Realme reaches 200 million smartphone shipment milestone, to launch premium phones
Nickie Louise
Posted On November 27, 2023
Realme said today that it has shipped over 200 million phones since it was founded a little over five years ago, with most of them outside China. Recent data indicates that Realme ranks as the fifth fastest smartphone maker to achieve this remarkable milestone, according to a report from Reuters.
The news comes just a few months after Realme announced the launch of its $649 GT3 smartphone, which the Chinese company claims can achieve a full charge in just 9.5 minutes. Realme is part of the BBK Electronics conglomerate alongside Oppo and Vivo. The startup emerged as a separate entity from its sister brand Oppo back in 2018.
Realme disclosed that it reached the 200 million mark during the second quarter. Counterpoint Research data reveals that only Vivo, Huawei, Samsung, and Apple have accomplished this feat in a shorter period. Globally, a total of only 14 companies have shipped over 200 million phones to date, Reuters reported.
In a statement, Xu Qi, Realme’s Chief Marketing Officer said that Realme has consistently ranked among the world’s top 10 smartphone brands over the past five years. He noted that when Realme entered the market, there were over 700 smartphone brands, and it’s a testament to their success that they’ve maintained their position.
“We came into existence when there were over 700 smartphone brands in the world,” said Xu Qi, Realme’s chief marketing officer. “We are extremely proud that we have been able to be in the world’s top 10 brands for the past five years.”
Counterpoint Research further reported a significant reduction in the number of phone brands, from over 700 in 2017 to around 250 in September. Xu Qi asserted that Realme is geared up for the competitive arena of premium phones, citing the upcoming launch of the Realme GT 5 Pro. This device is set to be one of the first to incorporate Qualcomm’s latest high-end chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and Sony’s innovative Lytia camera sensor.
Realme was founded on May 4, 2018, by the former vice president of Oppo Li Bingzhong (known as Sky Li). Since its inception, Realme has been looking to grow its business outside of China and joins a flurry of Chinese vendors looking to target overseas markets.
The Realme GT3 shares similarities with the Chinese GT Neo5 variant, enabling it to enjoy the same fast charging capabilities. Using a customized 12A cable, the device can charge up to 20% within just 80 seconds, and a full charge can be achieved in a brief 9.5-minute charge session.
Realme was created to compete with Xiaomi’s Redmi series of smartphones, which were popular in India and other developing markets. Its smartphones quickly gained popularity in India and other markets. Realme GT 3 is a solid mid-range smartphone that offers a good balance of features, performance, and affordability.
