The Asian mobile phone market is very interesting, with a significantly wider range of devices sold in the region than anywhere else. The usual Chinese contingent of Vivo, OPPO, OnePlus, Xiaomi and Honor dominate sales, but Samsung and Google also sell most of their products in Asian markets, and Apple is slowly gaining momentum with the iPhone.
I’ve used over 70 phones over the course of 2024, and while some devices didn’t live up to their asking price, I haven’t encountered any bad phones as such. The brand that struck me the most is Vivo. It delivered some truly incredible cameras in the X100 Pro and X100 Ultra, and made dizzying gains in the mid-range with the V30 Pro and V40 Pro, offering much better sensors.
Obviously, I am not the only one to appreciate the brand’s progress, since Vivo has managed to considerably extend its lead in China and India. Vivo should continue this momentum in 2025 thanks to the X200 Pro. As much as I like the X200 Pro, I’m waiting to see what the X200 Ultra brings. Vivo doesn’t actually need to change much with the device, but if it can keep the same set of cameras while making the phone available in at least some regions outside of China, it will be an achievement monumental.
Although the V series is stronger than ever, the upgrades with the V40 Pro have brought it closer to value flagships, and Vivo needs to focus on the Y series to maintain its mid-range presence. I can’t wait to see what the V50 and V50 Pro have in store and if they can deliver the same caliber of photos as the X series.
Although OPPO has lost ground in China, it has consolidated its position as the second largest phone brand in India thanks to the Reno 12, K series and A series devices. Although I really enjoyed using the Find X8 Pro, I don’t think OPPO has the cachet to steal market share from Apple and Samsung, but its introduction to other global markets should give OPPO a decent platform to build on. The only issue I have with the X8 Pro is that it doesn’t have the brand’s best cameras, and that will inevitably debut on the Ultra is to be launched globally to make the cameras accessible to a wider audience.
Meanwhile, OnePlus is doing everything right. Even though the manufacturer lost market share in 2024, its device portfolio is stronger than ever, and the imminent global launch of the OnePlus 13 should allow the brand to compete with Samsung and Google. What I like is that the R series is also sold globally, and as the OnePlus 12R remains one of the best mid-range models available today, I’m intrigued to see what the 13R can offer. I just want to see the device continue to deliver the same value-driven philosophy, and with the manufacturer confirming a class-leading 6,000mAh battery, it has the potential to perform incredibly well.
Xiaomi continues to do well thanks to its budget-focused portfolio, but that narrative has changed in recent years by moving into the mid-range with devices like the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus. In doing so, Xiaomi is effectively ceding ground to its competitors, and this is one of the reasons why it no longer holds the top spot in India. The brand needs to rethink its strategy and start offering value-packed budget phones again – which simply hasn’t been the case over the past couple of years. Honestly, Xiaomi needs to overhaul its devices and rethink its strategy. This is the only way for it to maintain its balance against its competitors, but I don’t see the brand achieving this in 2025.
I really like what Honor is doing these days; The Magic 6 Pro and Magic V3 are two of my best phones of the year – the latter being one of the best foldables on the market – and the brand is taking a radically different strategy than the others, positioning itself as a premium player to stand out. . While it may not bring in market share, Honor is certainly taking a lot of market share, and with the brand regaining a foothold in India, 2025 should be a pivotal year for its global ambitions. The Magic 7 Pro will launch shortly and I would like to see the device offer better cameras; Even though the 6 Pro was great in its own right, it wasn’t quite up to par with the X100 Pro, and Honor needs to be on par with Vivo.
I usually turn to a Pixel as my daily driver, and that hasn’t changed in 2024. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is a worthwhile upgrade, and while it costs more, it has significant changes in all aspects. areas and takes great photos. The only problem with the device is that the hardware is not up to par with its competitors, although that could change in 2025. Google is about to abandon Samsung’s designs and go with MediaTek, this which means the Pixel 10 should be noticeably better. in this regard. The biggest thing Google needs to change with the Pixel 10 is the internal hardware; the Tensor platform may be good in the mid-tier category, but it’s just not up to par with what Qualcomm and MediaTek are doing in the high-end category, and Google needs to do better. The latest leaks indicate that the brand is doing just that with the Tensor G5, but I want to get my hands on the device to see how it actually holds up.
As for Samsung, the brand has lost ground in India and other Asian markets this year, and this is due to its own flaws. Although it has taken an early lead in foldable devices, the lack of any significant innovation has allowed Chinese brands to eat away at its market share, and Samsung is also losing ground in the mid-range. What’s interesting is that the brand is positioning FE devices as value-oriented models in major regions like the US, instead of traditional bestsellers like the Galaxy A55, and I don’t think that this is the best decision. Although high-end devices contribute to Samsung’s bottom line, it’s the mid-range where the brand makes most of its sales and it needs to offer its best devices in all regions.
Like much of the last decade, value-oriented phones will dominate sales in 2025, but there is growing demand for mid-range and even high-end devices, which is encouraging. With all the big manufacturers introducing their products earlier than before, we don’t have to wait that long to see what the best 2025 phones have in store for us, and that’s always a good thing.
