December Smartphone Market: Mid-Range Flagships Arrive, Price-Performance War Imminent!

December Smartphone Market: Mid-Range Flagships Arrive, Price-Performance War Imminent!October and November saw vivo, OPPO, Xiaomi, Honor, Huawei, and other smartphone manufacturers successively launch numerous new flagship models, many of which set new sales records. However, manufacturers haven't rested in the final month of 2024, instead preparing even more attractive new products for consumers

December Smartphone Market: Mid-Range Flagships Arrive, Price-Performance War Imminent!

October and November saw vivo, OPPO, Xiaomi, Honor, Huawei, and other smartphone manufacturers successively launch numerous new flagship models, many of which set new sales records. However, manufacturers haven't rested in the final month of 2024, instead preparing even more attractive new products for consumers. Compared to the flagships launched in the previous two months, December's upcoming releases will be more budget-friendly, offering more choices for consumers with limited budgets.

Honor: A Two-Pronged Approach, Focusing on Imaging and Gaming

Honor has officially announced the December 2nd launch of the Honor 300 series. According to digital bloggers and official Honor information, the Honor 300 series will include a standard version, a Pro version, and an Ultra version. The standard version will feature a Snapdragon 7-series processor, a straight screen, and 100W fast charging. The Pro and Ultra versions will boast Qualcomm's previous generation flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a 1.5K curved screen with a Dynamic Island design, 100W fast charging, wireless charging, and single-point ultrasonic fingerprint recognition. Both are expected to have batteries exceeding 5000mAh. The Pro version will feature a 50-megapixel triple-camera system with a telephoto lens, while the Ultra version will include a periscope telephoto lens.

Official marketing phrases like "AI travel photography artifact" and "electronic lutein" highlight the Honor 300 series' focus on photography and eye-protection features. Referencing the Honor 200 series' starting price of 2699, the Honor 300 series is expected to maintain a similar price point. The addition of ultrasonic fingerprint recognition enhances its competitiveness within its price range.

In addition to the Honor 300 series, a new Honor GT series is also expected to launch in December. Honor Terminal Co., Ltd.'s China CMO, Jiang Hairong, stated that the new Honor GT series will differ from previous models like the Honor X50 GT, Honor 80 GT, and Honor 90 GT, becoming a new online flagship series with significant performance improvements.

The new Honor GT series maintains the same positioning as previous "GT" series models, focusing on price-performance. It won't overly prioritize aesthetics and build quality; performance will be the core selling point. While information is limited, referencing the Honor 90 GT's configuration, the first model in the new GT series is expected to upgrade to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, resulting in a significant performance boost. The expected starting price is around 2699, comparable to the Honor 300 series.

Consumers can choose based on their needs: those prioritizing photography can opt for the Honor 300 standard version; those prioritizing performance and gaming can choose the new GT series; and those seeking a more comprehensive configuration will find the Honor 300 Pro and Honor 300 Ultra more suitable.

Realme: Neo7 Arrives Strong, Balancing Battery Life and Performance

Following the Honor 300 series, Realme will launch the Realme Neo7 on December 11th. Similar in positioning to the new Honor GT series, it emphasizes performance and gaming, featuring MediaTek's previous generation flagship processor, the Dimensity 9300+, achieving over 2 million points on Antutu benchmarks. Digital Chat Station has revealed that the Realme Neo7 will boast a 7000mAh battery and IP69+/IP68 dual waterproof and dustproof ratings, maximizing battery life and protection. Other specifications include a 1.5K punch-hole straight screen and an estimated thickness of 8.5mm. The official announcement indicates a starting price below 2499.

Like the independent Honor GT series, the Realme Neo7 is the first model in the Neo series, with its name recently confirmed (previously referred to as "Realme GT Neo7"). This phone is crucial to the future development of the Neo series, so its configuration is expected to be exceptional.

OnePlus: Ace5 Refreshed and Upgraded, Flagship Performance Experience

On November 27th, OnePlus announced via its official Weibo account the December release of the OnePlus Ace5 series. While the specific release date is yet to be confirmed, the official announcement confirmed the inclusion of the OnePlus Ace5 and OnePlus Ace5 Pro, both equipped with Snapdragon flagship processors. Digital Chat Station leaked an image of the OnePlus Ace5, revealing a flat screen, Crystal Shield glass, metal frame, and ceramic body design. It features a 6.78-inch 1.5K screen, 100W fast charging, and a battery exceeding 6000mAh, continuing the design philosophy of its predecessor and featuring a new esports WiFi chip to improve network stability.

OnePlus's China President, Li Jie, revealed that the OnePlus Ace5 series will utilize Qualcomm's previous-generation flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and through optimization, will achieve power consumption, heat dissipation, and gaming frame rates comparable to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Elite Edition.

Undeniably, the OnePlus Ace5 series also targets performance and gaming, especially with the addition of the esports WiFi chip, expected to significantly reduce game latency and packet loss. OnePlus's pursuit of refined design is perfectly embodied in this phone, particularly the ceramic body, a rare feature in similarly priced models, adding a touch of premium feel. In terms of price, the OnePlus Ace5 is expected to maintain its predecessor's 2599 starting price, potentially becoming another performance champion in the mid-range market.

Redmi: Performance Leader in the Thousand Yuan Price Segment

Redmi recently updated its brand logo and launched the K80 series, attracting numerous consumers with its 2K screen, ultrasonic fingerprint recognition, and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3/Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Elite Edition processors. The Redmi K80 standard version's configuration and price make it a strong competitor in the mid-range market.

Below the K80, Redmi plans to launch a lower-priced model, the Redmi Turbo 4, in December. This model has received network access licenses and features 90W fast charging technology. Digital bloggers have revealed that the Redmi Turbo 4 will adopt a 1.5K straight screen, a 6500mAh battery, and may debut the Dimensity 8400 processor.

The Dimensity 8400 processor uses eight Cortex-A725 large cores and the Immortalis-G925 GPU (same architecture as the Dimensity 9400), with an estimated Antutu score of around 1.8 million, slightly surpassing the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 in the Redmi Turbo 3. Notably, Digital Chat Station addressed concerns about a "plastic 4" by stating "it won't be," suggesting the Redmi Turbo 4 will improve on the previous generation's plastic back cover and frame, using a metal frame and glass back cover to elevate the phone's feel.

Compared to the above three phones, the Redmi Turbo 4 is more budget-friendly, opting for MediaTek's latest mid-range processor, the Dimensity 8400, instead of a previous-generation flagship chip. However, the Dimensity 8400's performance is sufficient for smoothly running mainstream games. Its starting price is expected to be around 1999, making it a good choice for consumers with tighter budgets.

December Smartphone Market: Mid-Range Rise, Fierce Price-Performance Competition

Following the successive release of new-generation flagship models, leading smartphone manufacturers are unlikely to launch new flagships this year. Vivo, OPPO, and Xiaomi are expected to release their Ultra flagship versions in the first half of next year. Therefore, December's new releases are primarily focused on the mid-range market.

Unlike flagships that aim for all-around balance, mid-range models need to make trade-offs due to cost constraints. Based on the configurations of the new models from various manufacturers, performance remains the core competitiveness of mid-range models. Therefore, these new products mostly adopt Qualcomm's previous generation flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and MediaTek's previous generation flagship processor, the Dimensity 9300+.

For currently popular mobile games like "Genshin Impact," "Honor of Kings," and "PUBG Mobile," these processors not only meet performance requirements but even exhibit some performance surplus. Beyond performance, manufacturers are also paying more attention to build quality, with some models adding IP68 and IP69 protection ratings. The Redmi Turbo 4 even upgrades its materials to a glass back cover and metal frame.

With performance upgrades and improved build quality, December's mid-range models will certainly last several years. Furthermore, the independent launches of the Redmi Turbo series earlier this year, and the Honor GT and Realme Neo series towards the end of the year, indicate that these manufacturers are strengthening their presence in the mid-range market. The availability of previous-generation flagship chips, IP68/IP69 protection ratings, and upgraded materials are just the beginning of mid-range market upgrades; the configuration and design of future mid-range models will continue to improve.