Counterpoint Research offered a bullish outlook for Thailand smartphone shipments despite a fall during Q3 as a spike in Covid-19 (coronavirus) cases during August dampened consumer sentiment.

The company believes government and industry moves to revive demand will pay off during the current quarter. Senior research analyst Glen Cardoza stated Thailand had previously shown the potential to absorb the impact of the pandemic and Apple’s iPhone 13 series is likely to sustain demand in the coming months.

Cardoza stated demand in Q3 focused on sub-$150 handsets, noting Realme’s C series and Samsung’s entry-level Galaxy series did well.

He noted continued demand for smartphones priced $400 and above due to new launches and consistent promotions by OEMs and operators.

Shipments dropped 14 per cent year-on-year: Cardozo noted supply constraints played a part in the decline.

The proportion of 5G models increased from 34 per cent in Q3 2020 to 39 per cent.

Samsung maintained its top position with a 22 per cent share, followed by Oppo and Xiaomi on 17 per cent each. Vivo dropped from third to fourth with a 15 per cent share, and Realme remained fifth with 14 per cent, up from 9 per cent in Q3 2020.