Vietnam branded mobile phones booming

Hi-Mobile - illustration photo

After An Binh telecom company released Q-Mobile and FPT launched FPT-Mobile in 2008 and 2009, the market now has dozens of Vietnamese brand name mobile phones, including Avio by VNPT, Bluefone by CMC, Hanel Mobile by Hanel and Hi-Mobile by HiPT.

Made in Vietnam mobile phones feature low prices (400,000-VND500,000 or equal to 19-$24 ), and a host of extra functions like having between 2-4 sim cards, large capacity memory cards, a camera and guarantees and bonuses for users.

With these advantages, made in Vietnam mobile phones meet the demands of low-income earners, workers and students, which make a large proportion of the society.

According to statistics, Vietnamese brand name mobile phones make up 30 per cent of consumption volume and 15 per cent of the market’s value.

Q-Mobile mobile phones increased its sales by 175 per cent year-on-year in the first five months of this year. This product makes up nearly 30 per cent of the domestic market, after Nokia which has a 50 per cent market share.

General Director of An Binh telecom company Nguyen Quang Ninh said his company plans to develop Q-Mobile into a leading brand name of the domestic market by the end of this year and was preparing to export the product to countries at a similar stage of development to Vietnam , like Laos , Cambodia , Myanmar and African countries.

During this time, VNPT’s sales of its Avio increased by nearly 90 per cent over the same period last year.

Those above moves caused the world popular mobile phone producers operating in Vietnam , including Nokia, to change their focus from luxury products to lower priced deals such as five common two-sim card products with prices between 600,000-VND700,000 (28.5 - $35.7).

According to Director of Hi-Mobile Do Giang Vinh, Vietnamese producers now face big challenges. If they do not have products with the right designs and manage key production steps, they risk suffering losses.