Chinese smartphone makers fill Samsung's void at MWC
Visitors crowd the Oppo booth at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Fira Gran Via convention hall in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday. The Chinese smartphone maker has drawn the spotlight for its latest camera technology. / Korea Times photo by Lee Min-hyung
By Lee Min-hyung
BARCELONA ― China’s emerging smartphone makers are filling the void left by Samsung Electronics, which scrapped its plan to launch its Galaxy S8 at the world’s largest mobile fair.
It was not until recently that Chinese smartphone vendors started to make aggressive inroads into the Mobile World Congress (MWC), due to their technological flaws and weak brand image.
But Beijing-based handset giants Huawei and Oppo have taken the limelight away from the Seoul-based tech titan for this year’s mobile tradeshow.
Huawei, in particular, has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the P10 and P10 Plus, equipped with enhanced camera and display features. The new model will be available for the European market within this month.
The Chinese handset maker took center stage at hall three of the MWC exhibition venue, Fira Gran Via, proving how influential it is in the global market.
Oppo, a rising smartphone star, has also gained attention from MWC visitors, by showcasing its cost-effective handset lineups despite the lack of its newly-launched devices. The company was the No. 1 smartphone vendor in the Chinese market as of the end of last year, taking the throne away from its 2015 leader, Huawei.
“We believe Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are now our rivals,” an Oppo official said. “Oppo is one of the fastest-growing smartphone companies in the world, and we consider this year’s MWC as a milestone to leap into the global market.”
The company did not showcase any new smartphones for the event, but the audience packed its booth to check the firm’s 5X dual camera zoom technology. The company said it plans to launch the smartphones later this year.
Other Chinese handset manufacturers also joined the MWC, including ZTE and Lenovo in their bid to fill the void left by the new Samsung handset.
An LG Electronics booth official said: “It is true that Chinese firms have narrowed the technological gap between Samsung and LG in recent years.”
“But this is in terms of specifications for certain parts - such as the camera pixels or display resolution,” he added. “But they still lag behind us, because they do not yet have the technological expertise to put the parts together skillfully into the end product.”
LG Electronics also launched its latest flagship smartphone ― the G6 ― at the MWC, winning attention with its 18:9 aspect ratio display and its partnership with Dolby.