Comeback Is Real: 4 Smartphone Brands That Left, And Returned To The PH

Comeback Is Real: 4 Smartphone Brands That Left, And Returned To The PH

Is it sweeter the second time around?

The Philippine market is a tough one. A price-sensitive market that puts a premium on pricing and features makes for a tough environment to sell phones in, which has made several brands throw in the towel already.

But sometimes the allure of dominating in an important market is enough to lure these brands back a second time around. Here are four brands that left and came back to the Philippines:

Xiaomi

Xiaomi entered the Philippines back in 2015, using the same online-only strategy that accelerated them to stardom in their home country of China. That plan backfired of course, as the brand was relatively unknown by regular Pinoys who were still wary of e-commerce sites like Lazada.

The brand pulled out in 2016, but returned, with a vengeance in 2018 with a brand new strategy along with a renewed focus on physical stores. Since then the brand has enjoyed tremendous popularity, with many of their phones selling out when they go on shelves.

Infinix Mobile

Infinix Mobile entered the PH market back in 2015, looking to make a dent in the highly competitive market. Unfortunately, the brand hasn’t seen widespread success, and pulled out their smartphone business in the Philippines early last year.

The brand has found renewed focus and has re-entered a year after with new offerings, though it’s still doubtful if they’ll ever make a mark in the local market.

READ: Infinix Note 5 Stylus Review: Budget Phone That You Shouldn’t Ignore

 

HTC

Taiwanese brand HTC has had a very rough couple of years, and despite being active in the local scene for years, made a silent exit in the market sometime back in 2015.

The brand did try to come back with new models in 2017, but that attempt fizzled out, with no new models arriving officially in the market since then.

 

Lenovo Mobile

Lenovo Mobile and by extension, Motorola, has had a rough go at it the past few years in the Philippines. Lackluster smartphone offerings without stand-out features at anemic price ranges saw few people buying their phones, which led to their eventual pull-out back in 2017.

Now it looks like Lenovo Mobile is making a comeback in 2020, with a new, revitalized smartphone lineup. It’s not clear if Motorola will be included in that comeback as well, though the brand does have several new models that may put them above the competition next year. Here’s to hoping they price their phones competitively as well.

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