In the Smartphone Landscape: Brands, Drivers and Sentiments

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Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary: Xiaomi Tops Discourse, Products and Allegations Spark Sentiments

2. Countries Shaping Conversations: India Tops the List

3. Xiaomi’s Products Sparks Volume: Awards and Accidents Propel Peak Engagements

4. Partnership and Launch: OPPO’s Volume and Engagements

5. HUAWEI: Collaboration and Participation Compels Surge in Volume; Unique Features Pushes Engagement Spikes

6. Products and Expansion Celebrated: Recalls and Allegations Drive Hesitations

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1. Executive Summary: Xiaomi Tops Discourse, Products and Allegations Spark Sentiments

The smartphone manufacturing industry remains as one of the most vital sectors of modern society, as it fuels economic growth, global connectivity, and technological advancement. In the Asia-Pacific Region, China continues to emerge as one of the top smartphone manufacturers, due to its cost-efficiency, engineering expertise, and large-scale supply chain, allowing it to impact global markets and technology.

To further gain insights in the industry, Truescope delved into the online news and social media discourse surrounding the Chinese smartphone manufacturing industry from 17 Dec 2024 - 17 Mar 2025. The analysis highlighted significant brands such as Xiaomi, OPPO, and HUAWEI.

Data revealed that Xiaomi led the conversation with 62.6% in the SOV. Meanwhile, OPPO took up 19.3% of the SOV, while HUAWEI garnered 18.0%. Moreover, online news channels (95.8%) were displayed as the main platform where discourse took place.

Although majority of the sentiments regarding the brands were neutral, due to news mentions, it can be noted that positive sentiments were largely fuelled by products and expansions, while negative sentiments were predominantly driven by recalls, alleged involvement in graft scandals, and allegations of pre-installed loan applications.

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2. Countries Shaping Conversations: India Tops the List

Xiaomi was predominantly discussed in India (1,141 Mentions), Hong Kong (443 Mentions), and Australia (432 Mentions).

On the other hand, OPPO’s discourse stemmed primarily from India (553 Mentions), Philippines (189 Mentions), and Malaysia (151 Mentions).

Meanwhile, Huawei was mainly talked about in Malaysia (212 Mentions), Philippines (190 Mentions), and India (125 Mentions).

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3. Xiaomi’s Products Sparks Volume: Awards and Accidents Propels Peak Engagements

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4. Partnership and Launch: OPPO’s Volume and Engagements

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5. HUAWEI: Collaboration and Participation Compels Surge in Volume: Unique Features Pushes Engagement Spikes

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6. Products and Expansion Celebrated: Recalls and Allegations Drive Hesitations

OPPO’s positive sentiments were fuelled by news of the OPPO Reno13 Series 5G, reported to have a specialised Underwater Photography Mode. Mixed sentiments stemmed from OPPO Find N. While the sleek design and good battery life were highlighted, the inner display brightness was perceived as low, and the 7-core Snapdragon 8 Elite was said to cause thermal throttling during gaming.

However, negative sentiments were brought about by news of OPPO and Realme users filing charges against pre-installed loan apps. The Thailand Consumers Council has reportedly called on the brands to clarify the alleged pre-installed loan offering apps on some phone models.

HUAWEI’s favourable mentions were driven predominantly by the nova 13 smartphone, as netizens expressed interest in the device. Mixed sentiments may be attributed to the Band 10 fitness tracker. Some hailed its sleek design and practicality, while others claimed that it broke easily.

However, the company was dragged into controversy after news of a graft scandal in the European Parliament, where multiple suspects were detained in a probe into suspicions of corruption under the guise of allegedly lobbying for HUAWEI.