How to launch a successful smartphone brand

In our country, more than 30 million devices are sold each year, with a value of around 135 billion pesos.

According to the most recent study conducted by CIU on the Smartphone Market in Mexico, the brands with the highest market share are also the most recognized by users. Thus, the brand factor is relevant to their market leadership.

Samsung narrowly maintains its first place with a brand awareness of 98.7% among all smartphone users in Mexico.

Motorola has continued its upward trend in this regard, reaching 96.3%, and Apple rounds out the top three with 85.8%. These brands are part of the first wave of manufacturers to arrive in Mexico and have managed to remain not only in the minds of users, but also in their hands.

Also recently, several Chinese brands focused on the mid-range market have gained a slice of the market. Among these, OPPO has the highest brand recognition (66.3%), followed by Xiaomi (62.9%), Honor (37.7%), and Vivo (18.9%).

According to CIU, the value of brand recognition is simple: if a user isn't familiar with the brand, it's virtually impossible for them to consider it as an option when purchasing or renewing their device.

Thus, in addition to highlighting technical benefits, brands must develop awareness strategies that consistently position their brand. This involves a combination of traditional advertising, social media presence, point-of-sale activations, and strategic alliances with operators or distributors.

Subsequently, an indicator called "market conversion" is defined, calculated as the proportion of users who, having become familiar with a brand, decide to purchase a device from that brand.

In Mexico, Samsung takes first place, with a conversion rate of 26.3%. Motorola comes in second (20.7%), thanks to its efforts to position itself in the minds of younger users. Apple takes third place with a conversion rate of 19.9%. This indicates that they are not only recognized brands, but also highly effective at translating that recognition into sales.

In contrast, cases such as Alcatel (2.0% conversion) demonstrate that, without a clear strategy to highlight differential attributes, it is not feasible to generate effective preference, even if the consumer has heard of the brand, since Alcatel registers a brand awareness of 58.6%.

Therefore, any advertising effort must be accompanied by a clear and credible positioning strategy: What makes this brand different? What value proposition does it offer to the user? Why should they trust it in such a competitive environment?

Once significant market share and conversion have been achieved, the real challenge lies in maintaining user satisfaction and driving loyalty. This is where indicators such as NPS and CSAT become crucial. The former measures customers' willingness to recommend the brand, while the latter assesses their satisfaction with the product and service received.

For example, in the case of Samsung, although it is the brand with the highest conversion rate, it has performed poorly in the last year and even in previous years. Samsung's NPS is 79%, and its conversion rate fell 8 percentage points last year, from 34% in Q1 2024 to 26% in Q1 2025. It's worth highlighting the importance of personal recommendations.

Samsung, Motorola, and Apple are clear examples of how a brand with widespread recognition and strong conversion rates can dominate the market. Emerging brands or brands outside this podium have a real opportunity to grow, but only if they invest in strategies that build brand awareness, reinforce their value proposition, and ensure a favorable customer experience that translates into loyalty.