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Honor and Xiaomi surge, Samsung stalls in Latin American smartphone market
Counterpoint Research published the latest report on the Latin American smartphone market. Figures indicate that all smartphone brands secured positive growth. Despite being the market leader, Samsung faced a marginal drop in its market share.
The Latin American smartphone market experienced a robust 14.5% year-over-year growth in the second quarter of 2024. This growth was fueled by increased consumer spending and the availability of affordable devices.
One out of three smartphones sold in the second quarter of the year was from Samsung. However, the company declined in both volume and share given relentless competition from Chinese brands in the mid-price and low-mid-price segments.
Apple grew YoY with the Brazilian market as its main growth driver. The brand is using aggressive pricing strategies for its locally assembled legacy models. 4G iPhone sales also declining due to the gradual adoption of the 5G network across LATAM.
Motorola’s sales volume increased by almost 14% compared to the same quarter last year, but its market share declined slightly. Xiaomi’s sales rose both YoY and QoQ. The company gained sales volume in Mexico, Venezuela, and Central America.
HONOR grew aggressively in the region in Q2 2024, expanding into new markets such as Brazil and Venezuela. The Chinese firm recorded a massive 51% year-on-year growth, while the next quarters will be worth watching.
So finally, here’s a sneak peek at the Samsung Galaxy S25 design (renders). Steve (Onleaks/X) unquestionably made this weekend outstanding, giving us a “nearly” final idea of what Samsung’s next bold flagship will look like.
All four sides of the Galaxy S25 Ultra are flat, replicating the Pixel 9’s design, which followed the iPhone approach. The smartphone is said to be nearly 13 grams lighter than the Galaxy S24 Ultra and 8 grams lighter than the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
The smartphone seemingly features Galaxy Z Fold 6-inspired camera rings. The outer ring thick circular design, which matches the Z Fold 6. It will look a lot better in real graphics than the CAD-based renders leaked today.
What to expect?
Samsung could launch the Galaxy S25 series in early next year. The lineup will include three models: Standard, Plus, and Ultra. Most of the Samsung fans are excited for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which would introduce breakthrough innovation.
The company is considering using the Snapdragon chipset internationally. We could see the Galaxy S23 series as a processor strategy in the S25 series. Regardless of the region, the flagships would utilize Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset.
Galaxy AI suite will also be upgraded with new artificial tricks and magics. The Korean tech giant won’t leave any stone unturned in upgrading the user experience. We are excited to hear more about the upcoming phones throughout the launch.
Stay connected!
At It’s Glowtime event, Apple launched new colors of old AirPods Max product. The gadget now comes in Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, and Orange, and offers USB-C charging for more convenience.
AirPods Max is an over-the-ear headphones offered by Apple. The company debuted five new colors of the product at the It’s Glowtime event yesterday. It isn’t the only old item, which refreshed, as the Watch Ultra 2 also got a new color hue.
Apple announced the new colors of AirPods Max cost $549 and went on pre-order yesterday. Shoppers will start receiving their orders starting September 20 as announced by the iPhone maker at yesterday’s It’s Glowtime event.
AirPods Max features a breathable knit mesh canopy, distributing weight to reduce on-head pressure. The noise control button easily switches between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode.
Pushing its own ecosystem, Apple says AirPods Max users will support all features if connected with an iPhone. Similar to Wear OS exclusivity to Android, Apple is continuing its approach of accentuating feature limitations.
Apple’s decision to unveil new colors of AirPods Max is a strategic move. The company doesn’t require a dedicated launch event to announce the color refresh of products. However, it’s great to utilize a stage to introduce multiple products.
There’s no heavy outrage over the lack of innovation of lazy design movements. Other vendors like Samsung and Google face immense criticism across the internet. Anyways, consumers should be aware and get the best service for the money they are spending.
No Watch Ultra 3: Apple refreshes Watch Ultra 2 against Galaxy Watch Ultra
Samsung didn’t miss the opportunity to troll Apple during the iPhone 16 launch. While the company was introducing its new iPhone models, Samsung repeated a question it asked two years back.
The hype created for iPhone 16 and Apple Intelligence backfired as it can’t crush the Samsung Galaxy AI lead. The Korean tech giant trolled Apple over remaining foldable free. Limited features and availability of Apple Intelligence also came on Samsung’s radar.
Samsung Mobile US used its X handle to poke fun at Apple’s iPhone 16 and Intelligence suite. The mindful attacks show the self-confidence the company has to reiterate its edge over the Cupertino-based company.
In a pair of strategic tweets, Samsung managed to capture attention and spark conversation. The first tweet quotes a two-year-old tweet asking “Let us know when it folds 💁♀️” with a refreshed caption “Still waiting……”
Still waiting…… https://t.co/s6SFaLTk3b
— Samsung Mobile US (@SamsungMobileUS) September 9, 2024
The second tweet followed with:
“You know… we may have set your AI expectations too high. 🤔”
Here, Samsung subtly suggested that Galaxy AI might have set a standard that Apple’s latest device struggled to meet. Galaxy AI is far ahead of Apple Intelligence in many aspects. It not only contains a suite of useful features but also covers a wider audience.
You know… we may have set your AI expectations too high. 🤔
— Samsung Mobile US (@SamsungMobileUS) September 9, 2024
Apple is Samsung’s biggest enemy in the smartphone market. Both companies fight to lead the global smartphone market. Apple dominates the US market, while Samsung gives pretty fierce competition with its flagship offerings.
Next year, Samsung is bringing the Galaxy S25 series phones. The lineup will pack pro-grade hardware and significant functional refinements. Some incremental attacks like Galaxy Z Fold SE and Galaxy S24 FE are also coming this October.