Quote:A few years ago, the best smartphones on the market might cost you $500 or $600 if purchased without a carrier subsidy. My, how times have changed. The best phones from companies like Samsung and Apple now cost about twice as much, and a new report from Gartner suggests consumers are getting fed up. According to Gartner, emerging Chinese brands are growing larger thanks to their comparatively low price tags and improving designs.
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Consumers may be looking for alternatives as smartphone prices keep creeping higher, and Huawei is not the only company offering more budget-friendly options. Other Chinese firms like Oppo, Xiaomi, and Vivo are also on the rise, offering hardware that’s comparable to Samsung or Apple with a much lower price. Gartner says that consumer sentiment about the brands is shifting, too. People are increasingly proud to carry a Xiaomi phone like they used to be with Apple devices.

Selling $1,000 phones isn’t completely wrecking the leading OEMs, but it might not be a sustainable strategy. Samsung’s decision to launch a nearly $2,000 foldable phone suggests it’s not ready to learn that lesson, though.