While Samsung is the most dominant smartphone brand in South Africa, companies like Honor, Oppo, and Xiaomi have recently released flagship handsets they hope will help them compete with the South Korean giant.
The high-end smartphones launched in South Africa by the three Chinese companies in 2022 include the Honor Magic4 Pro, Oppo Reno8 Pro, and Xiaomi 12.
MyBroadband compared the three devices to the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+. For reference, Samsung currently holds a 48.4% share of the mobile market in South Africa, with Xiaomi and Oppo holding 2.7% and 2.4%, respectively, according to data from GlobalStats Statcounter.
This is across the whole market — Samsung’s market share may be higher when considering only flagship smartphones. Before the launch of their flagships, Honor, Oppo, and Xiaomi focused primarily on the budget and mid-range markets.
Notably, data provided by Telkom shows that Oppo’s higher-tier smartphones are increasing in popularity with its customers, increasing from around 3% of devices on the network in September 2021 to 9% in December 2021.
Honor is the latest of the three smartphone manufacturers to enter south Africa and is hoping to grab a significant portion of the market. Having officially launched in May 2022, Honor hopes to replicate Huawei’s success in the country and overtake Samsung’s market share within three device generations — roughly three years.
ALSO READ: Shoprite and Checkers witnesses strong sales growth and a large increase in prices
Flagship smartphone showdown
Honor, Oppo, and Xiaomi’s flagship smartphones all boast impressive specs comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+.
Regarding processors, the Honor Magic4 Pro and Xiaomi 12 share the same chipset as Samsung’s Galaxy S range — the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. On the other hand, Oppo’s Reno8 Pro packs a Dimensity 8100-Max chipset.
According to NanoReview, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 outperforms the Dimensity chipset in single and multi-core CPU and GPU gaming tests. However, the Dimensity 8100-Max is superior when it comes to battery efficiency.
The Honor Magic4 Pro has the largest display of the lot and the highest pixel count with a 2,848 x 1,312-pixel resolution. It and the Oppo Reno8 Pro and Xiaomi 12 all have OLED displays with 120Hz refresh rates. The Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ feature AMOLED displays with 120Hz refresh rates.
In South Africa, the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ are only available in one configuration — 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The other three flagships give a bit more choice, offering 8GB and 12GB of RAM.
While the Oppo Reno8 Pro, like the Samsung flagships, is only available with 256GB of storage, the Honor Magic4 Pro and Xiaomi 12 add the option of 512GB of internal storage. All of the smartphones feature triple-camera setups with a 50-megapixel primary sensor. The Honor Magic4 Pro also has a TOF 3D sensor for its front and rear cameras.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ are the only smartphones to support Android 13, with Honor, Oppo, and Xiaomi running their own user interfaces based on Android 12. Regarding price, the Xiaomi 12 is the cheapest of the lot, with prices starting at R15,999.
The Oppo Reno8 Pro starts at R19,499 for the variation with 8GB of RAM, and the Samsung Galaxy S22 is not far off at R19,995. The Honor Magic4 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S22+ start at R23,499 and R22,999, respectively. The table below compares the flagship smartphones you can buy from Honor, Oppo, Samsung, and Xiaomi in South Africa.
SOURCE: My broadband
