Vietnamese smartphone maker VinSmart, a part of Vingroup, is planning to launch self-developed smartphones overseas, TheElec has learned.
The company launched three new smartphones that it designed on its own in the second half of 2020.
VinSmart is now eyeing to expand to markets such as North America or India, where Chinese smartphone companies have low market share or are expected to face difficulties over geopolitical tensions.
VinSmart began its smartphone operation in 2018. It first used Chinese original design manufacturers while only assembling some of the products.
But it began to make its own smartphone this year. Many in its development team are ex-Samsung and ex-LG employees.
In the third quarter, the company launched its own smartphone Live 4. It was code named V640 during development. The phone costs US$177. The other two phones it has launched are similarly priced and aimed at the low-tier market.
The company initially aimed to launch the three models __ code named V640, V740 and V741 __ in the first half of 2020 but this was postponed to the second half due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its need to get the manufacturing process down properly.
VinSmart aimed to ship a million units in total for the three smartphones but it is unlikely that it would meet this target due to the delay in launch. But the company will likely begin securing market share in the first half of 2021.
The company’s factory in Hanoi currently can produce up to 26 million smartphones per year if need be. When the factory is completed, this will go up to 125 million units per year.
VinSmart plans to expand outside of Vietnam will likely benefit South Korea suppliers Cammsys and Ryuk-Il C&S. Cammsys currently supplies camera modules and is planning supply fingerprint readers in the second half of 2021. Ryuk-il currently supplies the back cover for smartphones.
