The most common smartphones on the MTS network in 2023 were smartphones from the Chinese company Xiaomi – 24.3% of the total number of devices. Previously, the leader was South Korean Samsung, whose share in 2022 was 25.7%, but in 2023 it decreased to 22.7% and the company fell to second place. It is noted that the share of Apple smartphones in the hands of Russians is growing, despite the fact that overall iPhone sales in the country are declining.
The report said that Apple not only maintained third place, but also increased its share from 20.7% in 2022 to 22.3% in 2023. The share of Chinese brands Realme, Tecno and Infinix in MTS networks in 2023 increased from 5.4% to 11.2% of the total number of devices.
In Megafon networks, the share of subscribers with Xiaomi devices in 2023 was 25% of the total number of devices. The top three for this indicator also included Samsung (23%) and Apple (20%). As of December 2022, Samsung’s share of the operator’s network was 27%, Xiaomi’s was 24%, and Apple’s was 18%.
VimpelCom (Beeline brand) reported that Samsung devices predominated in the operator’s network in 2023, despite the fact that the vendor’s share decreased from 23.2% in 2022 to 20.6% in 2023. Following the leader are Xiaomi with a share of 17.5% (growth over the year 0.3%) and Apple with a share of 15% (growth over the year 1.5%).
Note that MTS has the largest subscriber base among Russian operators. At the end of 2022, it had 80 million subscribers. The subscriber base of Megafon was 75.3 million people, VimpelCom – 44.8 million people, and Tele2 – 47.5 million people. According to MTS estimates, last year it sold 30.7 million smartphones worth 681 billion rubles, which is 26% more in units and 22% in money than in 2022. At the same time, the share of Samsung devices in sales over the year decreased from 19% to 14%, and Apple – from 10% to 8%.
MTS associates Xiaomi’s rise to leadership with the manufacturer’s continuous marketing activity and expansion of the model range in all price segments, including the flagship. The growth of Apple’s share in the company is associated with the loyalty of smartphone users of the American company. “Apple smartphone owners remain the most loyal fans of their brand. Of all iPhone owners who upgraded their phone in 2023, 59% preferred new Apple models,” MTS noted. In comparison, Samsung had a brand loyalty score of 49% and Xiaomi had a brand loyalty score of 36%.
If you notice an error, select it with the mouse and press CTRL+ENTER.