OPPO's 2024 Counter-Cycle Growth: Technological Innovation and Precise Strategy Secure Market Leadership

OPPO's 2024 Counter-Cycle Growth: Technological Innovation and Precise Strategy Secure Market LeadershipIDC's 2024 global smartphone market research report reveals OPPO's ascension to the top spot in China's mid-to-high-end smartphone market, commanding a 27.2% share

OPPO's 2024 Counter-Cycle Growth: Technological Innovation and Precise Strategy Secure Market Leadership

In 2024, the global smartphone market witnessed intensifying competition and increasing saturation, with manufacturers vying for dominance through technological advancements, AI integration, and ultra-thin designs. Despite this challenging landscape, OPPO delivered remarkable results, significantly boosting its market share and solidifying its leading position, thanks to its robust technological capabilities and precise market strategies.

IDC's 2024 global smartphone market research report reveals OPPO's ascension to the top spot in China's mid-to-high-end smartphone market, commanding a 27.2% share. This achievement is not coincidental but rather a consequence of OPPO's long-term commitment to technological innovation and strategic market positioning. Specifically, OPPO's share in China's over $300 mid-to-high-end segment showed consistent year-on-year growth: 36.6% in 2022, 39.6% in 2023, and reaching 44.9% in 2024. In the $300-$400 price bracket (approximately RMB 2194-2925), OPPO's Reno 12 and Reno 13 series surged from second place in 2022 and 2023 to claim the top spot in 2024, demonstrating its strong competitive power and brand influence in the mid-to-high-end market.

Canalys' 2024 domestic shipment rankings further corroborate OPPO's market performance. Demand in the high-end smartphone market remained resilient in 2024, with the top five manufacturers of over $600 phones all experiencing year-on-year growth in Q2. OPPO maintained strong momentum in the global smartphone market, achieving annual shipments of 104.8 million units, an 8.5% market share, and a 1.4% year-on-year increase, securing fourth place globally. Domestically, OPPO shipped 42.7 million units, also placing fourth. This success reflects OPPO's continuous investment in technological innovation, its successful global market strategy, and its strong competitive position going forward.

The success of the OPPO Find X8 series flagship phones was a crucial factor in OPPO's 2024 achievements. Data shows that Find X8 series shipments in the initial sales quarter increased by 66% year-on-year compared to its predecessor, exceeding 1 million units in the first month and showing a 49% increase in the first quarter. It became the flagship product with the highest year-on-year growth among all manufacturers in 2024. The Find X8 series, OPPO's 2024 flagship, quickly became a market leader with its exceptional performance and innovative design. Featuring a slim and lightweight design, a large-sensor periscope telephoto lens across the range for enhanced zoom capabilities, a 50-megapixel main camera with new AI long-range telephoto technology, the Dimensity 9400 flagship chip coupled with ColorOS 15 optimization for seamless everyday use and gaming, and a large-capacity battery for extended battery life, it met users' demands for both high performance and long battery life.

ColorOS 15's success was another key driver of OPPO's breakthroughs in 2024. OPPO's Chief Product Officer, Pete Lau, challenged the ColorOS team to closely monitor user needs and actively solicit feedback on the system and OPPO products. This spurred intensive system optimization and improvement, with an average of one update per month, totaling ten updates and hundreds of user-requested modifications within the year. To gain deeper user insights, ColorOS restarted "Co-creator Planet" and organized internal user interviews to gather firsthand feedback, improving user experience.

ColorOS 15 introduced the Tide Engine and Aurora Engine, refining the system from both underlying performance and upper-level control experience, creating a smooth and fluid user experience praised as "the Dove of the mobile phone world." ColorOS 15's AI capabilities are impressive. The Xiaobu assistant evolved from a simple voice assistant into a system-level AI interaction platform, deeply understanding on-screen and off-screen content, enabling users to express complex intentions with simple operations. The "One-key Ask Screen" feature allows users to long-press the power button or bottom navigation bar to summon Super Xiaobu and ask questions about screen content, significantly improving user efficiency. ColorOS 15 topped the "Mobile OS" category in Weibo's annual digital awards at the end of 2024, surpassing iOS 18, underscoring its excellence in user experience and technological innovation.

Looking ahead to 2025, OPPO's new phone plans are exciting, with a continued focus on precise product positioning to meet diverse user needs, further strengthening its competitiveness. Key offerings include the OPPO Find N5 foldable flagship launching after Chinese New Year, featuring an ultra-thin 4mm unfolded thickness, a 7-core Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a 3D titanium alloy hinge, and a symmetrical periscope triple-camera design. The Find X8 mini and Find X8 Ultra, successors to the Find X8 series, are also highly anticipated. The Find X8 mini prioritizes portability and sophistication with a 6.3-inch screen, while the Find X8 Ultra maintains its top-tier flagship positioning with cutting-edge screen, performance, and imaging capabilities. Interestingly, OPPO may expand the small-screen trend to the mid-range market, with plans for a smaller screen model in its A-series alongside the Find X flagship series.

In conclusion, OPPO's 2024 accomplishments reflect its unwavering commitment to technological innovation, precise market strategies, and a deep understanding of user needs. Through continuous R&D investment and an unwavering pursuit of user experience excellence, OPPO has not only solidified its leading position in the mid-to-high-end market but has also laid a strong foundation for future growth. OPPO is poised to maintain its strong competitive edge and continue delivering innovative and exciting experiences to users.