“If the growth rate remains the same, we probably won’t be talking about feature phones any more in two years. Prices are going down, the cheapest smartphone now costs as much as a feature phone.”
A smartphone running Android now starts at 250 lei (EUR56) in the online stores of the computer and electronics retailers. Mobile operators continue to sell most phones, 70%, because people can buy them cheaper on contract.
Sales of smartphones reached about 1.5 million units in Romania last year, according to the estimates of the companies on this market and are expected to exceed 2 million units by yearend.
“The smartphone market will reach about 2.5 million units by yearend, since about one million units were sold in the first half and the last quarter is the best for business,” Munteanu said.
November and December generate the highest sales volumes because of Black Friday and Christmas promotions.
“In all the total mobile phone market will probably increase by 20% to 25% on 2013.”
Google Android-powered smartphones account for most of the sales in Romania, 67% last month, according to StatCounter.com. Apple’s IOS-enabled phones ranked second, with a 17.7% market share in September.
Most Samsung phones run Android and the company aims for 50% share of the smartphone market in Romania this year.
“Samsung’s market share is relatively constant. Our target this year is to have every other phone sold be a Samsung and we are not far from achieving it. Since the last quarter is ahead of us and is the best part of the year, we can be there by yearend.”
Samsung posted RON2.85 billion revenue in Romania last year, up 20% on 2012 and 80% on 2011.
The South Korean manufacturer on Thursday introduced its fourth generation Galaxy Note phone and the Galaxy Gear S smart watch and Alexandru Munteanu says big screen phones (over 5” diagonal i.e.) are gaining ground even in Romania.
About 22% of the phones sold throughout the world will be big-screen terminals in 2014 and the percentage will increase to 32% by 2020, Samsung officials said citing international market research results.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)