The Trend of Smartphone Market High-end Continues: Price Increases Driven by Technological Innovation and Market Demand

The Trend of Smartphone Market High-end Continues: Price Increases Driven by Technological Innovation and Market Demand In recent years, smartphone brands have been actively targeting the high-end market, making the trend of high-end increasingly apparent. This trend is not only reflected in the continuous increase in the price of new models but also in the steady growth of the high-end smartphone market share

The Trend of Smartphone Market High-end Continues: Price Increases Driven by Technological Innovation and Market Demand

In recent years, smartphone brands have been actively targeting the high-end market, making the trend of high-end increasingly apparent. This trend is not only reflected in the continuous increase in the price of new models but also in the steady growth of the high-end smartphone market share. For example, the starting price of the Xiaomi 15 series has increased by 500 yuan compared to the previous generation, while the starting prices of OnePlus 13 and Honor Magic7 have increased by 200 yuan and 100 yuan, respectively.

Counterpoint Research predicts that the global average selling price (ASP) of smartphones will increase by 3% year-on-year to $365 in 2024 and will further increase by 5% in 2025. Among them, the sales of ultra-high-end smartphones priced at $1,000 or more will increase by 18% year-on-year.

The main factors driving the high-end trend in the smartphone market include:

• Continued Widespread Adoption of 5G Technologies: The rapid development of 5G networks has provided smartphones with higher bandwidth and lower latency connectivity, driving demand for high-end 5G phones.

• Enhanced Computing Power: With advancements in chip technology, the computing power of smartphones has continuously improved, meeting user requirements for more powerful performance and more complex applications.

• Emergence of Generative AI Technologies: Generative AI technologies require powerful CPU, NPU, and GPU capabilities, prompting mobile phone manufacturers to focus on improving chip performance, which in turn promotes the development of high-end smartphones.

However, the high-end trend in the smartphone market also faces some challenges:

• Rising Chip Costs: Manufacturers adopting more advanced process nodes have led to higher costs associated with wafer fabrication, thus affecting chip prices.

• Increased Memory Prices: In the third quarter of 2023, storage chip prices entered a new upward cycle, with spot prices for DRAM and NAND rising by more than 60% on average, exacerbating the cost pressure on smartphones.

Despite these challenges, the high-end trend in the smartphone market is expected to continue in the coming years. Counterpoint Research forecasts that the global average selling price of smartphones will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3% from 2023 to 2028.

Manufacturers in various regions are also actively adjusting their strategies to adapt to the high-end trend. For instance, brands like Apple and Samsung continue to launch high-end flagship models and continuously enhance product performance and features. Chinese phone manufacturers such as OPPO, vivo, and Xiaomi have also increased their investment in the high-end market, launching more premium models to compete for a larger market share.

The average selling prices of some manufacturers in the third quarter also reflect this trend. Apple's average selling price reached $909, while Samsung's was $295. OPPO, vivo, and Xiaomi's average selling prices were $246, $214, and $148, respectively.

Overall, the global smartphone market is in a stage of high-end development, with high-end positioning products continuing to experience rapid growth. The future development of the smartphone market, whether it will bring changes to the overall product market, still needs to be observed.