China brands challenge Singapore smartphone leaders

Oppo?

Redmi?

Huawei?

You may not immediately recognise the brands. But these Chinese phones are making a mark on the local market.

According to tech research firm IDC Asia/Pacific, Chinese brands have a 30 per cent share of the total smartphone market here - a whopping increase from a mere 4 per cent a year ago.

Senior market analyst at IDC Kiranjeet Kaur says: "For some who have been using the Samsung Galaxy S and iPhone for some time now, the entry of new phone brands that offer a differentiated experience for less money should be rather appealing."

BUZZ

Ms Kaur explains: "In the emerging markets, these players have already started challenging the position of stalwarts like Samsung.

"In more mature markets like Singapore, they have started to create enough buzz that they won't go unnoticed any more."

She adds: "On the one hand, consumers are thinking if they need to pay the premium for a flagship phone and on the other, they are evaluating the budget phone options from Samsung or HTC with those from a Xiaomi or Oppo."

Oppo recently opened a 2,200 sq ft flagship store at Suntec City Mall to cater to what their managing director Sean Deng calls "the young at heart who are adventurous and have an insatiable curiosity to explore".

About 8 in 10 Singaporeans carry a smartphone, according to research firm Taylor Nelson Sofres, making it one of the world's largest smartphone markets. Companies want a slice of the pie.

So how do the phones from China compare?

We check out three hot models.

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TNP PHOTOS: ARIFFIN JAMAR

Oppo R5

Screen size: 5.2 inches

Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Storage: 16GB

Front camera: 5 megapixels

Rear camera: 13 megapixels

Battery life: 8 hours

Price: $669

I am a selfie queen. My current phone's front camera is probably overworked from all the group shots I take.

Naturally, the camera was the first thing I checked out on this device, which Forbes termed "the world's thinnest smartphone".

My reaction? Wow.

And not just at the quality of the cameras, both front and back.

It is thin and sleek but does not feel fragile. The elegant design turned a number of heads in the office.

This mobile has full high definition resolution, is easy to use and has great sound and image quality.

Not to mention a selection of selfie-friendly filters for the front camera function.

But the battery drains at a disturbingly fast rate.

Oppo has countered this with its rapid charger, which promises a recharge of 75 per cent in just 30 minutes.

CUSTOMER SAYS:

Mr Vish Upadhya chose Oppo for one reason - rapid charging.

"As soon as I wake up, I charge my phone. By the time I leave for work, it's almost at full capacity," says the 25-year-old site surveyor.

"The audio quality and high resolution screen makes it a clear-cut winner," he adds.

"I use the front camera a lot, even though it drains the battery faster than normal."

Who: Oppo Electronics Corp

Headquarters: Dongguan, in Guangdong, China

Founded: 2004

Entry to Singapore: March 2014

Where to buy: Suntec City Mall, Tower 3 or www.oppomobile.com.sg 

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Huawei Ascend Mate 7

Screen size: 6 inches

Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels

Storage: 16GB (up to 64GB with external memory card)

Front camera: 5 megapixels

Rear camera: 13 megapixels

Battery life: 9 hours of web browsing on 3½-hour charge

Colours: Obsidian black, Moonlight silver, Amber gold

Price: $749

The Ascend Mate 7 has an impressive look and the option of increasing the 16GB storage makes it even more attractive.

The camera is great and the audio is sharp, but it is the Phone Manager app that makes this phone your mate. If you are one of those who wonder where the battery life went, this pre-loaded app tells you which part of your phone is the energy vampire and how to optimise your experience.

The phone is efficient, chic and user-centric.

CUSTOMER SAYS:

This is not the first Huawei phone for service engineer Kyle Oliveiro.

The 26-year-old says he first fell in love with the phone while working at a high-security aviation company.

"It was the Huawei U8860 Honor. I had it for about two years and realised that the battery lasted longer than most of my other phones," he says.

Mr Oliveiro switched to a Samsung but the Huawei's battery life was too alluring.

"The cool thing about the Ascend Mate 7 is the fingerprint security system on the back. I hold the phone with my right hand and position my index finger in the mini 'dent' below the camera for the phone to unlock.

"That, to me, was the most creative user-centric idea."

Who: Huawei Technologies

Headquarters: Shenzhen, Guangdong

Founded: 1987

Entry to Singapore: 2001

Where to buy: Plaza Singapura 

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Redmi Note 4G

Screen size: 5.5 inches

Resolution: 1280 x 720

Storage: 16GB (up to 64GB with external memory card)

Front camera: 5 megapixels

Rear camera: 13 megapixels

Battery life: 14 hours (on 3G network)

Colours: Black and white

Price: $229

If something is simple, it gets slapped with the term idiot-proof. But in an age where interfaces can be a complex ordeal of tapping and swiping, the Redmi is refreshingly basic.

This could be the most user-friendly 4G smartphone.

It is so simple and straightforward, it will remind some of the days when Nokia ruled the market.

And there is a lot of demand for the phone. When it launched online here, the new Mi sold an astounding 5,000 sets in under four minutes.

It has a long-lasting battery and a lot of pre-installed apps. You may not need some of them - like the QR code scanner.

But with WPS Office and a whole range of Google apps, this phone is tailored to make life extremely convenient.

CUSTOMER SAYS:

Simplicity is the reason Mr Shane Kwok, 63, made the switch to Redmi.

"I just needed something simple yet smart to watch videos of my grandchildren my son sends from New Zealand.

"My daughter showed me how I could load the videos I receive on Gmail onto my mobile. It makes things so much easier ."

Mr Kwok, a customer service officer in the aviation industry, admits that he is not very tech-savvy, and that makes the Redmi ideal for him.

"For an old man like me, I prefer something big but don't expect me to keep up with the complicated functions."

Who: Xiaomi

Headquarters: Beijing, China

Founded in: 2010

Entry to Singapore: February 2014

Where to buy: www.mi.com/sg