The fight for the European smartphone market is entering a new phase. Chinese manufacturers, led by Xiaomi, Oppo, Realme or Vivo, They’re taking it to the next level: trying to compete head-to-head with Apple and Samsung in the premium segment. And reportedly they even win some wars Finance Times.

Honor already sells more foldable phones than Samsung in Western Europe. Realme quadrupled its sales in three years. Xiaomi has focused on the noble area of ​​the shelf for some time. This is not an invasion of cheap products, but an attack on high-end products.

Even though China doesn’t like the ending, it’s a movie we’ve seen before. Huawei nearly did it, reaching 10% of the European premium market before the trade war between China and the US took it away. This time the scenario is different. The new Chinese army is not dependent on American technology and Comes with a slightly more complex strategy: Real innovation is not a simple imitation.

Time will tell whether it will be heads, tails or sides, but at least the offer will no longer be an offer. copycat poorly camouflaged.

The numbers are beautiful. Chinese manufacturers spend ten times more on marketing in Europe (740 million people) than in India (1.43 billion people). They sponsor major events like the Champions League; Oppo is also there. But high-end products continue to be almost oligopolistic between Samsung and Apple. No Chinese has consistently exceeded the 4 percent quota.

So why this obsession with Europe? The answer describes the global ambitions of the Chinese tech industry: Europe is not just a market, it is a document of global legitimacy. For the price of a well-loaded iPhone, the Honor Magic V3 sends a message to the rest of the world: We are no longer cheap imitators.

The irony is that this fight could lead to major transformations for these same Chinese companies. More real innovation is needed to compete in Europe, leaving aside aggressive pricing. It is necessary to build brand and trust, not just distribution. And above all, patience is required.This is an uncommon virtue in the tech industry in general and China’s frenetic pace in particular.

HE timing This is no coincidence. With foldable devices opening up new opportunities for differentiation and a European market open to these offerings (at least more than Asia and the Pacific excluding China), 2025 could be the year Chinese manufacturers break the European crystal ceiling.

The question is no longer whether Chinese smartphones can compete technologically against Apple (system exclusivity aside) or Samsung. Frankly, they can.

The question is whether they can persuade the European consumer to pay high prices for Chinese brands. This is a war of perception, not specifications. And these battles are the hardest to win. Of course, not long ago, reaching the current scenario seemed like a utopia. And here we go.

Featured image | Honour

in Xataka | The USA is preparing a new ‘Manhattan project’. This time our hero is not the atomic bomb, but artificial intelligence