaders returned to the values ​ ​ of 2019 - 75.2%, along with Huawei and Honor - 78.5% (Huawei's share in Q1 2021 - 1.3%, Honor - 2%).

Other smartphone brands account for 21.5% of 8,000 rubles, of which 11% in the group from 3 to 8 thousand rubles (0.9 million units for 1 sq. 2021) and 10.5% in the group from 8 thousand rubles (0.85 million units). Both groups showed a twofold increase, but did not reach the values ​ ​ of 2018 (more than 1 million units). There is no doubt that by the end of 2021, the share of both groups will again fall to 7%, each due to one of three events: the three leaders will completely seize the departed volume of Huawei, the fourth leader will come out of the catch-up group, for example, Realme, or Honor will regain its position.

In 1 sq. 2021, the supply of Samsung smartphones to Russia exceeded 2.7 million units (an increase of 23%, 1 sq. 2021 to 1 sq. 2020). As a result, Samsung occupies a third of the entire Russian smartphone market with a share of 33.5%. Two-thirds of Samsung's volume falls on the middle segment - from 8 to 26 thousand rubles. In 2021, Samsung collects the bulk of smartphones in Vietnam - 80%, 5% - in China. Only 15% come from India, although at the end of 2019 Samsung produced two-thirds of the volume of smartphones for Russia there .

The main character of the quarter is Xiaomi. Under this brand, 2.2 million smartphones were brought to Russia in 1 sq. 2021, that is, the volume of Xiaomi increased almost 3 times (by 179%, 1 sq. 2021 to 1 sq. 2020), and the share of the brand amounted to 26.7%. The segmentation of Xiaomi imports has not changed - 90% falls on the middle segment. The likelihood of Xiaomi coming out on top in Russia is small, but not excluded. The further growth of Xiaomi's share largely depends on the nature of the relationship between the leading distributors of this brand in Russia, it was they who benefited the most from Huawei's departure.

Import of iPhone in 1 sq. 2021 amounted to 1.2 million units, the company showed growth twice (by 89%, 1 sq. 2021 to 1 sq. 2020). Apple's share doubled to 15%, which falls slightly short of 2018 (16.4% in Q1). Half of the shipments come from last year's model - the iPhone 11, while the new iPhone 12 family is only a third of the volume so far. Finally, about 15% of shipments are budget models (by Apple standards): iPhone XR and iPhone SE (2020 version).

Over the past five years, Apple has brought 17 million iPhones to Russia. The most common iPhone model on the hands of Russian users today is the iPhone 11 - more than 2.8 million units. In second place is the 2016 iPhone SE, in third place is the iPhone 7, which entered the market at the end of 2016. If you look at entire generations of the iPhone, then the 11th generation is again in first place (3.5 million units), then the 10th generation (3.1 million units).

The Chinese holding BBK Electronics is increasing the volume of supplies to Russia: a total of three brands occupy 7% of the Russian smartphone market in 1 sq. 2021 (from 3,000 rubles). Overall, shipments of the holding's three brands (Oppo, Vivo and Realme (RM Communication)) rose 62% (Q1 2021 to Q1 2020) to 0.6 million, primarily thanks to Realme: Q1 2021 shipments under this brand totaled 308,000, a volume that grew sixfold.

Due to problems with Huawei, the share of Chinese brands in the smartphone segments from 8,000 rubles has so far fallen to 45%, a year ago it reached 55%. If you look at all smartphones (from 3,000 rubles), the share of brands in the Celestial Empire fell even more - from 56% to 44%, since Huawei controlled the budget segment. The share of Russian brands in the smartphone market increased slightly (from 2.6% to 3.7%) due to the growth of DEXP, BQ and Inoi. However, this is a temporary situation - after the final redistribution of Huawei's share, the share of Russian brands will begin to decline again.

The turnover of the Russian smartphone market for 1 sq. 2021 amounted to 256 billion rubles (market prices, taking into account all commissions and VAT). Spending on smartphones in Russia increased by 33% (1 sq. 2021 to 1 sq. 2019). The main reason for this take-off is the growth of Apple's volumes and the release of an even more expensive generation of iPhone smartphones. If in 1 sq. 2020 Apple's share in the turnover of the Russian smartphone market was 30%, today it has risen to 48%, that is, in fact, half of the costs of Russians on smartphones are money in favor of Apple. The second reason for the sharp growth in revenue is the decline in Huawei (and Honor) volumes to minimum values ​ ​ and their replacement by other leaders, since Huawei devices were on average cheaper than other leaders. The total share of the turnover of the leaders (Samsung, Xiaomi and Apple) is 90%, together with Huawei (and Honor) - 92%, that is, unchanged from 2020.

The revenue skew in favor of Apple was last in 2018, until Huawei cut it to 26%, the same thing will happen this year. So, in 1 sq. 2021, all key brands, except Apple, have decreased average purchase prices. This indicates tougher competition, including in the lower segment, so the growth of Apple's share in the turnover of the smartphone market is a temporary phenomenon.

In 2021, the smartphone market is still unraveling the dramatic changes in 2020, the key reasons for which were the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict between the United States and China. At the same time, the trade war has changed so far only the alignment among the leaders, and the pandemic and its consequences have sharply strengthened existing long-term consumer trends, increasing demand for advanced smartphones and burying the market for cheap devices, "comments Alexander Surkov, head of the GS Group analytical center. - Huawei's departure from the distance opens the way not for Samsung or Apple, but for other leading brands in China, as Russian buyers see them as a high level of manufacturability and reliability for moderate money. Huawei's stake will be replaced entirely by Xiaomi, Realme and Honor by the end of 2021. Chip shortages and pressure from the US authorities may restrain the growth of Chinese stars, but these are consumer brands, unlike Huawei, one of the world leaders in business technology solutions in the telecom industry, which is why claims arose in the United States.

Xiaomi became the leader of the Russian smartphone market for the first time

According to the results of the first quarter of 2021 Xiaomi , she became the leader of the Russian market. smartphones Moreover, the Chinese company took this first place for the first time.

According to analysts, Canalys Xiaomi accounted for 32% of the total number of new smartphones that arrived RUSSIAN FEDERATION in January-March 2021. The company's tube shipments rose 125%. The experts do not give the absolute value.

In second place among the vendors participating in the Russian smartphone market is Samsung, whose share was 27%. Shipments of devices of the South Korean manufacturer to Russia in the first three months of 2021 increased by 41% on an annualized basis.

Huawei Honor USA The successes of Xiaomi and Samsung are largely due to the failures of brands and, which, due to sanctions, faced serious restrictions in business. Because of them, shipments of Honor smartphones to the Russian market in the first quarter of 2021 remained at the level of one year ago, and the share was 10%.

As Kommersant writes with reference to the report of the analytical center GS Group, in the first quarter of 2021, only 264 thousand smartphones of the Chinese companies Huawei and Honor were imported into the Russian Federation, while at the beginning of 2020 the supply of smartphones of these brands amounted to 3 million units.

The share of Huawei and Honor in the supply of smartphones to Russia in the first quarter fell to 1.3% and 2%, respectively, since a year ago the smartphones of the two companies accounted for 38% of smartphone imports. At the same time, in general, device deliveries to Russia in January-March amounted to 10.3 million devices (-0.4%), and the leaders were Samsung (33.5%), Xiaomi (26%) and Apple (15%), according to data from GS Group.

According to Canalys calculations, Apple took the fourth position among smartphone suppliers on the Russian market, which grew by 24%, and the share was equal to 9%. The top 5 was closed by Realme, which recorded 4% of sales and the strongest growth among the leaders (+ 682^[26]

2020

Reduction of the smartphone market in the Russian Federation by 7.6%, to 30.3 million units - IDC

In 2020, 30.3 million smartphones were delivered to the Russian market, which is 7.6% less than a year earlier. The volume of shipments in quantitative terms turned out to be the smallest since 2017. In dollars, the market in 2020 decreased by 8.5% compared to 2019, according to IDC analysts, without specifying the absolute value.

The surge in smartphone sales quickly declined after September: in the fourth quarter there were not many offers, moreover, deliveries of Huawei and Honor brands were greatly reduced, - said Olga Agapova, senior analyst at IDC in Russia.

The most popular smartphone of 2020 was the Samsung Galaxy A51 due to good value for money. Successful sales of the model confirm the desire of Russian consumers to purchase a smartphone with good technical characteristics at an average market price, according to the study.

Smartphones with large screens remained highly in demand in 2020. Models with a diagonal above 6.5 inches occupied almost half of the market in the fourth quarter, while their share in the fourth quarter of last year did not exceed a quarter. The presence of four rear cameras is also becoming a standard feature for many smartphones.

The iPhone 12 accounted for almost three quarters of 5G smartphones delivered to the Russian market in 2020. However, in order to take advantage of all the capabilities of 5G smartphones, users will have to wait at least two to three years before fifth-generation networks are commissioned in Russia, IDC stressed.

Simon Baker, director of the research program at IDC EMEA, says that real incomes in Russia are declining, and smartphone manufacturers have problems with microprocessor shortages and increased transport costs, due to which the price of smartphones may rise.

Year-on-year decline in mobile phone imports to Russia by 10%

GS Group Holding on February 12, 2021 shared with TAdviser a report on the import of mobile phones to Russia at the end of 2020, prepared by the holding's analytical center. According to the report, in 2020, the smartphone market fell into classic scissors. On the one hand, advanced personal devices were required for remote work, as well as for online media during quarantine instead of the usual sphere of street entertainment. On the other hand, due to uncertainty in the economy and the closure of certain industries, citizens decided that it was better to save than spend. Depending on the news, the market was moving up or down, and stores were actively warming it up, but by the end of 2020 demand was running out of steam. Problems were also added by disruptions in logistics, chip shortages, the depreciation of the ruble and the US trade war with China.

At the end of 2020, 43.3 million mobile phones were imported into Russia, imports decreased by 10% (2020 by 2019).

The middle segment (smartphones from 8 to 26 thousand rubles) decreased by 2.7 million units, and the upper segment (from 26 thousand rubles) increased by 2.3 million units. In 2019, there was a reverse situation. But it is the middle segment that is the largest (60% of the smartphone market from 2,000 rubles), its decline was mainly due to a decrease in Huawei volumes by 2.7 million units. The growth of the upper segment is ensured by an increase in imports of expensive smartphones from Samsung by 1.2 million units, Xiaomi - by 0.9 million units and Apple - by 0.6 million units.

The volume of the 3rd group (smartphones from 2 to 8 thousand rubles) in 2020 decreased by 30% - to 5.4 million units (or 3.7 million units without Huawei and Samsung). Huawei made up a quarter of the group, the rest of the brands are cutting back on their shipments. In addition to switching users to expensive smartphones, a shortage of components and logistics problems play against cheap devices. Therefore, in 2021, their deliveries will not exceed 2.5 million units.

Imports of push-button mobile phones at the end of 2020 fell by 21% (2020 by 2019) - from 11 to 8.7 million units. Segment representatives: Russian Maxvi, Texet and BQ (Bright & Quick) and Chinese Itel, followed by Nokia and Inoi. There is still demand for push-button phones and for the most part from those who already have a full-fledged smartphone, so in 2021 their deliveries will not fall below 5-6 million units.

The turnover of the Russian smartphone market in 2020 amounted to 891 billion rubles. Spending on smartphones in Russia increased by 12%, but this growth is entirely due to the growth of the exchange rate. The total share of the top 4 (Samsung, Apple, Huawei and Xiaomi) in terms of revenue is 92.6%, with Apple taking the lead with a 39% share in terms of revenue, followed by Samsung with a 28% share.

Due to US pressure on Huawei for Chinese brands, the market for expensive smartphones fell from 55% to 49% (in terms of the number of devices), although in theory it could reach 65%. In the event of a US ban on supplying components to all Chinese stars (Huawei, Xiaomi and BBK Electronics), the share of Chinese brands will fall to 25%, but then again rise to 40%. The share of Russian brands in the entire mobile phone market, including push-button ones, fell to 16% in terms of quantity and 1.3% in terms of revenue.

The first four smartphone manufacturers - Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi and Apple - occupy 82.6% (or 66%, including push-button mobile phones) at the end of the year, their volume amounted to 28.4 million units, which is 2% less than the 2019 level. Other brands account for 17.4%, of which 10.6% in the group from 2 to 8 thousand rubles (3.7 million units in 2020) and 6.8% in the group from 8 thousand rubles (2.4 million units). In general, in 2020, the Russian smartphone market (from 2,000 rubles) decreased, like the world one, by 7% - from 37.4 million units to 34.6 million units.

In 2020, Samsung's share rose to 31.8%, deliveries increased by 7% and exceeded 11 million units, this is the maximum annual volume of smartphones imported into Russia under one brand. Russia's share in Samsung's global supply increased from 3.5% to 4.3%. Samsung production in India did not return to its previous volumes: in 2020, 64% of Samsung devices were brought to Russia from Vietnam, 21% from China and only 14% from India (in 2019, half of Samsung smartphones for Russia were assembled in India). Samsung has strong positions in the middle segment (from 8 to 26 thousand rubles) - 7.9 million units. The company is actively increasing volumes in the upper segment: deliveries in the 6th group (from 26 to 60 thousand rubles) increased in 2020 from 0.8 to 2.2 million units.

Imports of smartphones under the Huawei and Honor brands in 2020 amounted to only 7.7 million units (a drop of 26%). The company's share fell from 28% to 22.3%. Huawei began to lag behind in the 3rd quarter of 2020, it was bypassed by Samsung and Xiaomi, and in the 4th quarter already Apple. Of all segments, Huawei grew only in the 3rd group (from 2 to 8 thousand rubles) - from 0.8 to 1.3 million units. Russia's share in Huawei's global supply decreased from 4.4% to 4.1%.

Xiaomi shipments peaked in 2020 at 5.9 million (up 20%), the highest growth rate among leaders. Xiaomi's future depends on what scenario the US authorities choose against it: soft (market restriction in the US and the EU) or tough (ban on the supply of components). Russia's share in Xiaomi's global supply is stable at 3.9%.

In 2020, Apple imported 4 million iPhones to Russia (an increase of 17%), as a result, the company's share increased from 9.1% to 11.4%. In the 4th quarter of 2020, Apple made a breakthrough in Russia: 1.5 million units, the last time Apple imported such a volume into Russia at the end of 2017. Unlike others, Russia occupies less than 2% of Apple's global supply. The volume of 4 million pieces is the ceiling for Apple in Russia, as well as the overall size of the premium segment.

Following the four companies is the Chinese holding BBK Electronics, whose brands (Oppo, Vivo and Realme (RM Communication)) are among the world leaders at the end of 2020, and their total share in the global market is approaching 20%. In Russia, BBK Electronics occupies 4.2% in the supply of smartphones from 2,000 rubles, deliveries of three brands to Russia increased by 25% in 2020 (from 1.16 to 1.45 million units). BBK Electronics may well occupy Huawei's niche in Russia, as it did in China.

[[:Шаблон:Quote 'author = comments on the head of the analytical center GS Group Alexander Surkov.]]

M.Video-Eldorado: sales growth by 15% to 570 billion rubles

On January 14, 2020, M of Video El Dorado the group "" shared TAdviser with the results of the analysis of demand for smartphones in 2020 Russia. Sales for the year increased by about 4% in pieces and 15% in money and reached 31.5 million devices and 570 billion. M.Video rubles Group Dorado recorded growth of 20% in units and 25% in money.

During 2020, smartphones enjoyed stable demand on the Russian market, except for the months of lockdown, when there was a decline in April, and in May sales were comparable to 2019. The growing need for a high-quality and technological device affected consumer preferences - smartphones costing from 50,000 rubles demonstrate the highest positive dynamics, their unit sales turned out to be 48% more. The share of flagships reached 8.5% in quantitative terms (+ 2.5 pp year-on-year) and 34% in monetary terms (+ 8 pp). About 70% of the devices sold, at the level of 2019, fall on the price range from 5 to 20 thousand rubles. The share of devices continues to decline to 5 thousand rubles, which is influenced by the shift in consumer attention towards more expensive models and the existing demand for push-button phones (the segment is stagnating, but continues to occupy a little less than 20% of sales of all mobile devices).

When buying smartphones , Russians began to pay more attention to the presence of a number of technologies and characteristics: the share of models with support NFC for contactless payments increased to 59% (+ 14 pp by 2019), reached 84% (+ 13 pp) the share of devices with technologies, biometric authentications approximately doubled, to 10% increased the number of devices sold with support. eSIM The share of smartphones with a diagonal of 6 to 7 inches exceeded 70% of the market (+ 20 pp). In addition to a high-quality and wide frameless display, users need more autonomy - the number of models with a volume from accumulator 4000 mAh from 25% has increased to 50%. In addition, the demand for smartphones with RAM more than 128 GB has become 2.1 times higher, sales of models with a front camera from 20 MP increased by a quarter. The range of smartphones with a foldable screen has expanded, over the year their unit sales on the Russian market turned out to be 4 times more.

Smartphones remain one of the most popular categories over the past few years, and during a pandemic, their importance in the life of users has only increased. The device becomes a key tool for communication, content consumption, entertainment, making payments, shopping, photos and other everyday tasks, so Russians began to choose more technological, autonomous devices with a large diagonal. Unit sales of the category in our networks turned out to be at least five times higher than in the Russian market. We continue to strengthen our position due to the expansion of the assortment, the start of sales of new products, pre-orders, emerging services and a "seamless" shopping path online and in the store, notes the head of the Telecom department in the M.Video-Eldorado Group Vladimir Chaika.

By the end of 2020, Samsung has become the most popular smartphone manufacturer for the ninth year in a row. Honor, Xiaomi, Apple and Huawei were also in the top five. The highest sales growth rates were demonstrated by Xiaomi, which rose one line in the ranking over the year. The total share of leading brands in unit sales increased by 3 percentage points. to 85%. In terms of sales volume, Apple remains number one.

The penetration of smartphones of Chinese brands continues to grow on the Russian market, the share of which reached 55% (+ 5 pp year-on-year). About 45% of smartphones were sold by Honor, Xiaomi and Huawei, a little less than 5% was taken by the manufacturer BBK Electronics (Oppo, vivo, Realme (RM Communication) and OnePlus), another 2.5% - ZTE, the remaining sales fell on more than a dozen other brands.

In the ranking of the best-selling smartphones of 2020, the leader in unit sales in Russia and the M.Video-Eldorado Group was the Samsung Galaxy A51 (64 GB), at the end of 2019 it was the Samsung Galaxy A50 (64 GB). At the end of the year, the top five bestsellers included two more Samsung smartphones - Galaxy A10 and A01, as well as the iPhone 11 (128 GB) and Honor 8A. In terms of sales volume, the iPhone 11 (128 GB) and (64 GB), Samsung Galaxy A51 (64 GB), iPhone XS (64 GB) and Samsung Galaxy A51 (128 GB) are leading.

M.Video-Eldorado: Russians purchased more than 520 thousand smartphones with 5G support for 42 billion rubles

On January 12, 2021, the M.Video-Eldorado Group presented an analysis of demand in Russia for smartphones with 5G support for 2020. The Russians purchased more than 520 thousand devices for a total amount of about 42 billion rubles. The average cost was about 80 thousand rubles. Unit sales of the segment in the fourth quarter were 4.5 times more than in the third quarter and 3 times higher than in the period from January to September.

The penetration of smartphones with support for fifth-generation networks in the Russian market is facilitated by the expansion of the range, including devices from the middle price range, as well as increased interest in devices more expensive than 50,000 rubles. Sales of the first smartphones with 5G started in the fourth quarter of 2019, at the end of 2020, more than 100 models were already available to Russian consumers, the most affordable in M.Video is the Honor 30S (now 24,990 rubles). At the end of 2020, sales of smartphones worth from 20 to 30 thousand rubles in quantitative terms increased by 23%, flagships - by 48% in units. Only in the segment of smartphones from 50,000 rubles, models with 5G accounted for about 20% of unit sales.

In the M.Video and Eldorado networks, the share of devices with 5G support was 2.5% in unit sales and 8% in money, which is higher than the average on the market - 1.5% in pieces and 7% in money.

A popular manufacturer on the Russian market in this segment was the company that Apple presented the first models with 5G support only in the fourth quarter of 2020 - sales iPhone 12 and 12 Pro began on October 23, 2020, iPhone 12 mini and 12 Pro Max - November 13, 2020 year. Among the leaders among the brands also included Honor,, and Samsung. Huawei Xiaomi

Among the five best-selling smartphones with support for the latest standard networks were three iPhone 12 models at once. The rating of 5G bestsellers is as follows: iPhone 12 (128GB), iPhone 12 Pro Max (256GB), Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (128GB), Honor 30 (128GB), iPhone 12 Pro (128GB).

One of the most significant trends for the Russian smartphone market in 2020 was the increased demand for flagship models. Russians began to invest more often in top-end devices with a set of technologies and functions that will be relevant in the future. Taking into account the service life of such devices, users will be able to appreciate all the capabilities and advantages of 5G networks in our country or in possible trips around the world. In addition to the long-term nature of demand, the start of Apple's line of devices played an important role in the growth of 5G smartphone shares. Sales of the iPhone 12 in our networks exceeded expectations for demand, - said Vladimir Chaika, head of the Telecom department at M.Video-Eldorado Group.

According to M.Video-Eldorado Group, sales of all smartphones on the Russian market in 2020 showed an increase of about 4% in units and 15% in money. The market volume reached 31.5 million devices and 570 billion rubles. In the M.Video-Eldorado Group, the growth was 20% in units and 25% in money. The average check on the Russian market increased by 9% to 18 thousand rubles.

Russian smartphone market grew by 14.3%

The volume of the Russian smartphone market in 2020 reached 31 million units, which is 2.3% more than a year earlier. In money, sales of devices increased by 14.3%, to 572 billion rubles. This is evidenced by MTS data.

As Kommersant writes with reference to MTS research, high growth rates (+ 39.2%) in 2020 were demonstrated by the segment of smartphones worth from 50 thousand rubles. At the same time, Russians have become less likely to buy inexpensive devices (up to 5 thousand rubles): their sales decreased by 15% amid growing demand for devices in the middle and high price segments. The average cost of smartphones in Russia increased by 12% to 18.5 thousand rubles.

The following brands were named the leaders of the Russian smartphone market in physical terms at the end of 2020:

• Samsung (share - 28%);
• Honor (21%);
• Xiaomi (19%);
• Apple (11%);
• Huawei (6,4%).

In monetary terms, the first place is occupied by smartphones:

• Apple (36%);
• Samsung (28%);
• Honor (13,5%);
• Xiaomi (13%);
• Huawei (4%).

According to MTS analysts, in Moscow in 2020 they bought gadgets 3 thousand rubles more expensive than the average Russian cost - for 21,852 rubles. Buyers from St. Petersburg chose models for an average of 22,085 rubles.

The most expensive smartphones in Russia were bought by residents of Salekhard and Magadan, where the average cost of the gadget exceeded the Russian average by more than 10 thousand rubles and amounted to 35,731 and 28,686 rubles, respectively. Anadyr also entered the top 5 cities with the highest check for devices - 28,502 rubles, Bugulma - 27,982 rubles and Novy Urengoy - 27,876 rubles.

The study says that the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in 2020 accelerated trends in gadget sales, which in normal times developed more slowly. Consumer demand for smartphones is actively moving online. The number of mobile devices sold via the Internet increased by 60%.^[27]

A third of smartphones in Russia are sold on the Internet

The volume of the Russian smartphone market in the third quarter of 2020 increased by 5%, while sales of devices via the Internet more than doubled. 34% of pipes were sold online against 32% in the second quarter of 2020, according to data from the analytical company Counterpoint Research (released at the end of November 2020).

According to experts, there has been a long-term shift in demand for smartphones from offline to online, which is facilitated by several factors, including social distancing of people, restrictions imposed by the authorities due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and the development of entertainment Internet services.

M.Video-Eldorado sells the most smartphones in the online segment - the retailer's share in July-September 2020 reached 32.5%, down from 35% three months earlier. Next are Svyaznoy (18.5%) and MTS (12.5%).

The study notes that the leadership of M.Video-Eldorado is weakening due to the pressure of competitors who are strengthening their positions through the sale of popular smartphones and low-cost products from brands such as Philips, Digma, Bright & Quick, Haier and Ark. The average selling price of a smartphone on the Russian market in the third quarter of 2020 decreased by 5% compared to the same period in 2019 and amounted to $224.

The top three most popular smartphones sold online look like this: Samsung Galaxy A51, Samsung Galaxy A31 and iPhone 11. The offline segment is led by the Samsung Galaxy A51, Redmi Note 8T and Samsung Galaxy A31. Several small vendors, including Black Fox and Senseit, recently began offering their devices online, while Dexp, Ginzzu and some other brands are still betting on traditional retail, according to an analytical report published on November 27, 2020.^[28]

M.Video-Eldorado: the share of expensive devices in smartphone sales reached 30%

The M.Video-Eldorado group analyzed the demand for smartphones worth more than 50,000 rubles in 2020. The share of smartphones from the upper price range in pieces in the eight months of 2020 reached 30% in money and 7% in pieces. Since 2017, interest in expensive smartphones has doubled in both physical and monetary terms. Every fourth device from the upper price segment in 2020 was bought at M.Video or Eldorado. The group announced this on September 4, 2020.

The Russian market for flagship smartphones in January-August 2020 amounted to about 1.4 million units and 100 billion rubles. Russians' interest in them increased by 40% in quantitative terms and 45% in monetary terms compared to the same period in 2019, which is facilitated by the long-term nature of demand, the expansion of the range of models from leading Chinese brands and foldable smartphones, the distribution of credit products and trade-in programs. The growth in sales of the segment in M.Video and Eldorado amounted to 46% in units and 53% in money.

The share of mobile devices is more expensive than 50 thousand rubles in total smartphone sales in the eight months of 2020 reached 7% (+ 1.5 pp year-on-year) and 30% (+ 7 pp) in money, which is twice as much in both indicators than in the same period of 2017. In M.Video, flagships already occupy about 15% in pieces and 43% in money.

The Russian smartphone market has continued to show positive dynamics since June 2020. At the end of eight months of 2020, sales increased by 6.5% in units and 13% in money, to 20.2 million units and 342 billion rubles. In January-August, M.Video-Eldorado Group demonstrated positive dynamics of about 30% in pieces and in money, which is 4.5 times higher than market indicators in pieces and 2.3 times higher than in money.

The average check for eight months on the Russian market grew by 6% to 16.9 thousand rubles, which was influenced by growing interest in models from 50,000 rubles. Buyers are increasingly replacing outdated smartphones with more productive, advanced ones that will be technically relevant in the next 2-3 years and will effectively solve everyday problems. The distinctive features of the flagship models of smartphones include: performance, a frameless screen with an average diagonal of 6 ″ (reaches 6.9 ″), high quality photo and video shooting (up to five rear cameras), a large amount of internal memory (up to 512 GB), battery capacity mainly from 4000 mAh, high-quality assembly and reliable materials (ceramics, glass, aluminum alloys and other metals).

In 2020, consumers also enjoyed increased demand for smartphones worth from 10 to 15 thousand rubles, which were optimal in terms of price-quality ratio - positive dynamics amounted to 15% both in pieces and in money.

Flagship devices are made more accessible by credit products and the trade-in program. In the M.Video-Eldorado Group, the share of sales of flagship smartphones in installments is kept at the level of 2019 - about 40%. Checkout without a down payment is possible both online on the website of each of the chains and in the nearest retail store.

Smartphones play an increasingly important role in our lives and are becoming indispensable, which was more clearly shown by the period of self-isolation. The device has become the main tool for communication, shopping, entertainment and other daily processes. The growing frequency of use also affects the preferences of Russians when buying a smartphone - they choose devices for the future. By the end of 2020, the share of devices from the upper price range may increase even due to the emergence of new products from leading brands and lower prices for flagships of previous years, as well as the expansion of the model range of smartphones with a foldable screen, - said Vladimir Chaika, head of the Telecom department at M.Video-Eldorado Group.

Another factor in the increase in the share of more expensive smartphones was the expansion of the range. With the strengthening of positions in the basic and middle segments, the leading Chinese players actively began to expand their lineup. In addition to Huawei and OPPO, models from 50,000 rubles are now also offered by Honor, Xiaomi, vivo and Realme (RM Communication). In total, such devices are available to customers from about 15 brands. In the entire Russian market, smartphones of Chinese brands occupy about 60% of unit sales. The brands Honor, Huawei and Xiaomi account for 50% of the devices sold, the company BBK Electronics, which produces smartphones OPPO, vivo, Realme, OnePus - another 4.5%.

The leaders in the segment of smartphones worth more than 50,000 rubles remain Apple and Samsung, which account for the vast majority of sales. Among the popular flagships for the eight months of 2020, unit sales included seven devices from Apple (mainly the current iPhone 11 line) and three models from Samsung. Among all price segments in the top ten bestsellers were four Samsung and Honor models, as well as one each from Xiaomi and Apple.

In Russia, sales of smartphones worth from 100 thousand rubles have doubled

Sales of smartphones worth from 100 thousand rubles in Russia in the first quarter of 2020 doubled in physical terms compared to the same period in 2019. This was reported on April 16, 2020 by MTS.

The main reason for the growth in sales of premium and expensive smartphones was the change in the course ruble and the desire of customers to purchase smartphones at old prices, analysts at the operator explained.

Also among the factors contributing to the growth in demand for premium phones was the transition of many Russians to remote work in connection with self-isolation due to the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19. To organize the workflow, some had to update their electronic devices.

M.Video - Eldorado believes that another reason for the increase in sales was the expansion of the segment - new models from Apple and Samsung entered the Russian market.

According to MTS, Apple iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max models were in greatest demand in the segment of the most expensive smartphones in January-March 2020.

The representative of Svyaznoy, in a conversation with Vedomosti, said that sales of smartphones with price tags from 100 thousand rubles in January-March 2020 increased by as much as 300%.

MTS notes that until mid-March 2020, about 60% of smartphones more expensive than 100 thousand rubles were bought on credit, in the second half of the month the share of credit acquisitions decreased to 30%. 70% of the most expensive devices paid immediately.

MTS calculated that the number of smartphones sold in the first quarter of 2020 in Russia increased by 8.7% compared to the same period of the previous year and amounted to 7.1 million units. This is a record increase over the past five years. In monetary terms, the market volume increased by 13%, amounting to 120.4 billion rubles.^[29]

In the first quarter, the share of Chinese smartphone brands reached 60%

On April 15, 2020, M.Video-Eldorado announced that it had summed up the development of the Russian smartphone market in the first quarter of 2020. In the first quarter of 2020, Russians purchased about 7.5 million smartphones for a total amount of about 127 billion rubles, which is 12% more in pieces and 15% in money than in the same period in 2019. The demand in the smartphone market is due to the high marketing activity of retailers and manufacturers in the first quarter of 2020 and the interest of Russians in flagship models. Users choose more functional and productive devices that in the next 2-3 years will allow them to solve everyday tasks as efficiently as possible. The average check amounted to 17 thousand rubles.

According to the company, a total of about 20 Chinese manufacturers in pieces occupied 60% of the Russian smartphone market. Leading Chinese brands, with increasing customer confidence and strengthening positions in the lower and middle price ranges, are increasing their presence in more expensive segments with competitive devices. If two years ago premium devices from 50 thousand rubles. of the "Chinese" offered only HUAWEI, then as of April 2020, Russian buyers have access to smartphones from OPPO, vivo, Xiaomi and OnePlus.

The most popular brand in piece, sales as in the first quarter of 2019, was Honor. Honor, Xiaomi and HUAWEI alone accounted for 50% of the devices sold, a year earlier their share was 42%, in 2018 - 24%. BBK Electronics, which combines the OPPO, vivo, OnePlus and brands, increased its market share to 5.5% from 0.75% in units year-on-year. Realme (RM Communication) Another 2% in unit sales came from the company's smartphones. ZTE

In the first quarter, M.Video-Eldorado Group increased sales of smartphones faster than the market, which was facilitated by the expansion of the range and inventory, regular promotions and the efficient operation of retail stores. told Vladimir Chaika, Head of the Mobile Technology Department in the M.Video-Eldorado Group

More than 70% of smartphones sold in kind fell on the price range from 5 to 20 thousand rubles, where the influence of Chinese manufacturers offering affordable devices with the functionality necessary for daily use is increasing. Also, positive dynamics were shown by devices more expensive than 50 thousand. Demand in other segments, on the contrary, is declining.

Consumer demand has centered around five major manufacturers Honor, Samsung, Xiaomi, Apple and Huawei, which accounted for 84% of all devices sold and 93% of the money market.

According to the results of the first quarter, the top 5 best-selling smartphones included devices from the base price segment. Four of the five places were taken by the Honor brand with the 8A, 7A, 10I and 8S models. The bestseller rating also includes the Samsung Galaxy A10. In monetary terms, the most popular was the iPhone 11 smartphone (128 GB). The leaders include three more smartphones from Apple - iPhone 11 (64 GB), iPhone XR (64 GB) and iPhone 11 Pro Max (256 GB), as well as the best-selling model of 2019 - Samsung Galaxy A50.

In the first quarter, the flagship smartphones HUAWEI P40 and Mate 30 Pro, Honor View 30 Pro, OPPO FindX2 and the Samsung Galaxy S20 line (S20, S20 +, S20 Ultra) appeared on the Russian market. With the release of Samsung Z Flip and Huawei Mate Xs, the range of flexible screen devices has expanded. In the middle price segment, market leaders also presented several updated devices: Samsung Galaxy A71, Honor 20 Lite, Xiaomi Redmi Note 8T, HUAWEI P40 lite and P40 lite E.

Shipments of smartphones from China to Russia suspended

At the end of January 2020, it became known that the Chinese manufacturers smartphones were delaying the supply of devices Russia to due to the coronavirus.

Sources among partners Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo, Realme, ZTE and Lenovo told Kommersant about the postponement. According to one of the interlocutors of the publication, these smartphone manufacturers sent letters to partners in which they said that due to the coronavirus, the factories extended their holidays in honor of the Chinese New Year until February 10, 2019 and there is a possibility that the deadlines could be increased.

According to the publication, Apple, which also manufactures its equipment in China, is urgently switching to supply schemes from other regions of China and Asia due to the situation with the coronavirus in Hubei province.

The press service of Vivo told the publication that the change in work will not affect the availability of phones, as companies order more equipment in advance. Thus, they are "insured" during the Chinese holidays and New Year holidays.

If deliveries are delayed by two to five weeks, there will be a shortage. According to the representative of the company MarvellDistribution"-" Pavel Vyukov, it can become useful for business, since it will reduce warehouse stocks. However, if the quarantine lasts more than a month and a half, then serious consequences are possible.

Mobile Research Group analyst Eldar Murtazin told the publication that due to the supply stop, smartphones may rise in price by 10-15% by the end of February 2020, and by mid-March the most popular models will begin to end in retail.

According to M of Video El Dorado"," Chinese brands accounted for half of the smartphone market Russia in 2019. Only Huawei with a subsidiary brand Honor took half of the market, notes. Kommersant^[30]

Over five years, smartphone screens have increased by 20%

On January 20, 2020, M.Video-Eldorado reported the results of a study of the growth dynamics of diagonals of devices with screens purchased over the past five years. To consume information and solve everyday problems, Russians are increasingly using smartphones, this is facilitated by a 20% increase in the screen over the past five years. The average display of laptops has remained the same since 2015, and all-in-ones and monitors have added only 5%.

Since 2015, the average diagonal of smartphones has grown by almost 20% to 5.4 inches (~ 13.7 cm) from 4.6 inches (~ 11.7 cm), and most 2019 models are equipped with a screen from 6 inches (~ 15.2 cm). Communication, reading text information, watching videos, choosing products, fast payment and other everyday activities are gradually moving to smartphones, which is facilitated by the increase in device screens. The best-selling smartphone of the year (Samsung Galaxy A50) features a 6.4-inch display. In addition, the trend towards framelessness is increasing in the design of devices, to increase the screen area, manufacturers are removing the fingerprint scanner on the back panel, cutouts at the top of the screen are less and less used, and the front camera becomes retractable. Models have already been presented on the Russian market, in which the screen occupies more than 99% of the front panel.

"The size of smartphone displays is approaching optimal and should not increase significantly in the near future. For more complex tasks that require a larger screen size, the user will rather choose a tablet or laptop. In the M.Video-Eldorado Group, as of January 2020, the share of smartphones from 5 inches has already reached 80%, " noted Vladimir Chaika, Head of the Mobile Technology Department at M.Video-Eldorado Group

At the end of 2019, smartphones from 5 inches (from 12.7 cm) accounted for about 80% of unit sales, which is almost 20 percentage points. higher than a year earlier. In 2017, the volume of devices with such a large diagonal was only 25%. Thus, there are practically no devices with a screen less than 4 inches left on the market (~ 1% in 2019), and the diagonal from 6 inches becomes the standard. The most non-standard model of the year - the foldable Samsung Galaxy Fold is equipped with a flexible 7.3-inch screen. Of the models in the standard 7.12-inch form factor, the Honor 8X Max has a screen.

The average screen size of the most popular smartphone in five years has increased by 60%. In 2019, more often than others, Russians purchased the Samsung Galaxy A50 with a 6.4-inch screen, five years earlier the 4-inch Lenovo A319 became the leader.

computer In the technology segment, consumer preferences in the size of purchased devices remained similar over five years. The average screen size of a laptop is kept at 15.6-15.8 inches. Universal laptops of 15-16 inches, which are suitable for use at home and on a trip, accounted for more than 75% of the devices sold at the end of 2019. The average size of monitors and all-in-ones purchased in 2019 was about 22.5 inches, up about 5% from five years ago. The average diagonal TV in 2019 was 40 inches.

2019

Market growth by 12% to 34 million units - Omdia

The volume of the Russian smartphone market in 2019 reached 34 million units, an increase of 12% compared to the previous year, according to data from the analytical company Omdia.

Experts explained the recorded rise in a stable economy in 2019, continued purchases of smartphones to replace simple push-button tubes and an increase in the range of cheap devices.

If the demand for smartphones in Russia is growing, then throughout the world there is a reverse trend. In 2019, sales of such gadgets on a global scale decreased by 2% largely due to the fact that people began to use their devices for longer, and this, in turn, is partly due to the lack of innovation in the market.

Samsung remained the leader in the Russian smartphone market in 2019 with a share of 27.8% against 23.6% in 2018. In 12 months, the company shipped 9.5 million smartphones to the country, which was the best result for Samsung, which the company managed to achieve in the Russian Federation

Huawei from the South Korean vendor by less than two percent: analysts estimated the contribution of the Chinese company at 26% (in 2018, the share was 18%).

Apple closed the top three, but iPhone demand continues to decline. In 2019, Apple accounted for 13.4% of the total volume of smartphone deliveries to the Russian market against 19.5% and 21.9% a year and two years earlier, respectively.

Apple's pricing policy with a high level of surcharge is not consistent with the latest trends in the Russian market, and the brand is losing ground to manufacturers offering a wide range of mid-range models such as Samsung or Huawei, said Omdia analyst Anna Ahrens.

The top 5 leaders of the Russian smartphone market also entered, Xiaomi which in 2019 recorded about 12% of deliveries in the asset. The combined share of Chinese brands was about 50% in 2019.^[31]

Svyaznoy: in 10 years, Russians purchased 225 million smartphones

On April 3, 2020, Svyaznoy announced an analysis of the Russian smartphone market over the past 10 years.

From 2010 to 2019, Russians spent 2.8 trillion rubles on the purchase of 225 million smartphones, which is 53% more than the country's population as of 2019. Over 10 years, smartphone sales have increased 6 times in physical terms and 8 times in monetary terms. At the same time, despite huge technical changes, the average cost of a smartphone increased by only 31%: from 12.5 thousand rubles in 2010 to 16.9 thousand rubles in 2019.

In 2010, smartphones accounted for only 10% of sales in units from the entire GSM market, in 2019 this figure was already 80%. Buyers most often gave their preference to the Apple brand, whose models during this period became the absolute leaders in sales in Svyaznoy in money and pieces 7 and 3 times, respectively.

GS Group: 48.3 million mobile phone imports

On March 19, 2020, GS Group announced that 48.3 million mobile phones were imported to Russia in the twelve months of 2019. Of these, 66% (31.8 million pieces) are smartphones with an estimated price in the store from 7,000 rubles, respectively, 34% of deliveries are occupied by smartphones and push-button phones with a price in the store of up to 7,000 rubles. GS Group recalled that back in 2017, the segments were equal in terms of the number of devices.

At the end of the 12 months of 2019, as we had previously forecast, the volume of imports decreased by 2% (12 months of 2019 to 12 months of 2018), while a year ago deliveries increased by 5% (12 months of 2018 to 12 months of 2017)

In the upper segment (from 7,000 rubles) for the 12 months of 2019, growth amounted to 11.1%, the volume of the lower segment (to 7,000 rubles) decreased by 21%. Segments are increasingly diverging: if the upper one slightly decreased only in mid-2019, then the lower one - on the contrary: it is falling at a double-digit pace and only at the turn of 2018-2019 showed good growth. However, the dynamics of the fall and growth of segments is not so unambiguous, more details in Part 3 in the "Big Game" section.

1. Upper segment

2019 began with growth: in the first quarter, the segment grew by 13% (Q1 2019 to Q1 2018), however, in the second and third quarters, the upper segment showed a slight drop: by 3% and 1%, respectively.

2. Lower segment

Leading smartphone brands from 7,000 rubles

Shipments of Huawei and Samsung smartphones in 2019 exceeded 10 million units, even Apple brought more than 3 million units, while all other brands from 7,000 rubles in total delivered only 3 million units, the volume of the largest of them - Vivo - barely reached 600 thousand units.

The total volume of deliveries of four leading brands in 2019 amounted to 28.7 million units by 19%. The total share of these brands is 90% of the total supply of smartphones from 7,000 rubles (or 59% of the total mobile phone market). The share of the top 4 decreased slightly at the end of the year due to a decrease in the fourth quarter to 87% (before that, during 2019, it was invariably 92%). Nevertheless, if you compare 2019 with 2017, when the share of the top 4 averaged 73%, the consolidation of the market is obvious.

At the end of the year, Huawei came out on top, overtaking Samsung by a minimal margin. In third place is firmly entrenched, and Xiaomi Apple also firmly holds fourth place.

1. Huawei

Huawei has become the leader in 2019 in the supply of smartphones to Russia. The US trade war with China and personally with Huawei failed to stop the company. On the contrary, Huawei has become a symbol of this confrontation, which will eventually attract other Chinese manufacturers to its platform and ecosystem as a whole.

The main result of Huawei's struggle for its existence in 2019 was the release of its own operating system HarmonyOS, the existence of which no one seriously believed, even when the company announced an alternative to Android. In early 2020, Huawei continued to develop its own platform with the release of HMS Core 4.0 (Huawei Mobile Services), which will make life much easier for mobile app developers and, as a result, make cooperation with Huawei even more popular and in demand, and the app store Huawei AppGallery is more complete.

The total volume of deliveries by the end of the year is 10.3 million units (an increase of 17%, 2019 by 2018). At the end of 2019, Huawei's share grew to 32.3%.

The bulk of Huawei smartphones are in the lower price group, with Honor imports of 7A, 8A and 8S and Lite accounting Huawei Y5 for more than half of the company's total shipments. In the middle price group, the company's leading models are the Honor 10 Lite, Honor 8X and the Honor 9X, which replaced it, in total, their shipments are about 20%. Premium families of models, Huawei P30 Mate20 and Mate 30, as well as Honor 20 make up no more than 15%. Overall, Huawei is playing in the lower segment.

2. Samsung

For 12 months of 2019, Samsung imported 10.1 million smartphones from 7,000 rubles, showing an increase of 12% (12 months 2019 to 12 months 2018) At the end of 2019, Samsung took only second place, albeit with a minimum lag. The share of the brand was 31.9%.

Summing up, we can say that the company is firmly established in India, at least when it comes to the production of cheap models of smartphones J2 Core and A10. The share of supplies to Russia was equal to the share of Vietnam - 47 - 48%, and the share of China fell from 30% in 2017 to 5% at the end of 2019.

Samsung is consistently moving into more expensive segments. In the lower price group, the company offers Just core, J2 and CoreJ2 models, the share of which in Samsung's supplies does not exceed 10%. The bulk of Samsung smartphones in Russia are models of the average price group A10 and A20s (37% in the company's supplies) and the more expensive model A50 (27%). The premium S10 and Note10 families account for no more than 7% of the company's supplies.

Samsung continues to experiment with premium models in the form of clamshells (smartphone-book) to show its competencies as opposed to Chinese competitors. Instead of the failed Samsung Fold, according to some estimates, the company offered a more understandable, especially to the adult generation, Z Flip. But, most likely, with all the marketing capabilities of Samsung, this direction will not receive further development.

3. Xiaomi

At the end of 2019, the volume of Xiaomi imports amounted to 4.9 million units, which means an increase of 121% (12 months of 2019 to 12 months of 2018). At the end of the year, Xiaomi has finally broken away from Apple and firmly took third place in Russia with a share of 15%.

Much of Xiaomi's success in Russia belongs to independent distributors that are not related to the company (in turn, Huawei, Samsung and Apple import smartphones into Russia through their own subsidiaries). The main share in Xiaomi's supplies to Russia is occupied by diHouse (40%), the structures of Marvell and DNS - 24% and 21%, respectively. All three distributors increased the brand's supply volumes in 2019, especially diHouse.

Xiaomi's main model in the lower price group is the Redmi 7A, its share at the end of the year is 18%. In the middle price groups, the company relies on the Redmi 8 family (Redmi 8 and Redmi 8A models), which account for 29% of the brand's shipments to Russia, and the more expensive Redmi Note 8 family (Redmi Note 8T and Redmi Note 8 Pro models), which account for another third of the brand's shipments. The share of the premium MI 9 family is no more than 4%.

4. Apple

The share of the iPhone in Russia continues to decline steadily: up to 11% in 2019, primarily due to Huawei and Xiaomi.

At the end of 2019, Apple's supply amounted to 3.4 million units (a drop of 17%, 2019 by 2018).

Apple's small lineup is slowly changing, but the company has not shown the breakthrough changes that are expected of it for a long time, and somewhere behind its Chinese competitors. Trying not to face them directly, the company relies on expensive models.

Apple's position will not improve anytime soon. In addition to global changes in the Russian smartphone market, there are several other serious reasons for this. First, the pre-installation of Russian software will hit first of all it is for Apple, since of all the leaders and closest pursuers, it is this company that is least willing to work with the software imposed on it, and also for a separate market. Secondly, the violation of the production and logistics schedule due to the coronavirus also hit Apple's supplies hard.

Other smartphone brands from 7,000 rubles

The total volume of other brands outside the top 4 decreased by 34% over the 12 months of 2019 - to 3 million units.

At the end of 2019, the share of other brands in the segment from 7,000 rubles is only 9.7% - less than the share of Apple.

Vivo became the leader in the catch-up echelon at the end of 2019 (together with OPPO, it is part of the Chinese BBK Electronics group). At the end of 2019, an increase of more than five times.

The second place is taken Oppo (part of the Chinese group BBK Electronics) with a supply volume of 451 thousand units at the end of 2019 (an increase of 6.5 times, 2019 by 2018).

The third line is occupied by ZTE. The brand has long been operating on the Russian market at the end of 2019, deliveries increased by 46% - to 360 thousand units.

The next position is taken by BQ (Bright & Quick). The main volume of the brand falls on the lower price segment (up to 7,000 rubles). In 2019, the company delivered 263 thousand smartphones to Russia in the segment from 7,000 rubles (a decrease of 47%, 2019 by 2018).

In fifth place came the Chinese Realme (RM Communication). For 2019, the import of smartphones under the Realme brand to Russia amounted to 127 thousand units.

Vivo, OPPO and Realme are distributed by companies with Chinese roots, with OPPO and Realme coordinated promotes one company. In total, three brands of the Chinese BBK Electronics occupy 3.7% of the Russian mobile phone market.

The Finnish brand Nokia under the management of the HMD Global Oy team has not yet found significant advantages for Russian buyers of Android smartphones. Assembly in Vietnam (the only exception on the Russian market together with Samsung) has also not yet helped the company regain its lost position in Russia. The volume of deliveries for 2019 in the segment from 7,000 rubles amounted to only 123 thousand units (in 2018 it reached 890 thousand units).

Finally, under the Tecno brand (owned by the Thai Transsion Holdings), 117 thousand pieces of smartphones from 7,000 rubles were imported to Russia in 2019. In 2019, deliveries quadrupled (began in mid-2018).

Brands of China

The total share of Chinese brands in the segment of smartphones from 7,000 rubles at the end of 2019 reached 54% (in 2017 it was 27%).

The total volume of shipments of smartphones of Chinese brands (Huawei, Xiaomi, ZTE, Meizu, Vivo, OPPO, Realme, etc.) in the upper segment amounted to 17 million units. Xiaomi and Huawei played a key role in the gain, increasing deliveries of their devices amid declining volumes of Apple and Nokia, as well as the growth of new Chinese stars (Vivo and OPPO). And although mathematically the growth rate of the share of Chinese brands is decreasing, the effective development by Chinese companies of their own platforms and app stores in exchange for Google will allow Chinese brands to further increase their share in the Russian smartphone market in a few years - up to 75% in the upper segment.

Smartphones and mobile phones with an estimated retail price below 7,000 rubles

The Russian brand Inoi remains the leader in the lower segment at the end of 2019 - 1.72 million units (an increase of 67%, 2019 by 2018).

BQ (Bright & Quick) came out in second place with a volume of 1.71 million units in the lower segment.

The third line at the end of 2019 is occupied by Texet with a volume of 1.65 million units, a decrease of 11% (2019 by 2018).

Maxvi deliveries are the most stable among the leaders, at the end of 2019 - 1.51 million units (a drop of 16%, 2019 by 2018).

The Itel brand closes the top five in the lower segment - 1.36 million units.

The following five companies are systematically reducing supplies to the Russian market: Nokia - by 30% (up to 1.2 million units), Philips - by 19% (up to 1 million units), DEXP - by 31% (up to 0.65 million units), Jinga - by 51% (up to 0.55 million units), Vertex - by 19% (up to 0.52 million units). At the same time, in previous years, deliveries of these brands exceeded 1 million units, and Nokia - 2 million units.

The volume of the lower segment (phones up to 7,000 rubles) is reduced annually. But at the same time, against the background of a fall in the volume of leaders (the exception of Inoi and Itel) in the lower segment, there is no consolidation, as is the case in the upper segment: the share of the top five is invariably 49%, and the share of the top ten even decreases - from 74% to 72%.

The leader of 2017 Fly (3.2 million units) has finally left the market at the end of 2019.

How much did we pay

The total turnover of the mobile phone market in 2019 is 792 billion rubles. A third of the total mobile phone market in monetary terms is occupied by Apple, while in terms of quantity (including push-button) - no more than 7%. The rise in the average price of the iPhone partially offset the fall in volumes. Another quarter of the turnover is occupied by Samsung, while in terms of quantity - 21%. The shares of both brands are declining following the growth of the share of Huawei and Xiaomi.

In general, the money turnover of the four leaders is 91% of the entire market. Smartphones of other brands account for 5% of 7,000 rubles, and 4.5% for the lower segment (smartphones up to 7,000 rubles and push-button phones). Turnover outside the top 4 is falling rapidly on the heels of a drop in the number of phones being imported, with their average price drops very slowly.

Market growth by 1% to 30 million units - MTS

The volume of the Russian smartphone market in 2019 amounted to about 30 million units, an increase of 1% compared to the previous year. At the same time, in 2018, the growth rate was higher and was measured at 3%, according to MTS.

Operator analysts associate operator analysts close to zero growth with the lack of new truly interesting devices. The new flagship models do not provide users with fundamentally new features when using the most popular digital services. Smartphones released in 2017 and 2018 cope with video streaming, online games, social networks, instant messengers and other popular applications no worse than more recent models, experts say.

Against this background, users continued to increase the ownership of existing gadgets (MTS estimates it at 30 months against the previous 24) and expand their functionality through fashionable and affordable technological accessories, such as smart watches and wireless headsets.

The average price of wireless headsets in Russia decreased to 8,100 rubles in 2019 from 9,700 rubles in 2018, which is explained by the release of a large number of inexpensive models. Smartwatch sales jumped 66%, and Samsung, Garmin and Apple devices sold best.

The only noticeable technical trend that influenced the increase in the average cost of a smartphone (it rose by 6.1% to 16,600 rubles), MTS called the increase in the number of cameras. In 2019, the number of gadgets with three or more lenses, which belong to the middle price segment, increased more than 12 times compared to 2018.

It also follows from the report that sales of smartphones in Russia in monetary terms by the end of 2019 reached 495 billion rubles. Analysts do not lead the dynamics in comparison with the previous year.^[32]

The leader in the Russian smartphone market has changed - IDC

The volume of the Russian smartphone market in 2019 reached record levels - 39.2 million units in the amount of $7.9 billion, according to the research company IDC. Compared to 2018, sales of pipes in physical terms increased by 7.5%.

The gradual strengthening of the ruble exchange rate during the year helped the market gain momentum, says Olga Babinina, an analyst at the Russian representative office of IDC.

According to her, the market volume in monetary terms rose by a quarter compared to the peak of pre-crisis 2014.

According to experts, Huawei became the largest manufacturer of smartphones in the Russian market, which at the end of 2019 imported more than 10 million pipes into the country, which is almost 1 million more than the previously leading Samsung. The success of the Chinese company is largely due to the Honor brand.

At the same time, as noted in IDC, the negative factor for Huawei and the brand of the same name was the transition of consumers to cheaper models, so in monetary terms Huawei remained far behind Samsung.

The best-selling smartphone in Russia at the end of 2019 was the mid-range Samsung Galaxy A50.

Consumers' penchant for spending was confirmed by Apple's strong year-end results. The company's share in monetary terms fell in 2019, but thanks to the release of the IPhone 11 model, the share of the American corporation reached 11.9% and 39.4%, respectively, in unit and monetary terms.

Xiaomi is firmly entrenched in the third position in the Android smartphone market; thus, market consolidation intensified. The total market share of the four largest manufacturers in the Russian smartphone market reached 84%.

The study also says that the average cost of phones in Russia did not increase by the end of 2019. In the segment of Android devices, the price was about $180.^[33]

The share of smartphones with NFC support reached half of the market in physical terms

On February 11, 2020, M.Video-Eldorado, having analyzed the demand for smartphones with a contactless data transmission (NFC) module in 2019, reported that sales of devices with technology support increased by more than 20% in units, and their share reached half of the market in physical terms. Read more here.

Record smartphone sales - GfK

In 2019, Russians purchased a record number of smartphones - 30.14 million units and spent about 495 billion rubles on them. Such data at the end of January 2020 were released by GfK analysts.

According to them, in physical terms, the market volume grew by 2%, which was largely facilitated by the replacement of obsolete devices with new ones and the transition from simple push-button phones to more technically advanced smartphones.

However, GfK analyst for the telecommunications goods market Anna Shebek is confident that the growth of the smartphone market in Russia will continue to slow down in 2020, both in pieces and in money. She connects this with the fact that the incomes of the population practically do not grow. In Russia, the global trend is repeated: the life cycle of using a smartphone is increasing, since new models do not offer significant innovations and buyers began to use one device for longer, she notes.

In addition, manufacturers began to use more reliable materials for the manufacture of the screen and the body of the smartphone, offer batteries with a larger capacity, which also favorably affects the service life of the device, the expert said (quoted by Izvestia).

Market participants interviewed by the publication say that in many respects smartphones have reached their limit, and their development is mainly in the field of accessories. But when new technologies (for example, 5G support) and non-standard design solutions (folding displays, etc.) appear on the market, growth may resume.

MTS also attributed the launch of new services that require updating the device for more comfortable work to factors that can stimulate the growth of the Russian smartphone market.

Natalia Selikhova, head of the procurement department for digital equipment at Citylink, doubts that 5G networks will have a significant impact on the consumer market in 2020-2021. At least nothing will change for buyers, she said.^[34]

M.Video-Eldorado: Over the past decade, Russians have acquired about 400 million mobile communications

On January 28, 2020, M.Video-Eldorado presented the results of studying the demand for telecom devices over the past ten years (2010-2019). In total, over the past decade, Russians have purchased about 400 million mobile communications in the amount of almost 3 trillion rubles.

If in 2010 only 10% of users chose "smart" devices, then in 2019 for every three purchased smartphones there was only one mobile phone. Total smartphone sales in the 2010s turned out to be only 15% more than cell phones - 212.6 million devices versus 184.6 million.

"Despite the availability of smartphones with a wider range of features, a small proportion of customers opt for phones with buttons. They are in demand as an additional inexpensive means of communication or as a first device for children or the elderly. Consciously, a mobile phone is chosen by digital ascetics who want to limit the time spent on the Internet and reduce psychological dependence on technology. Of the advantages of "cellular" over smartphones, one can name the long operating time without recharging, low price, reliability (the segment of shock-resistant and moisture-resistant phones is actively developing). Push-button phones last longer, on average they are changed every five years, while the smartphone replacement cycle is about two years, which is again influenced by high autonomy, resistance to breakdowns, as well as the lack of breakthrough technologies, for which it is worth buying new devices more often. " noted Vladimir Chaika, Head of the Mobile Technology Department at M.Video-Eldorado Group

In the 2010s, smartphones gained mass popularity, became the main means of communication instead of mobile phones and replaced other technical devices, for example, audio players, photo and video cameras, navigators or e-books. In 2019, smartphone sales in Russia in 2019 amounted to about 30 million devices worth about 495 billion rubles, which is 1.5% more in pieces and 7% in money than in 2018. The money volume of the market turned out to be almost twice as much as in the pre-crisis 2014. It was five years ago that smartphone sales in quantitative terms surpassed the demand for mobile phones for the first time.

As noted in M.Video-Eldorado, over the past decade, the technical capabilities of smartphones have undergone significant changes. Samsung Galaxy A50 smartphone screen (2019 bestseller) compared to Nokia 5230 (the best-selling in 2010) doubled to 6.4 inches from 3.2 inches, the resolution of the main camera increased to 25 MP from 2 MP, the 3G standard was replaced by a 4G network, the amount of internal memory of popular models increased to 64 GB from 70 MB, the battery capacity tripled, slots for two SIM cards, biometric sensors and NFC chips began to be introduced en masse. For ten years, Samsung gadgets have most often occupied the top.

The demand for push-button phones is declining, but in 2019 they were bought 3.5 times more often than tablets and 70% more often than wearable devices.

At the end of 2019, the demand for cellular phones without an operating system in Russia decreased by 12% in quantitative terms and 18% in monetary terms to 8.4 million devices and 10.9 billion rubles compared to 2018. The average cost of push-button devices was 1,300 rubles. The top 5 popular manufacturers include the Russian brand teXet, Nokia, Itel, Jinga and another Russian brand - BQ-mobille. The best-selling model for the second year in a row was the Jinga Simple F200n. Russians have been losing interest in the category since 2012. However, in M.Video-Eldorado Group sales are showing stable growth, in 2019 the positive dynamics amounted to 13% in units and 8% in money.

In 2019, 99% of devices purchased by Russians work in the 2G standard, have small screens of 1.5-3 inches, 90% of phones are equipped with a classic push-button keyboard (the rest of sales are in sliders and clamshells), and more than 90% of models have slots for two SIM-cards.

34% of the money volume of the smartphone market was occupied by models with wireless charging

On January 22, 2020, the company M of Video El Dorado"" announced that it analyzed the demand for wireless devices - smartphones with wireless charging, wireless, earphones speakers, chargers sales and wearables, which reached 240 billion at the rubles end of 2019. The two-digit dynamics were demonstrated by wireless chargers and portable acoustics, the demand for doubled. 34% of the wearable devices money volume of the market smartphones was occupied by models with wireless charging.

According to the company, sales of smartphones with support for wireless charging (Qi standard) in 2019 increased by 30%, and the share of such devices reached 10% in physical terms (about 3 million units) and a little more than a third of the market in money (about 170 billion rubles). In the sales of the M.Video network, smartphones that support wireless charging took more than 20% in units, which is twice as high as market indicators. In monetary terms, such models account for just over 50%. Wireless charging mode is supported by most flagships and several models of past years from the most popular brands: Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, Sony, ZTE, Nokia, LG, etc. The average cost of smartphones with integrated wireless charging is about 57 thousand rubles. The best-selling models of 2019 with Qi charging are the iPhone XR/X, iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone 11, Samsung Galaxy S10/S10 Plus/S10e and Huawei P30 Pro. For January 2020, the function is becoming more and more popular, since it allows you not to depend on wires and connectors, but the charging speed using the accessory is lower than with a wired connection to the network.

Wireless devices are obviously more convenient than wired devices, which contributes to their popularity - the headphones are not confused in the pocket, the charges are not lost or worn out. The proliferation of technologies allows you to reduce their cost at the production stage, and they from flagship models wander into the mass market. told Vladimir Chaika, Head of the Mobile Technology Department in the M.Video-Eldorado Group

The demand for wireless chargers increased year-on-year by 20% in physical terms and 12% in monetary terms (up to 750 million rubles). Accessories are compact, overheat-proof and affordable - the average cost is about 3 thousand rubles. They are compatible not only with smartphones, but also smartwatch with headphones that support the Qi standard (some models allow you to charge two devices at the same time). Every year the range of chargers is expanding, and the most popular manufacturers of 2019 are Samsung, Rivercase,, Belkin InterStep,, Deppa Xiaomi, Huawei, Rombica, etc.

With a wireless connection, 30% of headphones (about 6.3 million pairs) are already sold in Russia, in money the share has reached about 75% of the market (more than 27 billion rubles). In M.Video-Eldorado Group, the demand for headphones in units grew faster than the market and added 11% in units, in monetary terms increased at a similar pace to the market. The headphone segment for 2019 increased in quantitative terms by 8% and in monetary terms by 55% due to the growing popularity of models with a connection to a sound source via bluetooth, mainly autonomous True Wireless and accessories for comfortable sports. Fully wireless TWS headphones have become more popular in four, they are becoming more affordable thanks to the expansion of the range. The development of the bluetooth segment is influenced by the partial rejection of smartphone manufacturers from standard headphone jacks.

The demand for compact wireless portable acoustics increased by 20% in unit terms and 22% in cash to 1.8 million devices and 8.3 billion rubles. The average check increased by 2% to 4.7 thousand rubles. Speakers attract customers with mobility, ease of management, affordable price, long battery life and sound quality. The popularity of the category is facilitated by the spread of smartphones and music streaming services, as well as the integration of additional functionality by manufacturers: voice assistants, color music, shock resistance and moisture resistance. Leadership in both the market and the M.Video-Eldorado Group continues to be held by the JBL brand.

Wearable devices are gaining mass popularity among Russian users, the demand for them in 2019 doubled in units to 5 million devices and almost 90% in monetary terms more than 32 billion rubles. In the M.Video-Eldorado Group, demand for the category increased by more than 2.5 times. Smartwatches in the monetary volume of sales of the category occupy more than 60%. The trend for the lack of wires extends to other categories, as sales of robot vacuum cleaners increased by 85%, vertical vacuum cleaners by a third.

Used smartphone sales in Russia are growing faster than new ones

The volume of the Russian used smartphone market in 2019 amounted to 7 million units, which is 8% more than in 2018. In money, sales grew by 17%, reaching 35 billion rubles, according to data from SmartPrice (sells restored electronics).

The demand for used devices in the Russian Federation is growing faster than for new devices. Thus, according to M.Video-Eldorado estimates, in 2019, Russians purchased 30 million new smartphones in the amount of 495 billion rubles, which is 1.5% and 7% more than a year ago.

According to Kommersant, the growth of the secondary market is supported, among other things, by trade-in programs, in which retailers accept old devices from users in exchange for a discount on new ones, the publication's interlocutors say. Companies believe that trade-in also helps the growth of the primary smartphone market: the service motivates users to buy expensive devices.

MegaFon for 2019 accepted more than 400 thousand devices in trade-in and for disposal, said Andrey Levykin, CEO of MegaFon Retail. In 2019, the VimpelCom retail chain accepted more than 70 thousand devices in trade-in. In MTS, the number of smartphones that passed in trade-in has tripled compared to 2018.

Trade-in stimulates the market for new devices more than used ones, agrees Mobile Research Group analyst Eldar Murtazin. At the same time, data on the growth of the secondary market may be somewhat overestimated, he does not exclude, estimating this segment at a stable level of just over 6 million devices annually. According to the expert, entering this segment of companies that buy devices through trade-in gave a small impetus for its development, but at the same time reduced the cost of selling smartphones in the secondary market: for example, "selling used Apple devices for reasonable money has become more difficult."^[35]

Avito smartphone market: Huawei sales have grown the most in a year

On January 16, 2020, Avito announced that in 2019, 2.04 million phones were bought on Avito's website, which is 12% more than in 2018. Sales leaders remained unchanged, with the iPhone in first place, accounting for almost half of all deals, and Samsung in second. The third and fourth places are occupied by Chinese brands Xiaomi and Huawei, which in 2019 showed maximum sales growth (by almost 70% and 124%, respectively).

In Russia as a whole, the average price of a smartphone in the secondary market amounted to almost 9,300 rubles, which is 5.8% more than in 2018.

The best-selling mobile phones by the end of the year were again the iPhone, the average cost of which is just under 14,000 rubles. Compared to 2018, they have risen in price by 3.1%. The second place in terms of sales for the year is still occupied by Samsung with an average price of about 9,300 rubles (+ 5.9% per year, the largest price increase in the top 10). Xiaomi smartphones, which took the third line of the rating, fell slightly in 2019 (by 1.3%). On average, phones of this brand cost about 8,600 rubles. The price of LG has dropped the most. This brand has become more affordable by 15.7%, but at the same time it has lost one position in the ranking, being in last place of the dozens of best-selling phones in the country.

The largest sales growth in 2019 was demonstrated by two Chinese brands - Xiaomi and Huawei: almost 70% and 124%, respectively. On the contrary, the biggest decline in sales in the top 10 was also shown by the LG brand - by almost 30%.

The most affordable on the market were smartphones under their own brand (operator MTS the average price is about 1,400 rubles), as well as devices of the Explay and Texet brands (1,400 and 1,500 rubles, respectively). However, Russians prefer devices with the best functionality: the share of sales of each of the most budget brands does not exceed 1% of the total level. The most expensive smartphones - as last year, (Vertu an average of 32,800 rubles).

The first places in the availability of mobile phones among the 23 largest Russian cities were taken by Barnaul (on average 7,500 rubles), Omsk (7,800 rubles) and Voronezh (7,900 rubles). The highest price tag in Krasnoyarsk is just over 12,000 rubles. In second place among the cities with the highest prices is Moscow, where the average price of a smartphone is about 10,700 rubles, in third place is Irkutsk (10,500 rubles).

The Russian smartphone market began to grow twice as fast as before the crisis in 2014

In 2019, smartphone sales in Russia increased by 7% compared to 2018 and reached 495 rubles. This growth rate is twice that of pre-crisis 2014. Such data are provided in M.Video-Eldorado.

In pieces, the volume of the Russian smartphone market amounted to 30 million units, which is 1.5% more than a year ago. The average price of the device for the year increased by 1000 rubles, to 16,500 rubles.

According to Svyaznoy's estimates, in 2019, smartphone sales in the Russian Federation increased by 1% in physical terms and by 7% in monetary terms. The retailer estimates the average price of the tube at 16,800 rubles. (an increase of 6%).

In 2019, according to Svyaznoy, the trend towards an increase in the diagonals of smartphones continued, "which for many years have been growing annually by an average of 0.2 inches."

If in 2018 the popular diagonals of the devices were 5.5 and 5.7 inches, then in 2019 all flagship models had a diagonal of 6.1 inches and higher. The increase in size also occurred in the middle and low price categories, where a standard of 5.5 inches was formed for the middle price category, and 5 inches for the low price category. At the same time, the width of the devices did not grow, they increased in length, and the frames around the screen decreased. This is due to the fact that for comfortable use of the device, its width should be 72-74 mm, the company said.

Another notable trend last year was the spread of smartphones with a teardrop notch for the camera, with a hole in the screen, as well as the appearance of devices with a retractable camera.

MegaFon notes that last year sales of smartphones on credit increased - they account for every fourth purchase, due to this, expensive devices are more often chosen.

About 30% of smartphones sold in 2019 came from Samsung products, the same joint share of Huawei and Honor brands . The total share of Chinese brands in the Russian smartphone market has already reached 50%. In monetary terms, Apple remains the leader in the Russian market .^[36]

Samsung Galaxy A50 is the best-selling smartphone in Russia

The best-selling smartphone in Russia in 2019 was the Samsung Galaxy A50 model. This is evidenced by the data of the M.Video-Eldorado group.

According to analysts at the retailer, most often Russians bought smartphones worth from 10 to 20 thousand rubles, as well as flagship devices with price tags from 50 thousand rubles. The average check for smartphones in the Russian Federation increased by 6% compared to 2018 and amounted to 16.5 thousand rubles.

8 of the 10 most popular smartphones in Russia at the end of 2019 were models,, Samsung, Apple Huawei or. Honor Xiaomi Experts explained the leadership of brands by the fact that buyers are well acquainted with their products.

The study "M.Video-Eldorado" says that in 2019, Russians preferred smartphones with memory from 128 GB and a screen of more than six inches.

Displays are becoming larger, including in the middle and lower price categories, where the standard diagonal is 5.5 and 5 inches, respectively. Manufacturers increase displays by lengthening the body of the smartphone and reducing the bezels around the screen. Most buyers in 2019 bought frameless gadgets.

In addition, buyers have increased requirements for built-in cameras - now optics with a sensor from 16 megapixels are in demand.

It also follows from the report that 90% of users opted for tubes with two SIM cards and 93% with LTE support. Samsung Galaxy Fold with a flexible screen turned out to be the most unusual novelty in the domestic market.

M.Video-Eldorado reported high demand for the iPhone 11 - after it went on sale on September 20, demand was four times higher than for the iPhone XS. Approximately 60% of customers chose the iPhone 11 Pro. At the end of the first week, demand was twice as much as for last year's iPhones.^[37]

GS Group: 32.4 million mobile phones imported to Russia in nine months

On November 26, 2019, the GS Group analytical center presented a report on the import of mobile phones into Russia for 9 months of 2019:

• For nine months of 2019, 32.4 million mobile phones were imported to Russia. Of these, 65% (21.1 million pcs/) are smartphones with an estimated retail price above 7,000 rubles. The total volume of mobile phone imports in Q3 2019 fell by 11% (compared to Q3 2018) to 11.7 million units. At the end of nine months, the volume of imports decreased by 6% (compared to the same period in 2018)

• In the third quarter of 2019/returned HuaweiHonor the previous volumes of supplies to the Russian market (2.7 million units), again overtaking (Samsung 2.4 million units) Thus Chinese , the leader is close to the first place at the end of the year. The third line is firmly held (1.3 Xiaomi million units), finally leaving in Apple fourth place (less than 1 million). Smartphone market leaders - Samsung and Huawei are consolidating the market not only in the upper price segment, but also in the lower one, which is facilitated by the trend of users switching from push-button phones to smartphones.

• About a third of all Samsung shipments in both segments come from cheap Samsung J2 Core models and, the A10 price of which on store shelves balances at the border of the lower and upper segments. Expensive models S10 (series and series) Note10 account for about 7% of shipments of all Samsung smartphones. The main volume in deliveries is occupied by second-tier models, Samsung - Series A among which the A50 and A30s are the most popular, which is also confirmed by ratings. retails

• Huawei's premium models (Huawei P30, Huawei Mate20 and Honor20 series) account for about 10% of smartphone shipments in both price segments. Cheap models, the price of which on store shelves, similar to Samsung models, balances at the border of segments, occupy more than half in the supply of all Huawei mobile phones to Russia (55%), this is the Huawei Y family (Y5, Y6 and Y7 series) and the Honor7 and Honor8 series . The rest of the volume falls on the average lineup, where the most popular are the Honor10 series models .

• The supply structure of the Xiaomi lineup is a combination of the premium part from Samsung and the middle and economy parts from Huawei: expensive models occupy about 6% (Mi 9 family), the share of the economy sector occupies more than half (Redmi 6, 6A, 7A and Go), average models occupy 42% in supply (Redmi Note7, etc.) Xiaomi's share in nine months was 14%, and in the quarter - 16%.

• As for Apple's lineup, the most expensive models in third-quarter shipments are 9% (, iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 Pro Max and). iPhone XS Max Economy models Apple (series and) iPhone 6s - 7 20%. The largest share is occupied by the average models in price: iPhone XR (30% of the total volume), the eighth series (8 iPhone and iPhone 8 Plus) - 24% and iPhone 11 - 9%.

• Chinese brands continue to squeeze other smartphone brands in. The total Russia share of leading Chinese brands (Huawei, Xiaomi,,, ZTE Meizu Motorola,/,, Lenovo Vivo OPPO as well as new ones) in the smartphone segment from 7,000 rubles. in the nine months of 2019 reached 51%, although back in 2017 it was only 26%. Thanks to the return to the market of Huawei, smartphones from Huawei manufacturers again occupy more than half and in a few years will be able to reach a share of 75% in the upper segment.

According to forecasts of the head of the analytical center GS Group Alexander Surkov, by the end of 2019, 29.5 million devices of the upper price segment will be imported to Russia, which will exceed the level of 2018 by 2%. At the same time, in the lower price segment, the volume of phone deliveries will be less than 16.5 million units., which means a drop of 22% year-on-year. As a result of weak stabilization of the upper segment and a serious drop in the lower supply of all mobile phones to Russia by the end of 2019, they will not exceed 45-46 million units, which will be 8% lower than in 2018.

In the third quarter, the volume of the Russian smartphone market amounted to 8.617 million units

On November 25, 2019, the company IDC (International Data Corporation) announced that in the third quarter of 2019 Russian , the market volume smartphones amounted to 8.617 million units, having decreased by 2.2% compared to the same quarter of 2018. Despite the stability of the exchange rate ruble recently, the market volume in monetary terms decreased by 3.1% to 2.029 billion. US dollars The total market size, taking into account push-button phones, amounted to 10.646 million devices.

Contrary to uncertainty about further access to some of Google's commercial services on the latest models, Huawei still managed to oust Samsung from the lead, albeit by a minimal margin. The P30 Lite model sold successfully, while sales of the more expensive P30 and P30 Pro models slowed down, and demand shifted to the Y5 Lite. The Honor brand has become the most popular 8A model.

Xiaomi retained the third place, which it occupied throughout the year. The most popular models were Redmi 7A, Note 7 and Go.

Apple deliveries showed negative annual dynamics for the fourth quarter in a row. In the third quarter, the company for the first time lost its market championship in value terms to Samsung. The most popular was the iPhone XR, and the share of the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max reached almost a quarter in monetary terms.

There was a noticeable shift in demand in the market towards the price range of $200-300. US, with the average retail price excluding VAT slightly changing by 2018 to $235. UNITED STATES.

The technical characteristics of smartphones sold in Russia are rapidly increasing. Half of the market is occupied by smartphones with an aspect ratio of 19.5: 9, there were practically no such thin wide screens in the third quarter of 2018. Almost two-thirds of smartphones have a screen of more than 6 inches, there were no such smartphones less than two years ago. The volume of internal memory increased, more than 16% of smartphones with 128 GB or more memory, while a year ago this figure was very rare, says Olga Babinina, analyst at IDC Russia and CIS

The upcoming serious innovation in the Russian mobile phone market will be 5G devices. Many premium devices launched in 2020 are expected to have the 5G standard. This technology is still under testing by Russian mobile operators.

Svyaznoy: Russians purchased almost 20 million smartphones in 9 months

On October 14, 2019, Coherent"" announced the results of 9 months of 2019 in the Russian market. smartphones For, from to data retailer January to September of this year Russia , 19.4 million smartphones were sold for a total of 318 billion, which is rubles 8% more in money and 2% more in units compared to the same period in 2018.

For 9 months, the average price for a smartphone in Russia increased by 6% and amounted to 16.3 thousand rubles. The largest growth was demonstrated by devices in the price segment from 15 to 20 thousand rubles, the share of which from all sales in units was 15%. From January to September, the leadership in the number of sales on the Russian smartphone market changed several times, moving from the South Korean brand Samsung to the Chinese brand Honor and back. According to the results of three quarters of this year, Samsung became the leader, followed by Honor and Apple. In monetary terms, the American company Apple is still the leader.

Chinese brands are actively increasing their positions: for 9 months of 2019, the share of the smartphone market from the Middle Kingdom amounted to 48% of all sales in units, against 38.6% for the same period in 2018. Intensive growth is due to the expansion of Chinese brands in the first quarter of this year into the price category from 6 to 10 thousand rubles, where Russian and other international brands previously played a prominent role. The most popular Chinese smartphone brands among Russians are Honor, Huawei and Xiaomi, which account for 90% of sales of all Chinese smartphones.

In 2019, the trend continues to increase the diagonals of smartphones, which for many years have been growing annually by an average of 0.2 inches. So, for example, if in 2018 the popular diagonals of the devices were 5.5 and 5.7 inches, then in 2019 all flagship models have a diagonal of 6.1 inches and higher. The increase in size also occurs in the middle and low price categories, where a 5.5-inch standard has been formed for the middle price category, and 5-inch for the low price category. I note that the width of the devices does not grow, they grow in length, and the frames around the screen decrease. This is due to the fact that for comfortable use of the device, its width should be 72-74 mm in width. Another notable trend this year was the spread of smartphones with a teardrop notch for the camera, with a hole in the screen, as well as the appearance of devices with a retractable camera, noted David Borzilov, vice president of sales at Svyaznoy

M.Video-Eldorado: For 9 months, Russians purchased about 22 million smartphones for 350 billion rubles

On October 14, 2019, the M.Video-Eldorado group announced the results of the development of the smartphone market for nine months of 2019. The Russians purchased about 22 million devices worth about 350 billion rubles, which is 4% more in pieces and 11% in money than a year earlier. The average price for smartphones on the market is about 16 thousand rubles. Demand for flagship smartphones is growing faster than for devices from other price ranges. In the segment from 50 thousand rubles, the most popular are the iPhone XR and XS, as well as the Samsung S10 and S10 Plus.

Sales of smartphones from the upper price range from 50 thousand rubles year-on-year increased by more than a quarter in pieces and 30% in money. The share of such smartphones in monetary terms reached a quarter of the market, in pieces is about 6%. The key innovations of the third quarter in this segment were the new iPhone line, which appeared on sale on September 20. In the networks M.Video and "" Dorado sales iPhone 11 four times exceeded the demand for the 2018 iPhone XS. About 60% of orders came from the iPhone 11 Pro. Further during the week, demand for them was more than twice as high as for the 2018 model year.

{{quote 'author = said the head of the department "Mobile Technology" in the group "M.Video-Eldorado" Vladimir Chaika' Buyers prefer to invest in more productive, technically advanced models that will make life more convenient and satisfy all needs for the next 2-3 years. The positive dynamics of the flagship smartphone segment is facilitated by affordable installment plans and the exchange of old devices for new ones, }}

The dynamics of sales of M.Video-Eldorado Group in the smartphone category in January-September 2019 turned out to be four times higher than the market in units and twice as high in money.

An increase in demand for flagship models and smartphones, cost from 10 to 20 thousand rubles. (they account for about a third of sales in pieces and money) contributes to the spread of technologies and large screens. So, in pieces, the share of smartphones with 4G support reached 93%, two SIM-cards support 90% of devices, and the share of devices with a diagonal of 5 inches exceeded 75%.

Among manufacturers, Samsung continues to hold the lead with a market share of about 30%. In second place is the Honor brand. Together, Honor and Huawei occupy a third of the market. The third place in the ranking of the most popular brands is occupied by Apple. The share of the five leading manufacturers Samsung, Apple, Huawei, Honor, Xiaomi has already exceeded 80% of the market in physical terms and 90% in monetary terms, and the main Chinese players Honor, Huawei, Xiaomi account for just under 45% in pieces and 35% in money.

In the top 5 best-selling smartphones in the third quarter, only devices from Samsung and Honor were included: Samsung Galaxy A50, Samsung Galaxy A10, Honor 7A, Samsung Galaxy J2 Core and Honor 10 Lite.

Inventive Retail Group: In the future of three years, the trade-in market in Russia will grow by 25-30% per year

On September 10, 2019, the company Inventive Retail Group announced that it had analyzed the domestic trade-in market. Device buyback programs mobile in exchange for a discount to buy new ones have ceased to be exotic, now it is part of the Russian economic landscape.

According to the company, 74.5 million smartphones were sold from January 2017 to July 2019. At the same time, the Russians had 88.1 million smart phones in their hands in the summer. The average period of ownership of a mobile device is about two years. After this time, most smartphones need repair, which is usually limited to replacing the battery. After four years of operation, the device may become unusable. A rare exception is the flagship models of the world's leading brands, which work regularly for up to six years.

According to the Inventive Retail Group, out of 88.1 million smart phones in the hands of Russians, 10 million are outdated models with operation for more than three years. Some of these devices have changed owners several times. So, through social networks and Internet platforms in 2018, about 2 million used smartphones were sold. However, buying in the secondary market carries the risk of facing unscrupulous sellers who use Internet sites to sell fakes or faulty devices.

Trade-in programs are changing the situation in the secondary market for mobile equipment. Russians through official representatives of world manufacturers exchange mobile devices, which were used for a year and a half, for new models of smartphones. In 2018, about 1 million devices were handed over for trade-in, in 2019 it is predicted to grow to 1.3 million units. In the future of three years, the trade-in market will increase by 25-30% per year. In 2021, the number of devices handed over under redemption programs will exceed the volume of the natural market of used gadgets, which, in turn, will decrease by 5% per year.

The growth of trade-in popularity will be observed in other segments. Thus, the re: Store network, the largest Apple Premium Reseller in Russia, expanded the program to the entire Apple line in August 2019. At the same time, in addition to smartphones, it buys laptops, tablets and smartwatches, including other vendors.

20.7 million mobile phones imported to Russia in the first half of the year

On September 3, 2019, GS Group announced that 20.7 million mobile phones were imported to Russia in the first half of the year. Of these, 63% (13 million pieces) are smartphones with an estimated price in the store from 7,000 rubles.

According to the company, the entire volume of imports for the first half of the year decreased by 3% (1 pg. 2019 to 1 pg. 2018), while last year there was an increase in the same period (in 1 pg. 2018 shipments increased by 8%). The main drop occurred in the second quarter of 2019, when deliveries decreased by 19% (Q2 2019 to Q2 2018), mainly due to the phone segment to 7,000 rubles, while at the beginning of the year all imports of mobile phones increased by 16% (Q1 2019 to Q1 2018).

In the second quarter of 2019, there was a significant decrease in the supply of cheap mobile phones (compared to the first quarter), primarily the BQ (Bright & Quick), Texet and Inoi brands. Such a drop is uncharacteristic for this market: since in the first quarter there is usually stagnation after New Year's sales, deliveries in the second quarter are usually higher than at the beginning of the year. If in the first quarter the supply of mobile phones to 7,000 rubles increased by 19% (1 sq. 2019 to 1 sq. 2018), then in the second quarter they fell by 44% (2 sq. 2019 to 2 sq. 2018).

There are two reasons for such a sharp drop. The first is operating: Inoi phone shipments in the first quarter amounted to 0.8 million units, and in the second quarter they did not reach 0.1 million units, such a difference in volumes greatly distorted statistics. The second reason is more global and long-term: a modern mobile phone becomes a media device in which communications the telephone function fades into the background, and work Internet in and, mobile applications for example, bank as well as interaction with video and photo content comes first. Therefore, the phone needs a modern, operating system large touch screen and speed. The rate of importers on the fall in household incomes turned out to be incorrect: the consumer needs a modern smartphone, not a push-button phone. This skew will only intensify in the future: if at the beginning of 2017 the share of cheap mobile phones (up to 7,000 rubles) exceeded 50%, then by the end of 2019 it will fall to 30%.

However, it is not entirely true to believe that the segment of expensive smartphones has grown due to the organic growth of all brands. If you remove the supplies of Huawei and Xiaomi, then the segment of smartphones from 7,000 rubles will remain at the level of 4 million units per quarter.

This partly explains the decline in supplies in the second quarter, when the volume of smartphone imports from 7,000 rubles decreased by 3% (2 sq. 2019 to 2 sq. 2018) after an increase of 13% in the first quarter of 2019. Due to problems with Huawei, the segment lost one of the locomotives, and volumes fell.

The lineup of Samsung and Huawei also includes cheap models that fell into the segment "up to 7,000 rubles," a particularly large volume of them was in 2017. This section and charts do not consider such models. In our study, we decided to move away from the TOP-3 format, since the allocation of only three leading brands will not show the whole picture of changes. The first four positions are occupied by Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi and Apple. The supply of smartphones from 7,000 rubles in the first half of the year by each of these brands exceeded 1 million units, the rest of the brands in six months could not separately reach the level of 100 thousand units.

The total volume of deliveries of the four leading brands in the first half of 2019 amounted to 12 million units (an increase of 3% in the 2 quarter and 14% in the 1 half of the year). The total share of these brands reached 92% of the total supply of smartphones from 7,000 rubles. The top four are increasingly consolidating the market (recall, over the same period in 2017, their total share was only 71%, and in 2018 - 84%).

According to the results of the second quarter of 2019, as previously predicted by the analytical center GS Group, Samsung again came out on top. Huawei's conflict with the United States, as part of a more global confrontation, has caused distrust of buyers and lower demand.

Samsung in the first half of the year imported 4.9 million smartphones from 7,000 rubles, showing an increase of 19% (1 pg. 2019 to 1 pg. 2018). The breakthrough was traditionally made in the second quarter of 2019: 2.9 million units in 2 sq. 2019 against 2 million units in 1 sq. 2019, which is not bad even against the background of the success of previous years. At the end of the half year, Samsung took a share of 38%. The company continues to experiment with the transfer of production from China to India, where in the second quarter more than 0.7 million smartphones were again collected for Russia (share of Samsung deliveries to Russia: 39% in Q1 2019 and 25% in Q2 2019). Part of the volume in the second quarter (0.25 million units) came from China. According to the results of the first half of 2019:65% of Samsung's volume imported from Vietnam, 30% from India and 5% from China. Other leaders collect smartphones only in China .

Huawei's imports in the second quarter of 2019 were 1.7 million units, 28% below the level of the second quarter of 2018 and 34% lower than in the first quarter of 2019. As a result, in the first half of the year, Huawei ranks second with a volume of 4.3 million units (share in the segment 33%) with an increase of 26% (1 pg. 2019 to 1 pg. 2018).

Judging by the assessment of the situation expressed by the founder of Huawei, his company is facing difficult times: in a recent letter to his employees, Ren Zhenfei spoke about the upcoming reorganization of the company, taking into account the circumstances, as well as a possible reduction in smartphone production. Therefore, the import of Huawei mobile phones to Russia may not come out on top soon. The refusal of Google other American companies from cooperation with Huawei can be perceived in two ways: on the one hand, this will complicate the company's business, on the other, it will force you to choose a more independent development path. So the company has already announced its own readiness (operating system HarmonyOS previously there were working names Kirin and Hongmeng OS), which will become the core of the Huawei ecosystem. Chinese Internet services, for example, will WeChat also not fail to take advantage of the situation and will stand on the platform faster than their Western counterparts.

Contrary to the opinion of the layman, that the conflict between Huawei and the United States is the result of dishonest global competition from the Americans, this is not entirely true. The key reason is deeper and lies in the field of geopolitics - this is the struggle for control in the future over the medium of transmission information according to the standard, 5G that is, in fact, control over information and information space. This fundamentally distinguishes stories Huawei and. Neither ZTE side intends to concede, the unnecessary proof of this is the presentation of its own operating system for Huawei devices, which in itself is a challenge, since it offers an alternative to the American Android and iOS not controlled by the United States. Therefore, the conflict can be considered long-term, into which other brands of Chinese smartphones may soon be drawn.

When analyzing the dynamics of Huawei, it is also necessary to look more broadly at the mobile device market. The high results of the leading brand of the Celestial Empire in Russia are an echo of a larger phenomenon, namely consumer fatigue from inflated prices for devices of previous leaders (more applies to Apple and less Samsung). Huawei is, rather, an example of a realistic alternative: no less level of new technology and service at a moderate price. This largely explains the market interest in the next brand in the segment from 7,000 rubles.

Deliveries of Xiaomi smartphones reached 1.6 million units in the first half of the year with an increase of 54% (1 pg. 2019 to 1 pg. 2018), thus, by mid-2019 Xiaomi overtook Apple in Russia and came in third place with a share of 12% in the segment. Xiaomi showed this result thanks to a twofold increase in deliveries in the second quarter of this year: 1.1 million units (against 0.5 million units in Q1 2018 and 0.5 million units in Q2 2019). True, so far such an increase is rather tactical, since in 2019 a large Russian distributor diHouse joined cooperation with the Xiaomi brand, which provided half of the brand's supplies in the second quarter of 2019 (unlike Samsung, Huawei and Apple, whose smartphones are imported into Russia by their own subsidiaries, Xiaomi smartphones are imported into Russia by independent Russian distributors, the largest of which belong to Marvell CT , DNS and now diHouse structures). Nevertheless, analyzing the picture of the top four as a whole, we can say that Xiaomi has a well-deserved chance to firmly take third place in Russia in the smartphone segment from 7,000 rubles.

We can say that Apple is doing better. Not taking into account the marginality and general development of the Apple ecosystem of devices and services in the world, in Russia the brand is losing its position in the smartphone market: deliveries in the first half of 2019 amounted to less than 1.2 million units (the weakest result in recent years), with a drop in volume by 38% (1 pg. 2019 to 1 pg. 2018) Apple holds a 9% share and a fourth position. Recall that by mid-2017, Apple was second only to Samsung, by mid-2018 it was bypassed by Huawei, and today by Xiaomi. As the founder of the modern smartphone market, when Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone to the general public in 2007, Apple is most affected by the technological slowdown in the smartphone market. It is possible that at the next stage Apple will again be the creator of a breakthrough device, offering the consumer an updated philosophy, as Steve Jobs did at one time.

However, it is necessary to take into account the course of the trade war between the United States and China, where Apple products are produced. Judging by the latest news, the company's management has a direct access to the US president, who requires the transfer of production of American goods from China, and the company is listening to the opinion. For Apple, such a transfer is not profitable due to the increase in cost, which the company's management has announced many times. On the contrary, Apple expects to work even more closely with suppliers from China, for example, to buy OLED screens not from Korean Samsung, but from Chinese BOE (one of the possible reasons for disagreements with Samsung is the trade conflict between Korea and Japan, which hit OLED production in Korea).

The trade confrontation between the United States and China further worsens Apple's prospects in the smartphone market in Russia. Device shipments to Russia in 2019 fell compared to the same periods in 2018: by 47% in 1 sq. and by 26% in 2 sq. 2019, while in 2018 Apple imports increased both in the first quarter and in the second.

A and B brands following the top four have volumes mostly falling. None of them, even highly successful in the past, can challenge leaders. The total volume of ten brands (Asus, ZTE, Sony, Motorola/Lenovo, Nokia, Meizu, OPPO, LG, HTC and Philips) decreased three times in the first half of the year (by 65%) from 1.2 million units to 0.4 million units (1 pg. 2019 to 1 pg. 2018), which reduced their total share in the smartphone segment from 7000 rubles. from 10% to 3%. Recall that in the first half of 2018 there was a similar picture: the fall was almost doubled (by 40%), and the share decreased from 22% to 10%. At the same time, the share of C-brands decreases much more slowly: from 7% in mid-2017 to 6% in mid-2018 and to 5% in mid-2019. Some of the C-brands (BQ, Vivo, Tecno) outperform A and B brands. All this speaks of the crisis of positioning these brands in the smartphone market and the further erosion of their value in front of the consumer.

Deliveries of ASUS smartphones fell in the first half of the year by 40% to 100 thousand units (1 pg. 2019 to 1 pg. 2018). The brand showed the same negative result a year ago, when deliveries fell from 293 thousand units to 167 thousand units (1 pg. 2018 to 1 pg. 2017).

Imports of ZTE smartphones in the first half of 2019 decreased slightly (by 10%) to 99 thousand units, the bulk fell on the second quarter. Nevertheless, back in mid-2017, ZTE occupied the fourth line with a volume of 424 thousand units in the first half of the year.

A good exception is OPPO (part of the Chinese group BBK Electronics). Shipments of OPPO smartphones have grown fivefold to 96 thousand units (1 pg. 2019 to 1 pg. 2018), showing the best result in the group in the second quarter of 2019 (77 thousand units).

One of the most respected brands in the history of consumer electronics is also losing ground in the smartphone market. In the first half of 2019, imports of Sony smartphones fell 3.5 times - to 46 thousand units (1 pg. 2019 to 1 pg. 2018). Recall that in 2018, deliveries for the first half of the year also decreased (by 25%).

The Finnish brand, which consumers primarily associate with a mobile phone, has not yet been able to repeat the successes of 2018 in the smartphone segment from 7,000 rubles. Nokia deliveries in the first half of 2019 fell tenfold to 40,000. The transition from the Windows mobile platform to Android helped the Finnish company regain its market position last year, when in the first half of 2018, smartphone imports from 7,000 rubles increased to 417 thousand units. Then the Finnish company took fourth place, twice behind Xiaomi, but also twice as high as Meizu, which then took fifth place. Unsuccessful cooperation with Microsoft hit the Finnish brand hard (the mobile phone division was sold to Microsoft in 2014 and bought back in 2016 by HMD Global Oy, which was founded by natives of Nokia). As of September 2019, phones are no longer supplied to Russia either under the Microsoft brand or under the Lumia brand, which the American corporation developed to the detriment of Nokia. However, with the transition to Android, Nokia smartphones were on an equal footing with other brands and cannot yet stand out: a significant decrease in deliveries occurred in both the first and second quarters. At the same time, deliveries were reduced by both distributors who represent this brand in Russia.

Motorola is the second exception among dozens of A and B brands catching up. Motorola employees were at the forefront of mobile communications in the 1970s, but in 2012 the Motorola Mobility mobile phone division was transferred to Google, and in 2014 it was sold to the Chinese company Lenovo. The owner combined the competencies of Motorola and Lenovo in the field of mobile communications. Lenovo is developing its entire line of smartphones under the Motorola brand. After actually a pause in the supply of both brands in the first half of 2018, 30 thousand units were imported in 2019. True, in the first half of 2017, the joint import of smartphones under the Motorola and Lenovo brands into Russia amounted to 236 thousand units, and there were more distributors.

Meizu deliveries fell to 10 thousand units in the first half of 2019 from 205 thousand units in 2018 and 280 thousand units in 2017 (figures for half the year). This does not mean leaving the Russian market, the brand has been working with a new distributor since June (the former importer is currently leaving the market).

LG smartphones, apparently, will soon leave the Russian market: supplies are declining every month. From 390 thousand units in the first half of 2017, volumes fell to 80 thousand units in the first half of 2018 and to 5 thousand units in the first half of 2019. The situation is similar with HTC and Philips. Import of HTC smartphones in 2019 stopped, and Philips imports in the segment from 7,000 rubles did not exceed one thousand pieces.

Among the brands of smartphones that we still classify as C-brands, we can single out two groups that claim success in the segment from 7,000 rubles.

In the first group, brands with Russian roots: BQ and Prestigio. According to our estimate, the volume of deliveries of smartphones under these brands in the segment from 7,000 rubles amounted to 87 and 55 thousand units in the first half of 2019, respectively, while BQ reduced the volume, and Prestigio slightly increased compared to 2018.

The second group included smartphone brands from China: Vivo and Tecno, whose imports in the first half of 2019 amounted to 67 and 59 thousand units, respectively. Also in the second quarter of 2019, deliveries of smartphones under the brands Realme (RM Communication) and Hisense began to Russia: 19 and 15 thousand units, respectively. The Vivo and Realme brands are owned, like OPPO, by Chinese group BBK Electronics. It is characteristic that all three brands are imported into Russia by Chinese distributors (Russian companies with Chinese roots), which, apparently, is associated with the BBK policy. The Tecno brand is owned by Chinese Transsion Holdings and is developing in the African market, so its import into Russia raises many questions. The Chinese brand Hisense is already known to the Russian consumer for TVs and large household appliances. Chinese brands continue to gradually capture the market for expensive smartphones in Russia.

The total share of leading Chinese brands (Huawei, Xiaomi, ZTE, Meizu, Motorola/Lenovo, Vivo, OPPO, as well as others) in the smartphone segment from 7000 rubles. in the 1 half of 2019 year exceeded 48%, while in 2017 year it was half as much. The growth in the share of Chinese brands decreased slightly compared to 2018, which is clearly visible on the chart. Statistically, this is due to the difficulties of Huawei, part of the volumes of which Samsung regained.

In the segment of low-budget smartphones and push-button mobile phones, the overall decline in volumes continues, the reasons for which were mentioned above. But there are two interesting details. Firstly, this segment is occupied mainly by brands owned by Russian companies: for example, only Nokia, Philips and Itel entered the top ten of foreign brands. Secondly, leaders are constantly changing, and dynamics are often absent: brands that take first places come from scratch and can also quickly leave the market.

For September 2019, the best result was shown by the brand - Inoi. Deliveries began in mid-2018, but in 2 sq. 2019 began to fall and almost stopped in June this year. Nevertheless, according to the results of the first half of 2019, Inoi showed the largest volumes in the segment - 869 thousand units, mainly push-button phones.

Texet phones with a volume of 827 thousand units came to the second place in the first half of the year. In 2019, Texet phone shipments declined 11% (1pg. 2019 to 1 pg. 2018), however, back in the first half of 2017, Texet imports barely exceeded 400 thousand units.

The leader of previous years, BQ (Bright & Quick), reduced deliveries by 48% to 746 thousand units, the bulk fell in 2 square meters. 2019. However, the brand is actively working in the segment from 7,000 rubles.

Maxvi remains positive: an increase of 4% in 2019 to 645 thousand units (1 pg. 2019 to 1 pg. 2018), recall that in 2018 the brand also showed a slight increase - 9% (1 pg. 2018 to 1 pg. 2017). Philips also continues its progressive development in the Russian mobile phone market: imports in the first half of 2019 increased by 26% (1 pg. 2019 to 1 pg. 2018), amounting to 536 thousand units (in the first half of 2018, the growth was 14%). At the same time, the full association with the Dutch company is not entirely correct: in the smartphone market, the Philips brand is still owned by the Dutch Koninklijke Philips N.V, but is manufactured by the Chinese Shenzhen Sang Fei Consumer Communications under license.

Itel, whose regular deliveries actually began only at the end of 2018, came in sixth place in the first half of the year with a volume of 504 thousand units. The Itel brand, as well as Tecno, is owned by the Chinese Transsion Holdings, and is also imported by the Russian company TFN.

Dexp deliveries have been at the level of 470-480 thousand for the first half of the year for three years in a row. Nokia imports consistently amounted to 950 thousand units in the first half of 2017 and 2018, but in 2019 both distributors halved import volumes to 450 thousand units.

Fly has a significant drop, the volume of supplies of which is reduced twice for the second year in a row: from 1.4 million units in the first half of 2017 (then it was the leader in the segment to 7,000 rubles) to 290 thousand units in the first half of 2019. Apparently, the Russian distributor Marvell CT, which conducts Fly in Russia, is changing its attitude towards the mobile phone market, which also affected Nokia.

As we mentioned in a previous study, the Indian Micromax Mobile completely leaves the Russian market: in 2019, the company's phones are not supplied to Russia. At the same time, in 2017 Micromax ranked second in the segment up to 7000 thousand units with a volume of 1.3 million units, coming close to Fly.

In the first half of the year, 13.1 million smartphones were sold for a total of 211 billion rubles

On July 24, 2019, Svyaznoy (unites stores under the Svyaznoy and Euroset brands) reported the results of an analysis of the Russian smartphone market in the first half of 2019. The share of smartphones with a dual rear camera showed the largest growth compared to the same period in 2018.

In total, from January to June 2019, 13.1 million smartphones were sold in Russia for a total of 211 billion rubles. Devices with one rear camera remain the most popular, but their share year-on-year decreased from 82.5% to 53%. The most popular model in pieces of smartphones with one rear camera was the Honor 7A 16GB, in money - the iPhone XR 64GB, and the average price for 6 months of this year was 11,700 rubles.

Smartphones with a dual rear camera significantly increased the share of sales. A year ago, the share of such devices in unit terms was 13%, while in the first half of 2019 the figure was 33%. The average cost of smartphones with a dual camera was 21,600 rubles. The most popular smartphone in pieces was the Honor 8X 64GB, in money - the iPhone X 64GB.

Sales of triple rear camera devices are also showing solid growth. In the first half of 2019, the share of smartphones with triple cameras increased in unit terms to 7.4% from 0.1% a year earlier. The average cost of such smartphones was 23,250 rubles. The top popular models in pieces were led by Samsung Galaxy A7 64GB, Samsung the Galaxy A50 64GB leads in money.

The penetration of mobile Internet in Russia is gaining momentum. This stimulates the growth of mobile traffic, most of which are posts with photos on social networks. It is important for users that they can take good pictures with their smartphone and share them with their subscribers. Smartphone manufacturers respond to user requests in a timely manner, so we see a decrease in the proportion of smartphones with a single rear camera. The presence of two or more cameras gives users different viewing angles, a better background blur effect and many other functions for creating photos in various variations,

In the first half of the year, Russians purchased online more than 2 million devices worth 42 billion rubles

On July 15, 2019, M.Video-Eldorado Group announced the results of the development of Internet sales of smartphones in the first half of 2019. The leader was Xiaomi, and every second smartphone bought by Russians on the Internet was made by one of the Chinese brands - Xiaomi, Honor or Huawei. In total, Russians purchased online more than 2 million devices worth about 42 billion rubles, which is a third more than in the first half of 2018 in money and pieces. The share of online sales reached a record 20% of the total turnover of the category and 16% in unit sales. The average price remained at 19,000 rubles, which is a quarter higher than the average retail check. Sales of M.Video-Eldorado Group exceed the market figures by 1.5 times in units and almost two times in money.

According to the results of six months, Xiaomi has become the market leader in piece sales of smartphones in the online channel. The most popular smartphone was Xiaomi Redmi 6A 16Gb. The combined share of Xiaomi, Huawei and Honor in physical terms increased to 50%, which is twice as much as in the same period last year. In the market as a whole, these brands account for about 40% of smartphones sold, and Honor 7A turned out to be the most popular smartphone. In monetary terms, Apple holds the lead in the online channel.

Internet sales remain one of the key drivers of the Russian smartphone market. Traditionally, well-known brands are in demand online, in the products of which customers are fully confident. The strengthening of the position of Chinese brands speaks of the growing recognition and confidence in their devices. Xiaomi became the leader in the Russian online market for the first time, thanks to its balanced assortment and wide representation of goods at an affordable price. So, in the first half of the year, Redmi Go, Redmi Note 7 and others appeared,

According to the results of the first half of the year, the share of smartphones in the price range increased in the Russian online market to 15 thousand rubles, as well as premium models worth over 50 thousand rubles. The first segment accounts for about 55% of unit sales. The highest dynamics in this price range was demonstrated by Chinese brands offering a wide range of high-quality and productive smartphones at a affordable price with a large number of necessary functions and technologies, including an NFC chip, a fingerprint sensor, two SIM cards, a frameless screen and a high-quality camera.

The premium price segment increased its share by 1.5 times to 7.5% in units. Traditionally, the positions of Apple and Samsung are strong, and Huawei and Sony compete with them. Positive dynamics are facilitated by trade-in programs to exchange old devices for flagships.

In the first half of the year, 7.6 million phablets were sold in Russia for a total amount of about 156 billion rubles

On July 10, 2019, the combined company Coherent - Euroset announced an analysis of phablet sales in the Russian market smartphones in the first half of 2019. By the share of to data retailer smartphones with a screen of more than 5.6 inches from January to June amounted to 45% in unit terms against 12% for the same period in 2018.

For 6 months, 7.6 million phablets were sold in Russia for a total amount of about 156 billion rubles. Year-on-year growth was 3.7 and 2.6 times in pieces and money, respectively. The average cost of the device decreased by 30% and amounted to 20,375 rubles. In total, from January to June 2019, 17 million smartphones worth more than 216 billion rubles were sold in Russia.

The positive dynamics of the phablet market is influenced by the constantly expanding assortment of this type of gadgets. The growing assortment explains the decrease in the average cost of the device. Customers expect as many features and capabilities as possible from their device. Phablets can combine the properties of not only a smartphone, tablet, e-book, camera, but even a game console or personal computer, which undoubtedly attracts more and more buyers.

According to the results of 6 months, Samsung leads the market in terms of the number of phablets sold with a market share of 36%. Next are Honor with 33% of the market and Huawei with 12%. Samsung also leads the money with a 35% market share.

Top 5 phablets in the first half of 2019 in pieces:

# Honor 8X

1. Honor 10 Lite

# Samsung Galaxy A7

1. Honor 7A PRO
2. Samsung Galaxy A50

Top 5 phablets in the first half of 2019 in money:

1. iPhone XR (64Gb)

# iPhone X (64Gb)

1. iPhone XR (128Gb)
2. Honor 8X (64Gb)
3. Samsung Galaxy A50

All flagship smartphones are launched in the phablet segment, but in parallel with them, manufacturers are releasing more simplified versions of the most popular models with a display size of less than 5.6 inches. We see that the size of the display has been increasing from quarter to quarter over the years. So, for example, not so long ago the most massive devices were smartphones with a 4-inch screen, but now the main share of sales falls on devices with a 5-inch display, and the trend is gradually shifting in favor of models with a 5.5-inch screen,

Growth in smartphone sales in Russia for six months by 12% to 216 billion rubles

On July 1, 2019, the M.Video-Eldorado group announced the results of the development of the smartphone market in the first half of 2019. According to the Group, in the period from January to June, smartphone sales in Russia increased by 6% in units and 12% in money to 13.5 million units and 216 billion rubles. The average price was about 16 thousand rubles. Samsung has regained the lead ahead of the Honor brand, with the market continuing to concentrate around the top five players. The combined share of Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, Huawei and Honor reached 82% in pieces and 92% in money.

With a share of about 30% in unit sales, Samsung turned out to be the most popular smartphone manufacturer among Russians in the first half of 2019. The South Korean company bypassed the leader of the first quarter - the Honor brand, thanks to the demand for the Galaxy S10 line and the successful start of sales of Galaxy A-series smartphones. The combined share of Huawei and Honor reached about 33%. The five most popular brands also include Apple and Xiaomi. In total, the leaders occupied 82% of the market in natural sales, a year earlier their share was 65%, and in 2017 did not exceed 50%. So, in 2014, the top five most popular brands in unit sales of smartphones on the Russian market included in addition to Apple Samsung Fly, Nokia (Microsoft) and Sony.

The dynamics of sales of M.Video-Eldorado Group in the first six months of the year turned out to be three times higher than the market in units and more than twice as high in money, which was facilitated by the expansion of the assortment, favorable price offers, pre-orders for manufactured phones, as well as the development of a separate brand of m_mobile from M.Video and dedicated telecom zones in Eldorado, where users can personally test smartphones.

Russian buyers increasingly prefer well-known brands that have a high level of trust, offer a wide range of models in various price segments, as well as high-quality service. The most active among the leaders is the influence of Chinese manufacturers - Huawei, Honor and Xiaomi, which are flexible in pricing, actively invest in marketing support, while offering functional devices with all the necessary technical solutions,

Smartphones from 10 to 20 thousand rubles account for more than 35% of devices sold in Russia. Smartphones occupy a similar share from 5 to 10 thousand rubles, and these categories continue to grow, as does the segment over 50 thousand rubles. The demand for smartphones to 5 thousand rubles, on the contrary, is decreasing.

Users are increasingly interacting with a smartphone, it is becoming the main means of accessing the Internet and allows you to solve even more everyday tasks. Given the trend, manufacturers are offering models with a larger diagonal. According to the results of the first half of the year, smartphones from 5 inches (from 12.7 cm.) Accounted for about 77% of unit sales, which is twice as much as a year earlier. In January-June 2017, the volume of devices with a large diagonal was only 20%. Thus, there are practically no devices with a screen less than 4 inches left on the market, and the diagonal from 6 inches becomes the next standard. All released smartphones of 2019 are distinguished by just such a screen size.

In the second quarter, a number of phones went on sale on the Russian market, most of which are in the most popular price segment from 10 to 20 thousand rubles: Huawei P30 Lite, Huawei P smart Z, Honor 10i, Samsung A10, A30, A50, Vivo Y17. In more expensive price segments, the flagship models Huawei P30 and P30 Pro, Honor 20 and Oppo Reno have appeared.

One of the most notable trends in smartphone design is the massive appearance of a retractable selfie camera, which allows you to make the bezels smaller and increase the screen area. So, with such technology, Xiaomi Mi 9, Huawei P Smart Z, Huawei Y9 Prime 2019, Vivo V15 and V15 Pro, OPPO Reno 10x Zoom are already available on the Russian market.

11.6 million mobile phones imported to Russia in the first quarter

According to the GS Group think tank on June 18, 2019, 11.6 million mobile phones were imported to Russia in the first quarter. Of these, 42% (6.32 million pieces) are smartphones with an estimated price in a store of 7 thousand rubles.

The entire volume of imports increased by 15% (Q1 2019 to Q1 2018), similar to Q1 2018, the increase was only 4%. However, the growth structure is changing: if in 2018 the market added in number due to smartphones, then in 2019 - due to push-button cell phones and low-budget smartphones, up to 7 thousand rubles in retail.

The leading three smartphone brands in Russia remain unchanged: Samsung, Apple and Huawei. Together, they occupy 85% of the smartphone market with a price of 7 thousand rubles, and this share increased compared to the same periods in 2018 and 2017 (71% and 76%, respectively).

However, dramatic changes are taking place in the very first three. According to the GS Group, for the first time in terms of deliveries, the Chinese company Huawei came out on top with a volume of deliveries of 1 sq. 2019 2.6 million units. At the same time, if the Korean Samsung retained volumes in 1 sq. 2019 (2.1 million units, an increase of 11% in 2019 after a decrease of 7% in 1 sq. 2018), then Apple smartphone shipments almost halved (by 46% to 0.6 million units).

As noted in the GS Group, due to trade wars between the United States and China, phone manufacturers began to change localization. For example, if in 1 sq. 2018 Samsung supplied 65% of smartphones from Vietnam, and 35% from China, then in 1 sq. 2019 The Chinese volume was completely transferred to a plant in India (39% of supplies), while Samsung's plant in Vietnam retained its order for Russia - 61% of supplies. Apple still makes smartphones in China and is just about to go to India.

Huawei became the leader in Q1 2019 in terms of smartphone imports to Russia, increasing deliveries 2.5 times (from 1.1 million units in Q1 2018 to 2.6 million units in Q1 2019). At the same time, in 2018, the company also showed an increase in Russia: from 0.6 million units in 1 sq. 2017 to 1.1 million units in 1 sq. 2019. The key reason is that Russian consumers highly appreciated the manufacturability and reliability of Huawei smartphones at a relatively moderate price.

There is an overestimation of the Apple and Samsung brands in the eyes of buyers in the absence of bright breakthrough models from these companies and the difficult economic situation in the country. Due to the pressure of the US authorities on the company and the refusal to work together a number of partners in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2019, Huawei will again give in Samsung, but by the end of the year will regain leadership in the Russian market after the release of its own operating system to replace Android and a number of promising services for Huawei owners.

The situation with the refusal to cooperate with Huawei of a number of popular Western messengers and social networks (WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.) is a rare case in history. In fact, these services voluntarily cede the market to their Chinese counterparts, for example, WeChat, which will quickly fall on the Huawei operating system, and then to other Chinese brands, according to the GS Group.

There is also movement behind the top three. The first after the top 3 is Xiaomi, which retained its volumes in 1 sq. 2019 (486 thousand units) after takeoff in 1 sq. 2018 (from 107 thousand units to 491 thousand units) and in general claims permanent membership in the top 5. Also retained ASUS volumes (73 thousand units) after falling from 164 thousand units in 1 sq. 2018.

The remaining A and B brands of smartphones in Q1 2019 are losing ground. Deliveries Sony decreased from 135 to 40 thousand units, which is comparable to the level of 2017. Deliveries have been ZTE falling in 1 sq. years for several years (and at the end of the year there is also a fall): from 195 thousand units. in 1 sq. 2017 up to 129 thousand units. in 1 sq. 2018 and, finally, up to 26 thousand units in 1 sq. 2019.

A similar situation with LG: if 152 thousand units were imported in 1 sq. 2017, then in 1 sq. 2018 there are already 95 thousand units, and in 1 sq. 2019 - only 5 thousand units.

According to the results of 2018, Nokia, which occupied the fourth line, slowed down in 1 sq. 2019: from 234 thousand to 15 thousand pieces, which will no longer allow it to bypass Xiaomi again at the end of 2019. At the same time, below the estimated level of 7,000 rubles. (including push-button mobile phones) Nokia is also gradually losing ground: line 4 in the 1st quarter of 2017 (463 thousand units), line 5 in the 1st quarter of 2018 and place 7 in the 1st quarter of 2019 (250 thousand units).

One of the leaders in smartphone sales in China, Oppo (part of the Chinese BBK Electronics group), has not yet been able to conquer the Russian market: deliveries increased to 19 thousand units in Q1 2019 from 11 thousand units in Q1 2018 of the year. At the same time, another brand - BBK - is developing faster in Russia: the import of Vivo smartphones increased in 1 sq. 2019 from 6 to 43 thousand units.

Brands Meizu Philips did not import smartphones to Russia in Q1 2019, which may indicate their departure from. Russian market Imports Lenovo also stopped in Q1 2019, but deliveries of another brand of the company - - Motorola amounted to 9.5 thousand units (Lenovo bought Motorola Mobility Google the division from in 2014), which may indicate a strategy for breeding markets between brands: Motorola for smartphones, Lenovo for. At the laptops same time another 1 sq. 2017 deliveries of Meizu and Lenovo exceeded 120 thousand units.

In general, according to GS Group estimates, Chinese brands are increasingly capturing the market of expensive smartphones in Russia. Thus, the total share of leading Chinese brands (Huawei, Xiaomi, ZTE, Meizu, Motorola/Lenovo, Vivo, OPPO and Oneplus) in the smartphone segment from 7000 rubles. in Q1 2019 exceeded 51%, while in 2017 it barely reached 24%.

In the segment of low-budget smartphones and push-button mobile phones, leaders retain their positions with slight fluctuations, while several new brands have appeared.

BQ (Bright & Quick) increased deliveries from 415 to 660 thousand units, while the brand is present above the bar of 7000 rubles. in retail. In general, deliveries of phones and smartphones of the brand to Russia are growing: from 546 thousand units in 1 sq. 2017 to 554 thousand units in 1 sq. 2018 and to 683 thousand units in 1 sq. 2019 (all segments).

BQ is followed by Texet, which reduced deliveries in Q1 2019 to 585 thousand units from 712 thousand units in Q1 2018 (while in Q1 2017 imports were at the level of 223 thousand units).

Maxvi brands maintain growth (by 10% to 377 thousand units) Dexp and (by 25% to 332 thousand units), while they reduce volumes (Fly by 56% to 255 thousand units - all deliveries) and (Nokia by 20% to 251 thousand units - segment up to 7,000 rubles).

According to the GS Group, a dramatic change of leaders is taking place in this segment: for example, the supply of phones to the Indian Micromax Mobile completely stopped, although in the 1 quarter of 2017 their imports amounted to 909 thousand units (only Samsung had more, taking into account all deliveries). However, other contenders for the first positions appear: the brands Inoi (the Russian company Ino) and Itel (imported by TFN, which also supplies Joys) brought 793 and 361 thousand units to Russia in Q1 2019, respectively, which brings Inoi phones to the first place in the low-budget segment at least for deliveries, analysts noted.

Online smartphone sales up 35% in 4 months

June 10, 2019 the combined company Coherent - Euroset announced the results of online sales in the smartphones Russian market from January to April 2019. According to, in to data retailer 4 months, Russians purchased 35% more smartphones in piece terms than a year earlier, which was the most record increase in smartphone sales in the Internet last three years. The total number of smartphones sold in online channels amounted to 1.4 million devices worth 27 billion rubles.

The average cost of a smartphone purchased online increased by 3% and amounted to 19,380 rubles. The most popular brands in the pieces are Xiaomi, Honor and Samsung. In money, as a year earlier, Apple remained the leader.

In 2019, the share of online sales continues to grow. This is due to the fact that the Internet has become more accessible in the regions, the share of mobile traffic is growing, and retailers are developing their logistics infrastructure at a high pace, which makes the process of delivering goods to the buyer much faster. I note that online Russians make their choice in favor of more expensive smartphones. From April to May, the largest growth in money was shown by the category of smartphones worth over 60 thousand rubles - 24%. " Mostly these are flagship models that meet all modern user requirements,

Structure of the smartphone fleet by price

When analyzing the cost of smartphones in possession, according to J'son & Partners Consulting as of May 2019, it turned out that 80% of smartphones used in Russia are in the price range from 7 to 30 thousand rubles. At the same time, a study by J'son & Partners Consulting confirmed that women in general own more expensive smartphones, especially the 18-25 age group.

When analyzing data on the purchase of smartphones, both the history of the acquisition of a smartphone and the structure of the acquisition of devices at the place of their purchase were analyzed. So, in particular, it turned out that about 2% of the smartphones in the hands of the fleet were purchased by the owners not at the outlet, but at the hands. More than a third of respondents purchased a smartphone in an online store, Russian or foreign.

The result of analyzing the places of purchase of a smartphone depending on the income of the owner turned out to be quite interesting. It turned out that there is a stable correlation between income and the share of owners who purchased a smartphone in the manufacturer's branded salon and at a cellular retail point that does not belong to the operator. The share of respondents who bought a smartphone in a branded salon grows with an increase in income, and the share of those who bought at a cellular retail point, on the contrary, falls.

Entry into the Russian market of the realme brand

On May 27, 2019, the manufacturer of realme smartphones announced its entry into the Russian market. Since June 2019, representative offices of the company have been opened in several European countries, including Russia. Founded in May 2018, the brand makes smartphones that have stylish designs and powerful performance. In addition, realme focuses on online sales, making it easier for consumers to make a purchase. Read more here.

2018

IDC: The Russian smartphone market grew by 17.3% to $7.56 billion

On February 14, 2019, IDC Russia"" reported that Russian the market smartphones reached a record value in 2018 - 7.56 billion, and in US dollars unit terms overcame the 30 million barrier for the second time (the first in 2016).

The average price for Android a -martphone rose from $150 to $184 (retail price without) VAT - the highest after 2014. The ruble exchange rate in 2018 was 7.5% lower against the dollar than in 2017, as a result of which the price of rubles an Android device increased by about a third.

IDC notes that in 2018, consumers chose more expensive and technological models in many countries of Central and Eastern Europe, but in Russia this trend was especially noticeable.

The most popular models in Russia now have a large screen with a wider aspect ratio and availability NFC for payments. There is also a trend towards large amounts of memory and the appearance of models with 512 GB memory. High market growth in monetary terms was observed in the first half of the year before the fall in the value of the ruble. It is clear that many Russians feel an economic downturn, however, they have become more demanding on the technical characteristics of phones and want optimal value for money

Huawei, along with its Honor brand, bypassed Samsung in the supply of smartphones to Russia for the second quarter in a row. Apple remained in third place and Xiaomi in fourth, according to the latest IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker results.

Samsung retained its leadership in the smartphone market in 2018, but competition from Huawei is very strong, the Honor brand works especially well in Russia and accounts for almost three-quarters of Huawei's sales.

Apple 2018 again had a strong year, but the fourth quarter showed potential weakness. The company noted that it would concentrate on premium models, but in Russia, as in many other countries, things were not going particularly well in the fourth quarter. Apple's deliveries to Russia year on year were close to five million, but in the fourth quarter of 2018 they decreased by almost 25% compared to the same period the previous year.

The fourth quarter showed that the pace of development of the Russian phone market may become more restrained. The total market size in the fourth quarter in dollars was no higher than in the same quarter of 2017.

The Russian market showed an increase of 14% - Canalys

In 2018, the Russian market smartphones grew by 14% in pieces (data). Canalys

M.Video: Russian smartphone market grew by 2.5% in pieces and 20% in money

In 2018, sales in smartphones Russia amounted to 29.6 million units worth more than 465 billion, rubles which exceeded 2017 figures by 2.5% and 20%, respectively. The average price compared to 2017 turned out to be 17% higher and reached 15,700 rubles, the group "-" reported on January 23, 2019.M.VideoDorado

Svyaznoy: The Russian smartphone market grew in money by 17%

In 2018 Russia , 3% more smartphones were sold than a year earlier, in monetary terms, the growth was 17%. This was TAdviser reported on January 10, 2019 in the combined company "." Coherent Euroset At the same time, the total sales of gadgets amounted to over 30 million units in the amount of 469 billion. rubles The average price for a smartphone increased over the year by 17% to 15.7 thousand rubles. For comparison, in 2017, the average check for the device was 13.4 thousand rubles.

At the end of 2018, the largest increase in monetary terms was demonstrated by the segment over 40 thousand rubles (+ 5 pp year-on-year), which occupied 31% of the smartphone market. In pieces, the segment growth was 37%, in money - 49%. The most popular models in money were the iPhone X (64GB), iPhone 8 (64GB), iPhone 8 Plus (64GB). In physical terms, the maximum increase was the segment of 10-15 thousand rubles (+ 6 percentage points) with a market share of 21%. In unit terms, the segment growth was 43%, in money - 44%. The most popular models in the pieces are the Honor 9 Lite 32 (GB), iPhone SE 32 (GB) and Samsung Galaxy J1.

According to Svyaznoy Euroset, according to the number of smartphones sold in 2018, the Russian market is in the lead, Samsung then the/and are located Huawei.Honor Apple Apple is in the lead in money, followed by Samsung, Huawei/Honor.

Customers continue to opt for technological smartphone models with NFC, dual and triple cameras, and other popular options. A large number of devices appear on the market that have excellent technical characteristics and good value for money. We also see that in 2018 Chinese manufacturers strengthened their positions due to the combination of such components as high device performance, modern design and affordable price, - said David Borzilov, vice president of sales for the combined company Svyaznoy Euroset.

Sold 2.2 million smartphones with wireless charging for 130 billion rubles

On March 27, 2019, Svyaznoy announced an analysis of sales of smartphones with wireless charging in the Russian market in 2018. From January to December 2018, sales of smartphones with wireless charging compared to 2017 increased by 48% in unit terms and by 131% in monetary terms.

In total, at the end of 2018, 2.2 million smartphones with wireless charging were sold for a total amount of more than 130 billion rubles. The leader in the pieces was Apple, which accounted for 66% of all devices sold, Samsung was in second place with 30%, and Huawei was in third - 3%.

The average cost of a smartphone with wireless charging in 2018 was 59.3 thousand. The explosive growth in smartphone sales with this feature is due to the fact that manufacturers equip all their flagship models with technological stuffing for wireless energy transmission. Over the year, Apple showed the largest increase. Sales of smartphones with wireless charging of this brand have grown 3.7 times, - emphasizes David Georgievich, vice president of sales for the combined company Svyaznoy - EurosetBorzilov.

The most popular smartphones in Russia with wireless charging are the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy S8.

The Russian market has emerged from the crisis. Apple lost to Huawei in sales

On September 12, 2018, the analytical company Counterpoint Technology Market Research published some results of a study of the Russian smartphone market. Judging by experts, there have been changes in the top three manufacturers - Huawei is ahead of Apple.

According to Counterpoint Technology Market Research, 25% more smartphones were sold in April-June 2018 than a year earlier. This growth rate was the highest for the second quarter since the financial crisis in 2014.

The researchers explain the high dynamics by the high costs of consumers in general, the release of new products, the expansion of trade-in programs (when in stores you can exchange an old device for a new one with a surcharge) and discounts from distributors before and during the World Cup.

Counterpoint Technology Market analyst Anshika Jain says the average check for smartphones in Russia is increasing because users are changing their budget handsets to mid-range devices. Manufacturers, especially Chinese, are actively producing more and more devices in the middle segment and attracting people with various offers. In addition to trade-in, there are options on the market for purchasing phones together with attractive tariff plans of operators and the ability to buy a smartphone with a higher memory capacity without overpayment.

Thanks to such proposals, according to Jane, Chinese brands were able to increase their share in the Russian smartphone market to 41% in the second quarter of 2018. This also applies to such an important segment as devices costing $100-199, the expert added.

Counterpoint Technology Market Deputy Director Tarun Pathak, quoted in a press release, draws attention to the fact that Huawei has become the fastest growing brand in the smartphone market in Russia in the second quarter of 2018 and ahead of Apple in terms of sales.

Huawei's growth is explained by strong retail partnerships, as well as cooperation with creators of local ecosystems, such as Yandex, which helped the company increase business coverage in the Russian Federation. In addition, Chinese brands are now increasing their presence on the Internet, using the main e-commerce platforms to increase sales, "said Patak.

As can be seen in the table above, Huawei not only overtook Apple in terms of quantitative phone sales in Russia, but came close to Samsung - the shares of companies in April-June 2018 amounted to 30% and 29% so far in favor of the South Korean corporation. Apple's presence rate dropped to 10%, followed by Xiaomi with an 8% result.

Xiaomi's share of the Russian smartphone market has more than doubled over the year thanks to strong sales of devices with price tags from $100 to $150. The Chinese company increased sales by 135%, while Huawei registered even more impressive growth - by 240%. Huawei's Honor 9 Lite became the best-selling smartphone among Russians in the second quarter of 2018.

The Russian brand BQ Mobile entered the top five leading smartphones in the Russian market with a 7 percent share and an increase of 104%. The success of BQ Mobile is associated with a strong portfolio of products worth up to $100, the study explains.

Smartphone sales for $100-199 in April-June 2018 jumped 80% year-on-year to a record 36% in the total market. The share of phones with LTE support for the year increased from 80% to 89%. The top five manufacturers accounted for 84% of smartphone sales in Russia.

Analysts note that Russia it remains an important market for Apple, but uncertainty in trade relations between the Russian Federation and, USA as well as sanctions, may affect the company's business in the Russian market.^[38]

Change of leader for the first time since 2007. Huawei came out on top

In mid-2018, the leader changed in the Russian smartphone market for the first time in more than 10 years. It was Huawei, which outstripped Samsung in unit sales of pipes.

In each of the three weeks from May 28 to June 17, Huawei and its sub-brand Honor accounted for 23.8%, 24.2% and 26.5% of the Russian smartphone market in physical terms, respectively. The indicators of the former leader of Samsung for these periods were 22.9%, 23% and 23.2%, they write, Vedomosti referring to the data of the partner company of several manufacturers electronic engineers and an employee of one of the retailers.

In a conversation with the newspaper, the leading analyst of Mobile Research Group Eldar Murtazin noted that since 2007 Samsung has consistently led in the quantitative sale of smartphones. The expert connects Huawei's rise to the top spot with a balanced model range.

Samsung almost does not sell smartphones worth up to 10 thousand rubles, and the South Korean brand has very few models for 10-15 thousand rubles, while Huawei products are well represented in these segments, Murtazin said.

In February 2018, Huawei for the first time bypassed  Russia Apple the number of smartphones sold in and came in second place. The share of the Chinese manufacturer then increased from 14.5% to 17.4%, while Apple's share decreased from 15% to 14%. Moreover, until the second half of 2016, Huawei's share was relatively small and measured at about 2-2.5%.

Marketing Director of Huawei Consumer Business Group Maria Danilina believes that the company has begun to quickly strengthen its position in the Russian market due to the optimal value for money for the country and the characteristics of the devices offered by the vendor. The marketing strategy is designed not only to increase brand recognition, but also to increase customer loyalty - Huawei smartphones are bought again, she said.^[39]

M.Video and Eldorado: Russians bought 6.3 million smartphones in the first quarter

The company M.Video"," a Russian seller electronic engineers of household appliances, and "" Dorado on April 9 published a report on the results of the Russian smartphone market for the first quarter of 2018. Sales compared to January-March 2017 increased by 23% in money and remained almost at the level of last year in pieces. The share of online sales reached 20%.

According to M.Video and Eldorado, the smartphone market in the first quarter of 2018 amounted to 95 billion rubles and 6.3 million devices, which is 23% and 2% higher than a year earlier.

The segment of smartphones in the market continued to develop, showing growth in all major parameters. At the same time, sales growth rates in unit terms decreased, which, on the one hand, is a characteristic feature of the first quarter, on the other, suggests that the market has switched to high-quality demand for smartphones from a state of intensive growth, company experts say.

The average price for smartphones in the feather quarter of 2018 amounted to 15 thousand rubles against 12,500 rubles for the same period last year, thus, the growth was about 20%. But if we estimate the average price in dynamics quarterly, then it can be seen that in 2018 it decreased slightly. The peak occurred in the 4th quarter of 2017, when sales of the iPhone 8 and iPhone X started. In the first quarter of 2018, a high average price supported the start of sales of the Samsung Galaxy S9|S9 +.

Demand growth is observed in all price categories, except for the budget itself - up to 5 thousand rubles. The average price segment from 10 to 20 thousand rubles increased by a third in unit terms compared to the first quarter of 2017. The segment over 30 thousand rubles has grown almost one and a half times. M.Video and Eldorado explain this trend by the fact that in the middle price segment there are more and more interesting offers from Chinese manufacturers, trust in which is growing and stimulating demand for these devices. The higher price segment now includes not only flagships from Samsung and Apple, but also top models from Huawei, Nokia, Xiaomi, etc.

Online sales of smartphones on the Russian market in the first quarter of 2018 reached 835 thousand units, which, respectively, is 28% more than a year earlier. Sales in money almost doubled and reached 19.5 billion rubles. Online sales in the telecom segment continue to stimulate the development of the market - online accounts for about 20% of the market in monetary terms and 14% in kind. A year ago, online accounted for 13% in monetary terms and 10% in kind of total sales.

According to the results of the reporting quarter of 2018, Chinese brands (Huawei, Honor, Meizu, Mi, ZTE, Nokia, Oppo) occupied up to 35% in pieces and about 26% in money. At the same time, the combined share of Huawei and Honor brands in units reached about 17.5%, which overtook the nearest competitor in unit sales - Apple and took second place. In absolute terms, sales of Huawei and Honor doubled compared to the first quarter of 2017.

According to M.Video and Eldorado, 4G smartphones are rapidly replacing previous generations. According to the results of the first quarter of 2018, the share of 4G in unit sales of smartphones is at the level of 87%.

2017

IDC: The smartphone market in Russia has fully recovered after the fall of the ruble in 2014

According to IDC, the total value of the Russian smartphone market increased significantly in 2017, which was partly due to Apple, and approached the pre-crisis value of 2014 - compared to 2016, the growth expressed in US dollars was almost 25%. This effect is especially noticeable, since it was recorded against the background of the continuing weakening of consumer confidence and the decline in real income of Russians since the beginning of the fall of the ruble at the end of 2014.

As Simon Baker, Head of Mobile Phone Research Program at IDC CEMA, noted, the price segmentation of the market has also changed. If the ruble crisis doubled the market share attributable to the cheapest models, smartphones now the market has practically returned to pre-crisis segmentation, although Russians are worse off in dollar terms, the expert says.

According to analysts, the growth of the market is due to the sale of 4G devices, which cost more than 3G devices. In the first quarter of 2016, less than 50% of smartphones sold in Russia were LTE-compatible, while in the fourth quarter of 2017 this figure exceeded 80%.

According to a study by IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, the Russian smartphone market continued to show good dynamics in the last quarter of 2017, thanks to sales of new iPhone models, including the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus devices released at the end of September, as well as the premium iPhone X model, which appeared in November.

According to Natalia Vinogradova, manager of the mobile device market research program at IDC Russia, the fourth quarter was the best for Apple on the Russian market and surpassed even the fourth quarter of 2014, in which the average nominal exchange rate of the ruble against the dollar for the period was significantly higher than modern indicators. The release of new models allowed Apple to increase its share in the overall smartphone market to 20%, while the company's share for the same period in 2016 was 10%.

Although a large number of sales of Apple products still fall on budget models, the company's offer is slightly less than half of the total Russian smartphone market, according to IDC. In terms of revenue for 2017, Apple leads in Russia with an indicator of $2.6 billion (excluding VAT). It is followed by Samsung with revenue of $1.5 billion.

Meanwhile, in terms of the number of devices sold, Samsung ranks first in the Russian market, which in 2017 sold 50% more smartphones than Apple. In second place is Xiaomi with significant shipments of smartphones for two quarters in a row. Huawei is in third position: its supply is also growing, although less pronounced than Xiaomi. The joint share of two Chinese sellers, Xiaomi and Huawei, exceeds a quarter of the Android smartphone market in Russia, and in terms of total shipments they overtake Samsung. According to IDC researchers, it was these two vendors who received the maximum benefit from the departure of Lenovo, which did not supply smartphones to Russia in the fourth quarter of 2017.

The restoration of the level of spending on devices indicates that mobile communications occupies an increasingly important place in the lives of Russians, "Baker added. - This is very clearly visible from the boom in the data traffic area.

According to official data from the Russian Government, during 2017, mobile video and data traffic increased sharply and, as of March 2018, is about three times higher than in 2015. The main factor in development was the fourth generation networks. In particular, according to two of the three main Russian networks, LTE now accounts for at least half of their data traffic.

Initially, Russia lagged behind Western European countries in introducing fourth-generation mobile technologies, which was due, among other things, to the lack of frequencies available for new networks. Then the consumer transition to 4G devices slowed down after the fall of the ruble in 2014.

The Russian 4G market is catching up with the Western European market, and this is expressed in the rapid growth in the consumption of mobile data, in particular, media and video data, "concluded Simon Baker. - Russia will soon be among the countries with a mature 4G and 5G market - in the foreseeable future.

GfK Rus: The strongest growth in 3 years

At the end of January 2018, the analytical company GfK presented the results of a study of the Russian smartphone market. In 2017, Russians purchased 28.7 million devices, which is 9% more than a year ago. This increase was the strongest over the past three years, experts say.

In money, the volume of the Russian smartphone market increased much more - by 35% - from 4.8 to $6.5 billion.

In October-December 2017, 8.4 million smartphones worth $2.2 billion were sold in Russia, which is 6% and 36% more than the results of the same period in 2016, respectively. In physical terms, sales increased for the first time in three years.

In Russian currency, the domestic smartphone market grew to 128 billion rubles in the fourth quarter and to 382 billion rubles in 2017. In 2018, analysts expect a slight decrease in demand growth.

It also follows from the GfK research report that in 2017 Russia showed the highest growth rates in dollars compared to large regions. The second place in terms of dynamics was taken by Central and Eastern Europe, in which sales rose by 26% largely due to the Russian market. At the same time, the implementation of "smart" phones on a global scale increased by only 9%.

In pieces, smartphone sales rose by 9%, as in Russia, by the end of 2017 in Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America. There was no higher growth rate anywhere.

It is noted that GfK estimates the smartphone market by the volume of purchases by end consumers, and not shipments of manufacturers. The calculation is based on retail sales monitoring data. The valuation of the market in monetary terms is based on unsubsidized prices. The data for Russia are based on the summation of monthly data from January to December 2017.^[40]

MTS: Record sales thanks to installment purchases and credit

In 2017, a record number of smartphones were sold in Russia - 28.4 million units. This is 6% more than in 2016. In monetary terms, the market grew by 17.3% and reached 386 billion rubles, calculated in the telecommunications company MTS.

Prior to that, Russians purchased the largest number of smartphones in 2014 - 27.6 million units. This record was caused by a rush in demand for expensive electronics, including smartphones, in December 2014 due to the devaluation of the ruble. In 2015, the smartphone market in pieces fell by about 5%.

The main driver of market growth in 2017, MTS analysts called device purchases in installments and credit, which also contributed to an increase in the average price of a smartphone - from 12.3 thousand rubles in 2016 to 13.6 thousand rubles a year later.

The fact that the Russian smartphone market is growing much faster in money than in pieces is explained in MTS by the shift in consumer demand towards more expensive products. This happens for several reasons.

First, users require devices with high-quality screens and good cameras that allow them to comfortably communicate on social networks and solve their daily tasks. In addition, the popularity of more expensive smartphones is fueled by marketing promotions and financial offers, experts say.

Samsung remained the leader in the Russian smartphone market in terms of quantitative sales, whose share in 2017 was 25.2% in pieces and 29.2% in money. Apple's figures were 12.8% and 34.4%, respectively.

Huawei also got into the top three, which has 9.6% of the Russian smartphone market in pieces and 8.5% in money. MTS also pays attention to Xiaomi, which accounted for 3.9% of tube sales in piece terms and 3.7% in monetary terms.

Counterpoint Research

iPhone deliveries to Russia increased by 56%

In July-September 2017, the Russian market smartphones grew by 38% quarterly and 7% year-on-year, and supplies iPhone were record, research company Counterpoint Research reported on November 15.^[41]

According to experts, during the specified period, about 9 million smartphones arrived in the Russian Federation. Among the factors that provided positive dynamics, analysts called the demand for inexpensive devices, growing online sales and the distribution of programs for exchanging old devices for new ones with a surcharge (trade-in and buy back).

The Russian mobile phone market grew in the third quarter against the background of a large number of marketing campaigns of new Chinese brands and the accompanying decline in prices in all leading retail chains, - comments Counterpoint specialist Minakshi Sharma (Minakshi Sharma).

In turn, his colleague Tarun Pathak drew attention to Apple's record sales in Russia. According to Counterpoint estimates, in the third quarter, iPhone deliveries to the Russian Federation increased by 56%, which was facilitated by a decrease in prices for previous models before the release of new iPhones, as well as programs for exchanging old Apple devices for new ones with a surcharge from M.Video, Svyaznoy, Euroset and other online and offline retailers.

Experts do not give exact figures for the iPhone, but indicate that in the third quarter of 2017, Apple lost only to Samsung in Russia and controlled 15% of the market against 10% a year earlier. Knowing the total indicator of smartphone deliveries to the Russian Federation, it is easy to calculate that Apple's contribution amounted to 1.35 million devices.

Samsung accounted for 29% of the market leader, which corresponds to 2.6 million smartphones, and Huawei took third place with an 11% presence rate (990 thousand devices).

Analysts especially noted Xiaomi, which entered the top five brands of the Russian smartphone market with a 4% share. The Chinese manufacturer increased shipments by 325% year-on-year and became the fastest growing vendor in the top 5.

Q1: Samsung and Apple record share

The joint share Samsung Apple in the Russian market smartphones has reached a record level, analysts at Counterpoint Technology Market Research report. According to them, in January-March 2017, these two companies jointly controlled more than two-thirds (66.6%) of sales in monetary terms.

Samsung and Apple were leading in terms of the volume of smartphones delivered to the country. The South Korean brand accounted for 31% of the total number of devices shipped. Experts estimated the contribution of the iPhone at 12%, adding that the iPhones 5s remains the most popular Apple model among Russians.

In addition, the top 5 smartphone brands of the country included the Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE with presence rates of 9% and 4%, as well as the Tele2 brand (4%).

Experts note that vendors from the PRC are actively cooperating with the largest local distributors of mobile devices and with their help are strengthening their position in the growing Russian market. For example, Xiaomi is energetically developing its business in Russia by expanding offline retail and opening physical stores. The total share of Chinese brands in the domestic market is estimated at 26%.

In general, smartphone shipments to the Russian Federation in January-March 2017 increased by 6%, and an 11% year-on-year rise was recorded in the mobile phone market.

The most dynamic segments of the smartphone market were LTE devices and phablets, which recorded a rise of 64% and 50%, respectively. Models with support for LTE networks occupied 71% of the total volume of smartphones received in Russia, and large-sized devices with a screen of 5 inches or more - almost 52%.

Among other trends in the smartphone market in Russia, the author of the report, Minakshi Sharma, mentioned an increase in the average sales price of devices, as a result of the expanding range of mid-price models.^[42]

2016

Counterpoint Research: First $1 billion revenue from Chinese brands

Chinese manufacturers smartphones have noticeably increased their activity in the Russian market. This is evidenced by the data released on April 3, 2017 by the research company Counterpoint.

Experts have calculated that in 2016, brands from the PRC earned over $1 billion from smartphone sales in Russia for the first time. The most popular among Russians were such brands from the Celestial Empire as ZTE, Lenovo and Fly.

Analysts note that inexpensive devices are in demand in our country. Thanks to the strategy of offering smartphones with decent specifications at an attractive price, Chinese companies were able to increase their total market share in Russia by almost 23% in annual terms.

Models from domestic manufacturers such as Digma, Tele2, Prestigio, Vertex and DEXP also sold well last year. Counterpoint estimates their joint share is up 118%.

Having considered the market in more detail, experts found that the Tele2, Digma and Alcatel brands were leading in the device segment with a price of less than $50. It is also noted that the Russian manufacturer Digma showed unexpectedly strong growth, increasing deliveries by almost 15 times, mainly due to its popular entry-level smartphones with support for 2G networks.

In the $50- $75 category, analysts awarded the victory to Fly, Micromax and Samsung, and in the next price range ($75- $100) the most popular were Samsung, Micromax and Lenovo models.

Speaking about the market as a whole, experts added that in 2016, 33 million smartphones were sold in Russia, which is 5% more than in 2015. The highest indicators are registered with Samsung, Apple, ZTE, Lenovo and Fly. At the same time, in the segment of devices cheaper than $100, which accounted for almost 37% of all devices sold in the country, Samsung Galaxy J1 Mini and Tele2 Mini models became bestsellers.^[43]

IDC: Russia became the largest market in EMEA

On March 28, 2017, analysts IDC presented the results of a study of the Russian market. smartphones Its volume turned out to be the largest in the region. EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa)

According to IDC calculations, 30.66 million smartphones were delivered to Russia in 2016, which is 15.2% more than in 2015. In money, growth was measured at 16.1%.

Experts note that shipments of smartphones to the Russian Federation significantly exceeded the pre-crisis indicators of the period 2013-2014 and turned out to be higher than in the UK, as a result of which Russia became the largest market for these devices in the EMEA region.

"Given the volume of smartphone shipments to the Russian market in 2016, the number of these devices on the hands of consumers is steadily increasing," said senior analyst Natalya Vinogradova at IDC Russia. - Real incomes of Russians are not growing, therefore, the service life of devices is also increasing. It is becoming more difficult for manufacturers to supply to the market and support dozens of models. In 2017, the growth rate will slow down and the market may show negative dynamics in the foreseeable future. "

The following companies became the leaders of the Russian smartphone market in 2016:

• Samsung;
• Apple;
• ZTE;
• Lenovo;
• Fly.

Shipments of smartphones with LTE support in Russia increased by almost 104% in 2016. In the segment of devices costing from $25 to $125, the production of devices reached 60% of the total.

The most popular operating system remained Android, which, together with iOS, actually divided the market. Other platforms, including BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Phone, have failed to win notable market shares.

The study also noted growing demand for phones with screens ranging from 5 inches diagonally and above. The share of smaller devices in 2016 decreased by 8.2% compared to the previous year.

Data from J'son & Partners Consulting

According to J'son & Partners Consulting estimates, in 2016 the volume of the Russian smartphone market in physical terms amounted to 26.4 million devices. Compared to 2015, the market grew by 4.4%, compared to 2014 - by 1%. Thus, we can say that the smartphone market is gradually beginning to recover from the consequences of the devaluation of the ruble, and users are beginning to get used to new realities and adapt to new device prices.

The share of smartphones in total sales of mobile terminals (total sales of mobile phones and smartphones) in 2016 amounted to about 71% in physical terms, which is 5 pp higher than a year earlier.

The growth in smartphone sales continues to affect many related markets, including the market for conventional mobile phones. According to J'son & Partners Consulting estimates, the Russian mobile phone market continued to decline in 2016 and amounted to 10.8 million devices. Nevertheless, push-button phones still occupy about a third of the mobile terminal market. They are still in demand among visitors, pensioners, children, as well as as a second tube for smartphone users.

Along with sales in kind, the average cost of these devices is also reduced. According to J'son & Partners Consulting estimates, in 2016 it decreased by 6% compared to 2015 and amounted to 1.7 thousand rubles.

The main trends in the Russian smartphone market

• Explosive growth of smartphones with support LTE - In 2016, every second smartphone sold supported high-speed Internet LTE technology. Sales of smartphones with an LTE module more than doubled in 2016 compared to 2015. The main drivers of market growth are an increase in the range of LTE devices, a decrease in their average cost, as well as an increased demand for devices in the middle and premium price segment.
• Growth in the average retail cost of smartphones - The average retail cost of smartphones increased in 2016 by 22% compared to last year and amounted to 12.1 thousand rubles. This is the highest average retail cost of a smartphone since 2009. The increase in value compared to last year was influenced by the growing demand for devices in the price category "above 15 thousand rubles," which, in turn, was facilitated by an increase in sales of devices purchased on credit.
• Growth of the diagonal of the display of smartphones - The average diagonal of the display of a smartphone sold in Russia in 2016 was 4.6 inches. In addition, the share of smartphones with a diagonal of 5 or more inches increased from 31% in 2015 to 46% in 2016. The growth in sales of smartphones with a large display diagonal affects the increase in the use of video content, TV and applications.
• Growth in the share of Chinese producers - The trend, which was born before the start of the economic crisis, was continued after the devaluation of the ruble. A number of manufacturers popular in the formation of the Russian smartphone market - Sony HTC Nokia,/- Microsoft at the end of 2016, in total, occupied only 5% of the smartphone market in physical terms. Their place is taken by Chinese companies selling devices at a more attractive price. In 2016, according to J'son & Partners Consulting, Chinese companies occupy half of the positions in the top ten best-selling manufacturers in Russia.

Liaison: Phablets hit 50% share of money for the first time

At the end of 2016, phablets or smartphones with a "large" display (more than 5 inches) for the first time in history formed 50% of retail companies' revenue from the sale of smartphones against 39% a year earlier, the Svyaznoy network reported. In pieces, the share of tablet phones in January-December was 46% (in 2015 - about 30%).

In total, more than 12 million phablets worth almost 165 billion rubles were sold in Russia in 2016. Sales of such gadgets for the year increased by 60% both in pieces and in rubles. The growing popularity of tablet phones became one of the key drivers of the smartphone market in 2016. In general, the segment of "smart" phones for the year - according to Svyaznoy estimates - increased by 5% in units and by 27% in rubles.

The increase in demand for phablets is explained by several factors. "Big" smartphones are convenient for communication (communication in social networks and instant messengers) and entertainment (viewing and editing photos and videos). Such a device becomes the "first" screen for more and more users, and people prefer to purchase one gadget instead of at least two (smartphone and tablet computer). The active penetration of such devices into the middle and low price segments also contributes to the growth of popularity. This is evidenced by the preservation of the average cost of a tablet phone at the level of 2015 (about 13,500 rubles), while the price of a smartphone as a whole increased by 20% over the same period.

The most popular among Russian buyers in 2016 were smartphones with a diagonal of 5 to 5.5 inches. The share of such devices in units on the Russian smart phone market in 2016 increased from 26% to 39% of all sold smart phones. Smartphones with a diagonal of over 5.5 inches in 2016 also became more in demand - Russians purchased 1.7 million gadgets with the largest display against about 1.1 million a year earlier. The share of 5.5-inch smartphones in the market has increased over the year, but so far does not exceed 7% - phablets with a diagonal above 5.5 inches still continue to gain popularity.

With the growing popularity of "large" smartphones, their supply in Russian retail chains is also increasing. For example, in Svyaznoy, 75% of the product items in the range of smart phones are devices with a diagonal of more than 5 inches. In January 2017, the top ten sales leaders in Svyaznoy included gadgets such as the iPhone 7 Plus, LG K10 LTE, LG X Power.

IDC Q2: 7m smartphones imported

On September 2, 2016, the analytical company IDC released brief results of a study of the Russian mobile phone market. Experts noted the stabilization and return of indicators to the pre-crisis level.

According to IDC estimates, in the second quarter of 2016, 7 million smartphones were imported into Russia against 5 million a year earlier.

The first three quarters of 2015 were lower volumes than in previous periods, says Natalia Vinogradov, senior analyst at IDC Russia. - At the same time, there was a shift to cheaper phone categories. Since then, confidence has returned to the market, at the end of the year there was an increase in import volumes. This trend continued in the first half of 2016.

The study also notes that in the second quarter of 2016, devices with support for LTE networks for the first time occupied more than half of the Russian smartphone market. The growing popularity of such devices is facilitated by a decrease in prices for them: if in 2014 the average cost of an LTE smartphone in the Russian Federation was at $500, then two years later it decreased to $189.

Micromax reduced the average retail price of its LTE phones below 5 thousand, rubles which allowed the company to enter the top three suppliers of such smartphones based on, Android losing only and. Samsung Lenovo

2015

TrendForce: Fly beats Apple and Lenovo

On January 18, 2016, the analytical company TrendForce published the results of a study of the Russian smartphone market. The share of these devices continues to grow, and the Fly brand is among the leaders.

As follows from the analytical report, in 2015, smartphone sales in Russia amounted to 26.15 million units, which is 22% more than a year earlier. Their share in the entire mobile phone market rose from 50.5% to 60.5% over the year.

Local demand for mid- and entry-level smartphones is steadily growing. Russian consumers are choosing cheaper smartphone models due to the fact that the country's economy is influenced by US and EU sanctions, TrendForce analyst Kelly Hsieh said.

According to TrendForce calculations, 67.8% of smartphones sold in Russia in 2015 cost an average of less than $124 (9,800 rubles at the exchange rate as of January 18, 2016). The growing popularity of inexpensive models has led to a rapid strengthening of the business of vendors such as Fly and Explay. In addition, Chinese manufacturers like Lenovo, Huawei and TCL have been actively developing in the Russian market for several years and are working to increase the recognition of their brands in the country.

The largest seller of smartphones in Russia in physical terms in 2015 was Samsung Corporation. Fly is in second place, which managed to get ahead of Lenovo and Apple.

Analysts are also paying attention to Huawei, which has focused on marketing promotion in Russia. In 2014-2015, the company opened more than 10 retail stores in the country in order to popularize its brand. Huawei's big plans for the Russian market confirm the launch of the flagship smartphone Honor 7 and the Honor Band Zero smartwatch in September 2015, TrendForce notes.^[44]

MTS and Euroset: The first drop in sales in history

On January 13, 2016, MTS and Euroset reported the first drop in sales in physical terms in the history of the Russian smartphone market. At the same time, revenue is growing due to higher prices for devices.

According to preliminary estimates of Euroset, in 2015 25.5 million smartphones were sold in Russia, which is 8.4% less than a year earlier. This annual decline turned out to be the first in the history of the market, the representative of the retailer Ulyana Smolskaya told Vedomosti.

In, and M.Video "Svyaznom" MTS confirm the fall in sales of "smart" phones in the Russian Federation. Thus, according to the operator, in 2015, the sale of smartphones in the domestic market decreased by 8% to 26 million units.

There is still a rise in money. Euroset estimates revenue from sales of devices in 2015 at 258 billion rubles (+ 5% by 2014), in MTS - at 260 billion rubles (+ 6%).

Ulyana Smolskaya associates this growth with an increase in the average cost of smartphones - from 8.9 thousand rubles in 2014 to 10.1 thousand rubles a year later. MTS analysts also attribute the growing revenue to "interest in LTE devices." They accounted for 57% of smartphone sales (about 150 million rubles) in Russia in 2015. A total of 6.7 million LTE smartphones were sold, which exceeds the total sales for all previous years.

Smartphones remained the only major segment of the portable electronics market with growing revenue. According to Euroset, in 2015 sales of simple mobile phones in Russia fell by 21%, and digital cameras, tablets and laptops - by 38%, 31% and 23%, respectively.

Retail chains did not make a forecast for 2016. Suddenly, factors that can lead to both an increase and a decrease in sales may arise, says Euroset President Alexander Malis.

According to the representative "Connected" of Sergei Tikhonov, consumers will be more rational in choosing devices, using retailers' promotions and buying insurance for expensive products.^[45]

Data from J'son & Partners Consulting

According to J'son & Partners Consulting estimates, total sales smartphones Russia in 2015 amounted to 25.3 million devices. And for the first time since 2009, they showed negative dynamics: relative to the results of 2014, smartphone sales decreased by 3% in physical terms.

It is important to note that with a similar difficult macroeconomic situation in 2009, the fall in the smartphone market was more noticeable - immediately by a third compared to 2008, and the situation was fundamentally different from what we saw in 2015. We highlight several factors thanks to which users did not massively abandon smartphones during the crisis: a budget segment of smartphones appeared on the market (entry-level devices can be purchased for less than 2000 rubles). With the development of high-speed Internet, smartphones themselves have become an integral part of people's lives. In addition, smartphones have replaced users with a number of alternative devices: navigator, MP3 player, voice recorder, budget cameras, alarm clock, flashlight, etc.

Mobile Market Trends in 2015

• Decrease in the share of sales of manufacturers focused on the premium segment. Growing popularity of new brands. In 2015, Russian smartphone buyers were less willing to "overpay for the brand," preferring to buy devices similar in characteristics at a lower price. A number of new manufacturers focused on the budget segment were able to take a more or less significant share in the smartphone market in 2015. The share of traditional smartphone manufacturers fell below 50%.
• Growth in the average retail cost of a smartphone. The trend observed in recent years of a decrease in the average retail cost of a smartphone, due to an increase in the supply of budget-level devices, was interrupted in 2015. J'son & Partners Consulting estimates that the average retail value of a smartphone increased by 9% in 2015 compared to 2014. At the same time, despite a significant increase in prices for consumer electronics in Russia over the past year and a half, if we talk about smartphones, then the average retail cost of these devices has not increased so significantly. Budget devices have become popular on the market.
• Growing functionality of smartphones. In 2015, the share of devices with LTE, NFC and the ability to connect two or more SIM cards increased in total smartphone sales.
• In 2015, sales of phablets (smartphones with a diagonal of 5 or more inches) for the first time exceeded sales of tablet PCs. The growing popularity of related services when selling mobile devices: insurance, setting up and installing applications on smartphones, etc.

Forecasts

In early 2016, a number of smartphone manufacturers announced a new increase in prices for products in Russia by 15-20%. According to J'son & Partners Consulting, due to the continued growth in the cost of devices and a decrease in purchasing power, the trends of 2015, namely the preservation of high demand for budget smartphones, will take place in 2016. The volume of the smartphone market in 2016 will strongly depend on the further macroeconomic situation in the country and the course. ruble

Despite this, according to J'son & Partners Consulting forecasts, by 2020 the smartphone market will grow by more than 70% compared to the results of 2015, the following factors will contribute to this:

• according to J'son & Partners Consulting, smartphones will almost completely displace conventional mobile phones from the market by 2020;
• smartphones for many people become an essential item, and even in a difficult economic situation in the country, users do not refuse to buy smartphones. At the same time, the average cycle of "smartphone life" is 2-3 years;
• the approach of the total market for mobile phones and smartphones to the saturation stage exacerbates the competition between retailers. An active retailer policy to attract buyers can make smartphones more affordable (for example, by subsidizing devices by mobile operators).

2014

IDC: Unit sales up 46%

On February 16, 2015, Bloomberg published the results of a study of the Russian smartphone market by IDC analysts. Device sales in 2014 increased by almost half largely due to high New Year's demand, but further market growth is in doubt.^[46]

According to IDC experts, in 2014 the volume of the Russian smartphone market reached 27.4 million in pieces and $6.3 billion in money. A year earlier, these indicators amounted to 18.8 million units and $5.4 billion, respectively.

Smartphone sales in Russia showed phenomenal growth

Samsung remained the largest supplier of smart phones to domestic retail, which in 2014 produced about 6 million devices, which is 2.3 million less than in the previous year. During the same period, iPhone sales, on the contrary, doubled to 3.2 million units, and the total revenue from their sale reached $2.1 billion against $1.5 billion from the sale of Samsung gadgets.

Thus, Apple has become the most profitable smartphone manufacturer on the Russian market. In October-December 2014, when there was a rush of demand for electronics in Russia amid the devaluation of the ruble, retailers sold an iPhone worth $827 million, which corresponds to 46% of the total Russian smartphone market. During that three-month period, Samsung's share of revenue was 18%.

As the newspaper notes, against the background of the growth of the dollar, Apple increased the cost of its phones by almost 70% at the end of 2014, while the rise in price of Samsung products turned out to be less significant.

"iPhone prices have gone from a comfortable level. Consumers do not understand how a phone can cost more than a used car, "said Alexander Malis, President of Euroset

.

In the context of the difficult economic situation in Russia, the local smartphone market may not grow in 2015 relative to 2014, says IDC analyst Simon Baker. According to him, sales of the iPhone after the boom in 2014 will decline, and against the background of lower consumer spending, inexpensive models based on will be in greatest demand. Android

The leading smartphone manufacturers on the Russian market are also Lenovo, Microsoft, Sony and LG, which in 2014 sold 2.2, 1.8, 1.6 and 1.1 million pipes, respectively. It is especially worth noting Lenovo's breakthrough: the Chinese company's sales jumped almost 4 times in physical terms and 2.5 times in monetary terms.

Svyaznoy: Apple is the first market leader in monetary terms

Apple according to the results of 2014, for the first time became the leader of the Russian market smartphones in monetary terms. The company took 30% of the market for this indicator with a turnover of over 67 billion rubles. In 2013, the vendor's share was 21%, GfK said "Coherent" , citing preliminary data^[47]

In Q4 2014, Apple achieved record sales in Russia. During this period, the vendor's share in monetary terms reached 36%. Prior to this, the company's share reached its maximum value in the first quarter of 2014 - 28%.

As noted in Svyaznoy, Apple helped to achieve such a result by a record interest in new products - the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus - caused by both the presentation of two fundamentally different models in terms of functionality and the early start of sales regarding the world premiere (the devices appeared on sale in September). In the IV quarter of 2014, Russian buyers rushed to buy electronics due to a sharp drop in the ruble exchange rate.

In addition, due to the preservation of the iPhone 4s on sale and a change in the pricing policy for the iPhone 5s and 5s after the presentation of new products, the brand in the IV quarter of 2014 was represented in all price segments over 10 thousand rubles, which significantly expanded the audience of buyers, analysts added.

In quantitative terms, Apple ranked second in the Russian smartphone market in 2014. The company sold 2.7 million devices over the year and about 1 million of them in the last three months of the year.

The first place in quantitative terms was taken by Samsung, but in terms of money it lost to Apple (second place).

Outstanding Apple sales results have become one of the key drivers of the smartphone market in Russia. While B-brands influenced market size in quantitative terms, Apple - on the monetary indicator. The growth of the Russian smartphone market in 2014 in monetary terms amounted to 25% compared to 2013. Excluding Apple, the growth would be only 15%.

J'son & Partners Consulting: Sales growth in pieces + 47%

The volume of the Russian mobile terminal market (total sales of smartphones and mobile phones) in 2014 became the highest in history - 43 million devices. At the same time, smartphones accounted for about 61% of total sales - 26 million devices. In total, 1.5 times more smartphones were sold in Russia in 2014 than in 2013.

The share of the Russian smartphone market in total global sales amounted to 2% in 2014.

According to the results of 2014, the growth rate of the Russian smartphone market in physical terms (+ 47%) was significantly ahead of the global average (+ 26%).

The growth in smartphone sales in Russia was primarily facilitated by the growing popularity of mobile Internet access and a decrease in the average cost of devices. In monetary terms, the Russian smartphone market did not grow so much over the year - by 20%, and in total, according to the results of 2014, amounted to 216 billion rubles.

In 2014, the average cost of a smartphone decreased by 19% and amounted to 8.3 thousand rubles. The average price of a smartphone falls due to the growth of the budget segment. In 2014, about every fifth smartphone sold cost less than i3 thousand.

In addition to the growth of the budget segment, it is worth paying attention to the decrease in the share of "expensive" smartphones. The share of the price segment "More than 15 thousand rubles" decreased by 6 percentage points over the year, and in 2014 amounted to 13%.

According to J'son & Partners Consulting estimates, the share of Android in 2014 amounted to more than 86% of all smartphones sold in Russia. According to J'son & Partners Consulting, in the near future, the positions of the operating system from Google look invariable - Windows Phone has not yet been able to make a high-quality leap forward, and the prospects for iOS in the Russian market, due to a significant increase in prices, it is difficult to assess.

4.3 inches is the average diagonal of the smartphone display sold in 2014 in Russia. The trend continues in the smartphone market to gradually increase the diagonal of the display and turn smartphones into hybrid devices that can be used as a tablet. The share of smartphones with a screen diagonal of 5 inches or more is growing significantly: if in 2013 the share of such devices amounted to only 7% of total sales, then in 2014 it reached 18%.

According to J'son & Partners Consulting estimates, the total share of sales of smartphones with two or more SIM cards in 2014 was 60%. Taking advantage of the growing popularity of dual-SIM smartphones, leading manufacturers have begun to release not only budget models with two SIM cards, but also their flagship devices in two versions - with and without support for this technology.

The share of smartphones with LTE support is not growing so rapidly. The main reason for this is a significant difference in price. According to J'son & Partners Consulting estimates, the average retail price of an LTE smartphone sold in 2014 amounted to about 22 thousand rubles, and the same indicator for the total smartphone market amounted to 8.3 thousand rubles.

The macroeconomic situation in the country and the devaluation of the ruble will certainly affect the Russian smartphone market, according to J & P. Leading manufacturers have already significantly increased the cost of devices in rubles. At the same time, a large assortment of smartphones of the "budget" segment is presented on the market, which in terms of their technical characteristics are not much inferior to more expensive devices. According to J'son & Partners Consulting, such devices can quite successfully replace more expensive analogues for buyers, respectively, we do not expect any decrease in sales of smartphones in physical terms in Russia in 2015.

According to J'son & Partners Consulting, in 2015 we can expect: a decrease in sales of smartphones of the "premium" segment; growing assortment and popularity of low-cost smartphones; changes in the structure of the smartphone market by manufacturers, further strengthening the position of Chinese smartphone manufacturers; strengthening the presence of mobile operators in the smartphone sales market.

Despite the difficult economic situation, people will not refuse to buy smartphones, but will try to save on it. According to J'son & Partners Consulting forecasts, the total sales of smartphones in Russia by 2019 will exceed 42.1 million devices, the share of smartphones in total sales of mobile terminals will be 93%.

Svyaznoy: 41 million mobile phones sold in Russia, + 5% growth

In 2014, over 41 million mobile phones were sold in Russia in the amount of about 254 billion rubles, which is 5% higher than in 2013 in units and 18% higher in money. Recall that at the end of 2013, the mobile phone market did not grow by 2012 in physical terms. As stated in the report of the Svyaznoy group, the positive dynamics of the mobile phone market as a whole provided double-digit growth in smartphone sales . In total, 26 million "smart" devices were sold in 2014 in the amount of about 227 billion rubles. This is 39% more than last year, in pieces and a quarter in monetary terms. Thus, the double-digit growth rate of sales in 2014 remained not only in pieces, but also in money.

The increase in the market in units ensured the active growth of B-brands due to the replacement of feature phones and the strengthening of positions in the segment from 5 to 15 thousand rubles. At the end of the year, the share of such brands in physical terms reached 45% against 31% a year earlier. In terms of money, B-brand sales exceeded one fifth of the market, amounting to 22%. Due to active sales in budget price segments, the average cost of a smartphone again decreased - it amounted to 8,900 rubles, which is 7% less than in 2013.

The dynamics of sales in money is explained by growth in the middle and high price categories, where the Apple brand played a special role in the market. The popularity of its products increased significantly in 2014. Recall that in 2014 the brand was presented in all price segments over 10 thousand rubles, which expanded the target audience of buyers, and interest in new products - iPhone 6 and 6 Plus - exceeded the demand of 2013 by at least 2-3 times.

eMarketer: 2014-2018: Russia will beat Japan in terms of smartphone users (forecast)

On December 11, 2014, the research company eMarketer announced a forecast for the global smartphone market, where data on Russia were also presented.

According to analysts, in 2014 the number of smartphone users living in Russia will reach 49 million against 35.8 million a year earlier. According to this indicator, the Russian market will take fifth place, losing to China (519.7 million users), the USA (165.3 million), India (123.3 million) and Japan (50.8 million).

In 2015, Russia will take 4th place in the world in terms of the number of smartphone users

In 2015, Russia will be able to climb to fourth position, ahead of Japan - 58.2 against 57.4 million predicted active smartphones, respectively. However, already in 2016, the Russian market for "smart" phones will again drop to fifth place in the overall standings, but it will not give way to the Land of the Rising Sun, but Indonesia.

In this state, the demand for mobile devices is growing at a rapid pace: if in 2013 there were 27.4 million smartphone owners, then in 2016 this number will increase to 69.4 million. In Russia, this figure will be 65.1 million and will increase to 71.9 million a year later. In 2018, the audience of smartphone owners in the Russian Federation will reach 76.4 million people, while around the world there will be 2.56 billion users of these pipes, eMarketer employees predict.

In 2018, smartphones will account for more than half of the mobile phones used by people around the world. You can find out more about the situation on the global market in the section "Smartphones (global market)."

2013

IDC

15% sales growth forecast

According to forecasts IDC (February 2013), in 2013 the Russian market smartphones will grow by about 15%.

IDC believes that the Russian smartphone market is still far from saturated: the growth trend will continue for another two to three years, but by 2015 smartphones will not occupy 50% of the total phone market.

Smartphone sales break record in Q2

The share of smartphones in the Russian mobile phone market in the second quarter of 2013 reached 39%. This is the highest figure ever recorded by analysts at IDC in Russia.

The total volume of the mobile phone market in the second quarter exceeded 9.7 million units. At the same time, the volume of the smartphone market amounted to about 2.4 million.

"On average, there are four smartphones in Russia for every 10 mobile phones sold," said IDC analyst Simon Baker. "The Russian smartphone market is gradually catching up with more developed countries, whose markets are already close to saturation."

Samsung controls almost half of the mobile phone market, Nokia Corporation's share is declining and amounted to less than 25% in the second quarter.

In the smartphone market, the share Samsung decreased slightly compared to the first quarter, but still exceeds the mark of 50%. Deliveries, the closest Apple competitor, are Samsung six times less than the leader, and only slightly higher than the indicators, and. Sony Nokia Corporation HTC

In the second quarter of 2013, Android phones account for almost 75% of the market. Second place behind models running Bada - sales of these models went down. Windows Phone phones came in third with an 8.6% share, marginally ahead of iOS (8.3%). Sales of Nokia Corporation phones with Symbian OS are almost discontinued.

GfK: 9 months 2013: rapid growth in sales of Russian smartphones

In the first nine months of 2013, compared to the same period in 2012, sales of smartphones of a number of Russian local brands (B-brands) in physical terms increased by hundreds of percent. This follows from the GfK report, excerpts from which were at the disposal of Vedomosti. The authenticity of the report was confirmed by employees of three companies - its clients.

It follows from the report that in January - September 2013, compared to the first nine months of 2012, sales of Explay smartphones increased the most - almost 24 times. In second place in terms of sales growth were those smartphones that are sold under their brand Megaphone"," - over the year their sales increased almost 18 times. The third place was taken by Highscreen, the brand of the portable distributor electronic engineers "": Wobis computer it showed almost 5-fold growth in sales (in its report, GfK assigned it a separate position for the first time).

In the first nine months of 2013, Explay, Highscreen and Megafon together occupied just over 6% of the Russian smartphone market (for comparison: HTC's market share is 6.8%). In January - September 2012, Megafon and Explay together accounted for less than 0.5% of the market, Highscreen accounted for about 0.5% more.

GfK's estimate is too conservative: in January - September 2013, not 147,000 were sold in Russia, but about 350,000 Highscreen smartphones. Thus, the real share of the brand is 2.5%, according to a source close to the company.

According to Svyaznoy, Explay sales have grown almost 22 times (about 300,000 smartphones have been sold). Such growth was partly manifested against the background of a low base (sales of Explay smartphones began only in 2012), but its growth rate exceeds that of competitors who entered the market around the same period and in the same conditions, says Svyaznoy spokeswoman Maria Zaikina.

According to GfK, sales of branded devices and another Russian cellular operator, MTS, increased more than 4 times (by 336%). MTS representative Dmitry Solodovnikov explains this, in particular, by the good sales of the MTS 970 smartphone: according to him, in August and September 2013 the device ranked first in smartphone sales in Russia. The GfK data confirm this.

At the same time, in the first nine months of 2013, the first three suppliers of smartphones to the Russian market did not change - Samsung, Apple and Nokia Corporation together occupy 52.6% of the market. However, a year earlier, their total share reached 70%.

The representative of M.video Anton Panteleev explains the high growth rate of sales of B-brand smartphones by their activity in the segment of budget smartphones. These brands dominate the segment of smartphones worth 3000-5000 rubles. and supplant classic mobile phones, he recalls. Accordingly, the share of A-brands of smartphones, which are still less active in the budget segment, is decreasing, Panteleev notes. For buyers focused on the price category below 10,000 rubles, the value of the brand is less important than the price-quality ratio.

Megafon spokeswoman Yulia Dorokhina also notes good value for money in B-brand smartphones. According to her, in the operator's retail network, smartphones under the Megafon brand occupy the 3rd place in sales after Samsung and Nokia. The share of Megafon smartphones in its retail network of salons in the first nine months of 2013 increased 4 times compared to the same period in 2012, says Dorokhina.

The GfK report reflects the clearly noticeable growth of second-tier brands even for ordinary consumers, says Explay CEO Eduard Vashchenko. The entire first three leaders in terms of growth rates are Russian brands, he notes. In absolute terms, they show not the most impressive results, but if the share of the B-brand increased by 1,500% over the year, and the share of one of the largest A-brands increased by less than 40% or even fell, this speaks volumes, Vashchenko said. In his opinion, manufacturers of the second echelon in an extremely short time managed to shake the position of A-brands and force them to look back at themselves.

"Therefore, even Samsung-level companies are forced to adjust their operating strategy in the Russian and other emerging markets both in the short and long term," Vashchenko emphasizes.

The volume of the smartphone market is growing, but the number of participants has not significantly increased, said Mikhail Chernyshov, commercial director of Vobis Computer. A couple of years ago, the user was forced to buy smartphones from leading world manufacturers with almost no alternative and, thus, pay for large expenses on advertising and marketing included in the price, he says. Now B-brands give freedom of choice when the consumer is free to choose what is more important for him: buying a device from a well-known brand or purchasing a model with comparable characteristics at a much more modest price, Chernyshov argues.

He also admits that the quality of B-brand products has increased markedly lately: in 2011-2012. the number of breakdowns of such devices that were fixed under warranty was several times more than that of A-brands. And now both A- and B-brands rarely have a warranty failure rate of more than 5-7%, says Chernyshov.

According to Chernyshov's forecast, in 2014 the share of Samsung, Nokia and Apple may also decrease, the number of market participants will decrease, and competition will only intensify. Most of the B-brands will go to the lowest price segment, only a few local manufacturers will be able to stand out from the masses - those who can not only offer an ultra-low price, but create a full-fledged mobile range of devices with functional and design features that distinguish their smartphones from competitors, predicts the top manager of Vobis.

Data for 47 weeks of 2013

Suppliers' shares in the Russian smartphone market 2013 in the first 47 weeks of the year

2012: IDC: Android rules the market. Samsung overtakes Apple

The share smartphones in the Russian phone market in 2012 increased from 25% to 33%, IDC Simon Europe Baker, head of the mobile phone market research program in Central and Eastern, Middle East and Africa, said at a press conference in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress.

In 2012, the top three operating systems in Russia changed. Android is still in first place, 69.6% of all smartphones were sold with this OS in the fourth quarter. The second position is occupied by Linux (Bada) with 12.3%. Windows Phone squeezed iOS from third position ( 7%). The iPhone fell to fourth place with 6.3%^[48]

2011

IDC data

According to the data IDC , the volume of deliveries smartphones Russia in 2011 amounted to 8.7 million units or 21.2% of the total mobile phone market, significantly exceeding the same indicators of the previous year. The four leaders -,, and Nokia Corporation- Samsung Apple NTS accounted for more than 90% of all supplies.

The consolidation of brands is intensifying in the Russian smartphone market. The main competition is unfolding between Nokia and Samsung. The position of Apple and HTC is stable, while other suppliers do not have a noticeable impact on the overall picture.

Prices fell smartphones less evenly than for regular mobile phones. Factors such as iPhone Russia Nokia's introduction and release of less expensive smartphones in mid-2010 contributed to this.

• The volume of the smartphone segment in quantitative terms in 2011 reached about 7.7 million devices, exceeding the volume of 2010 by more than 2 times. In monetary terms, the segment's volume grew by 80% and reached 83.3 billion rubles, according to MTS.

In general, in 2011, the share of smartphones in quantitative terms amounted to 19%, exceeding the 2010 value by more than 2 times.

Despite the decline in the market price of smartphones (in the IV quarter it amounted to 8% to 10,733 rubles), this segment demonstrated a steady growth rate in both quantitative and monetary terms throughout 2011 and the entire 2010, with which the comparison is carried out. So, in the last quarter of 2011, this segment accounted for 53.3% of all revenue, compared to 23.3% at the beginning of 2010.

Nokia Corporation retained its leadership in the smartphone segment in 2011 in Russia, but its share decreased by a third - from 64% to 43.6%. At the same time, Samsung's share has almost tripled - from 10.1% to 28.4% (second place). In third place is HTC, which, although it increased its share, slightly - from 7% to 8.9%. The fourth place was taken by Apple with a share of 6.1%, the fifth - Sony Ericsson with a share of 6%. It should be noted that in 2011 Apple and Sony Ericsson swapped places - a year earlier, the fourth place belonged to the Swedish-Japanese alliance.

• In the second quarter of 2011, Nokia Corporation's share in the Russian smartphone market continued to fall. If you look quarterly, starting from the IV quarter of 2010, the dynamics are as follows: 57, 52, 41% - this is in money and 71, 65, 52% - in pieces^[49]. These are the data of Svyaznoy. Euroset has similar ones: 41% against 47% in monetary and 62% against 63% in piece terms (I quarter of 2011 to I quarter of 2010). MTS also agrees: Nokia's share is declining, in physical terms in the first half of the year it amounted to 55%, says the operator's representative Valery Kuzmenko.

What Nokia is losing is being taken away by Samsung. According to Svyaznoy, Samsung's share in the first half of the year increased from 8% (Q4 2010) to 23% (Q2 2011) in monetary terms. Nokia gives way primarily to Samsung, says Kuzmenko: the Korean manufacturer releases more new models and relies on a more modern Android operating system, while Nokia uses Symbian.

At the same time, Nokia remains the leader both in the Russian smartphone market and in the phone market as a whole. At the latter, she even increases her share in physical terms. According to Svyaznoy, in the first half of 2011 Nokia had 41% of the telephone market against 38% for the same period in 2010. MTS estimates Nokia's share at 42%.

Kuzmenko and Svyaznoy representative Elena Nogotkova explain this by good sales of Nokia budget models. Nokia pays a decrease in the price of devices for maintaining its positions: in the first half of 2011, they fell by 24% (compared to the end of the second half of last year), Nogotkova notes.

According to Euroset, Nokia's share in monetary terms in January - May 2011 was as follows (monthly): 43, 47, 44, 43, 41% - if it does not fall, it definitely does not grow.

Nokia's problem is in the shortage of iconic new products, as well as in the short line of devices in all price categories compared to Samsung, for example, IAA Telecomdaily CEO Denis Kuskov believes. The situation on the Russian smartphone market for Nokia may unfold in 2012, when phones on the new Microsoft Windows Mobile 7 platform for Nokia go on sale, he suggests.

• According to Svyaznoy, in the first quarter of 2011, Russian smartphone sales increased by 138% compared to the same period in 2010, and by 95% in monetary terms. Smartphones accounted for 19% of all phones sold.

Overview of the smartphone market in Russia for the first half of 2011 from Svyaznoy Group of Companies

Huawei launches sales of its smartphones in Russia

• On June 1, 2011, it became known that Huawei was launching phones^[49] brand name in Russian retail]. She used to sell tubes here only through operators and under their brands.

Until now, Huawei's partners Russia in have been exclusively operators -, MTS"," VimpelCom"," "." " MegaphoneSky link Huawei decided to sell phones under its brand, inspired by the rapid growth in sales, smartphones says Alexei Gromakov, marketing director of its Russian office. Negotiations are underway, in particular, with "" and Euroset"Svyaznoy."

President of Euroset Alexander Malis and representative of Svyaznoy Elena Nogotkova confirmed this, adding that there are no agreements yet. Nevertheless, Huawei expects to enter the top five smartphone suppliers to Russia by the end of 2011, and in three years - to take 3rd place, says Gromakov, citing successful sales of "operator" tubes. He does not name the numbers. Third place in sales of Huawei smartphones shines hardly, Malis doubts.

In 2010, Huawei imported about 80,000 smartphones to Russia for operators, and this year it will sell about 100,000 through them and the same number through independent retail, estimates Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group.

Megafon offers a number of Huawei devices under its brand: smartphones running Android, budget 3G phones, routers, photo frames, says the operator's representative Karen Asoyan. It has sold more than 100,000 such devices in the past year. MTS spokeswoman Valeria Kuzmenko named only the share of Huawei phones in the mono-brand line of this operator - 20%.

2009:511 thousand smartphones sold in the first 6 months

Smartphones, communicators, PDAs and Internet tablets - SmartMarketing analysts use the abbreviation WID (Wireless Internet Device) to designate the last three categories of devices (communicators, PDAs and Internet tablets). The WID segment includes all devices with a large and/or touch screen, as well as an alphabetical keyboard, the smartphone segment includes devices with a non-touch screen and a numeric keyboard (mainly devices based on the Symbian platform, but also some models with Linux). Experts explain this segmentation by significant differences in consumer behavior when choosing, as well as the technological features of goods.

In the 1st half of 2009, 676 thousand smartphones, communicators, PDAs and Internet tablets were sold in Russia, SmartMarketing reports. Of these 676 thousand devices of all types, 165 thousand units (24.4%) were WID and 511 thousand units (75.6%) were smartphones.

In numerical terms compared to the results of the 1st half of 2008, the market showed a drop of about 2.5 times. The WID segment was noticeably more affected, where there are a large number of players who adhere to a variety of technical and marketing policies. The smartphone sector (traditionally more inert) suffered less, mainly due to the shift of new products to the lower price segment. The quarterly dynamics of the market development remained strong. Compared to Q1 sales, sales in Q2 2009 are cautiously optimistic (120.4 thousand devices in Q1 and 442.4 thousand devices in Q2). However, experts have not yet decided to talk about the restoration of the market.

"The structure of the market after the crisis has changed quite significantly. In fact, the market was abandoned in development 2-3 years ago, - comments Svetlana Zavyalova, marketing manager at SmartMarketing. - Sales in the 1st quarter for some suppliers decreased by almost an order of magnitude, sales of the New Year's season actually failed, which led to a strong overstocking of warehouses: both from distributors and retail chains. The jumps in the dollar exchange rate, and a sharp reduction in purchasing power, and the "redistribution" of cellular retail, and the general pessimistic sentiments of both market players and ordinary buyers "affected.

According to the results of the 1st half of 2009, WID became the market leader iPhone (share 27.0%), in the second and third places it was located Samsung HTC with shares of 23.1% and 14.1% (against 24.1% a year earlier), respectively, the fourth and fifth places were taken (Nokia 8.3%) and Gigabyte (6.5%). Rover PC in sixth place (4.3%), Asustek in seventh (3.4%). This is followed by Mio (3.2%), Acer/E-TEN (3.11%) and (1.8 Sony Ericsson %). Taking into account the leadership of the iPhone, it should be remembered that most of the iPhone sales in the 1st half of the year are due to the actions of operators and retailers who were actively trying to sell off the iPhone 3G inventory. The former unconditional market leader - HTC - throughout 2008 shifted its product line to the premium segment, which affected its sales results during the crisis period.

Samsung's high share is due to both the vendor's effective marketing activity and a well-functioning sales channel. Of the indicative trends, it should be noted a sharp decline in Acer's market share due, along with the crisis, to a reorganization after the purchase of E-Ten last year - the company still cannot recover from the consequences of the transaction, which caused a radical change in all aspects of the business. Unimportant results were also demonstrated by Asustek (in 2008, its share was 11.3%). This decrease can be explained by some secondary WID as a commodity group in the vendor's assortment. Finally, we should point to a significant improvement in Gigabyte's position due to a flexible change in brand pricing, clear positioning of devices, as well as a significant increase in the distribution channel.

In general, the dynamics of the WID and smartphone market is positive, experts conclude. Device sales are gradually growing. Among the trends determining the development of the market in the short term, it should be noted, first of all, the appearance in Russia of the first devices on the Google Android platform. According to preliminary estimates by SmartMarketing analysts, the share of devices based on this OS in the 3rd quarter of 2009 (HTC Hero and Highscreen PP5420 models) will be about 1%. By the end of the year, this figure may reach 4-6% of the total market volume.

The share of the Windows Mobile platform may increase due to the announcement of Windows Mobile 6.5 and new models of devices based on this OS, as well as a massive decrease in prices for stock balances of previous generation models. Symbian's share in the WID segment will experience a negative trend due to a change in consumer preferences and fierce competition from more powerful and functionally saturated WID solutions on other platforms. The growth rate of the iPhone's market share will also be insignificant. In addition to the disappearance of the primary demand factor for the brand, this is also due to a noticeable curtailment of operator activity on the first iPhone 3G model, as well as a delay in the appearance of the iPhone 3G S model on the Russian market.

Notes