In the first quarter of 2024, 39.1 percent of Mexican users purchased their smartphones through financing schemes. These schemes have led to new business models for manufacturers, operators, retailers, banks, and specialized financial entities.
The uncertainty generated by the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump has affected Chinese phone manufacturers. The trade war between China and the United States has led the U.S. Embassy in Mexico to promote campaigns urging users to remove low-cost Chinese apps, such as Shein, Temu, AliExpress, and Alibaba, considering them harmful to the Mexican industry and for potential personal data theft.
Victor Ruiz, founder of Silikn, a cybersecurity company, points out that while these apps collect data from Mexican users, these actions are part of the trade war and do not constitute genuine warnings. He highlights that apps from companies like Meta also collect personal data from users.
Rolando Alamilla, Market Research Manager at The CIU, notes that in 2019, Chinese brands had minimal participation in the Mexican market, with Motorola, Apple, and Samsung dominating. Currently, Chinese brands like Oppo and Xiaomi have reached a 35.3 percent market share, displacing Samsung, which has lost 6.5 percentage points and has a 27.2 percent share.
The preference of Mexican consumers for Chinese brands such as Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Huawei, Honor, ZTE, and others is due to the availability of affordable devices with capabilities similar to the mid-range and high-end phones from Motorola and Samsung. Vivo, for instance, has successfully placed more than 2 million units in Mexico and plans an additional 25 percent growth with its new launches.
Chinese brands have understood the needs of Mexican smartphone users and have adapted their strategies accordingly. Users seek to acquire devices with better technological capabilities, focusing on the mid-range.
