In the first half of 2016, 7.5% more smartphones were sold in Russia in unit terms than in the same period a year earlier.
In monetary terms, Russian smartphone sales jumped by 35%, reaching 138 billion rubles, Vedomosti reports with reference to the data of the mobile operator and retailer MTS.
Other players in the mobile retail market have not yet given estimates for the half-year, but their data for the first five months are close to the MTS orders. For example, representatives of the Svyaznoy network believe that in the first five months of this year, smartphone sales in unit terms jumped by 11% in Russia, and in monetary terms – by 38%. Analysts “M.Videos” are less optimistic. Their estimate is a 3% increase in the number of devices sold and a 30% increase in the money earned from their sales.
Anyway, we can talk about a reversal of the situation last year, in which smartphone sales in Russia were falling. Recall, according to “M.Video”, in 2015, smartphone sales in unit terms fell by 5%.
Vedomosti explains the drop in sales last year, among other things, by the hype demand for devices at the end of 2014. At that time, the ruble was falling and part of the population was trying to buy up as many goods as possible. This was followed by a logical reduction in demand.
The current sales growth has occurred not only due to the stabilization of the market situation, but also a significant number of promotions launched by the largest retailers one after another in the spring, within the framework of intense competition. In the latter, as an important factor in sales growth, representatives of MTS and Svyaznoy converge.
Another driver of growth may be the release of new models of devices, including from Chinese manufacturers, – noted in “M.Video”.
For the domestic mobile games market, the growth of mobile device sales is an important factor. The more devices, the more potential players.
Source: Vedomosti