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A new research report from Counterpoint Research shows the bestseller smartphone models in Mexico during the second quarter of 2023. In the list, the iPhone 11 snatched the third place. This is not a pleasing result for Apple, nonetheless, since the list is being dominated by more brands like Samsung while its current flagship models are nowhere to be seen.
According to the data, five of Samsung’s creations entered the list. Oppo and Motorola both snatched two slots for themselves, but Apple only had one for the said quarter — the iPhone 11. Of these ten smartphones, eight were 4G, while the only two 5G models were from Samsung: the Samsung Galaxy A34 and the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G.
This might sound a little concerning for Apple since Mexico is a significant part of the Latin American market. “The country has the second-highest population in the region and hosts an extremely competitive ecosystem,” Counterpoint wrote in the report. “Mexico’s geographical size and lack of import barriers make it an extremely attractive smartphone market.”
Despite this obvious defeat from other brands for the year’s second quarter, the report offers rich insights that could guide Apple and other manufacturers understand the nature of the Mexican market. As Counterpoint noted, the 5G tech is still not well-received in the country. It also added that Mexican consumers “would rather get more specs than access the technology,” which might explain the failure of iPhone 5G smartphones to enter the list.
Furthermore, the report pointed out that 60% of the models on the list had a below $150 price range, which comprises 52% of the overall smartphone market in Mexico. This indicates the Mexican market’s huge preference for budget smartphones, which automatically reduced the iPhone’s allure to customers in the country. Sadly, Apple focuses on the high-end market, making it a permanently odd candidate. Its “budget” iPhone SE models might help it compete, but compared to others on the list, it might still be far from the actual definition of affordability of many buyers.
