What are the smartphones capable of competing with the new iPhone 14 Pro?

As if the crisis hitting the technology sector had nothing to do with premium smartphones, this segment contradicts all market trends and continues to rise. In other words, while lower value phones are sold less than last year, those that are around 1,000 euros sell more.

According to data from Counterpoint Research for the second quarter of 2022, the segment of ultra-premium devices, which are around 1,000 euros, grew by 94% compared to the same period in 2021. And, according to the consultant, at a global level the average price of premium terminals (considered from 400 euros) has risen 8% year-on-year to reach 780 dollars, a record for the second quarter of this year. In total, this segment has been growing for nine consecutive quarters and Apple is the queen of this market, with a very poorly distributed cake in which those of the apple take 57% of sales of high-end terminals globally.

But this does not mean that there is no competition and that there is also more and more, and stronger. Xiaomi, for example, is a firm known for its cheap and simple terminals, but recently it has also competed in the high range with equipment above 800 euros. An example of this is the Xiaomi 12 Pro, which offers high performance both in its camera and in the power of the equipment and also in the quality of the materials of this phone that flees from the image of 'low cost'.

For its part, Samsung is the second telephone company that sells the most high-end devices, around 19%, thanks mainly to the success of its Galaxy S family with the S22 as the main protagonists. In addition, the Korean company has been betting for three years on its range of flexible phones, Galaxy Z, and little by little it has managed to gain a foothold in the market. Specifically, last August it put on sale the new Flip 4 and Fold 4, two teams capable of folding but very different in which the little Flip, which folds in half, pulls more sales (also thanks to its price, 1099 euros).

Even more recent are the Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, two phones whose indisputable strong point is the camera and that many compare with the lens of the iPhone to ensure that it is even better. These Google teams, launched this October, arrive in Spain to gain a foothold in this high-end with prices starting at 650 euros and reaching 999.

With shares similar to those of Xiaomi, around 4% of high-end sales globally according to Counterpoint, two Chinese appear in the ranking that have been doing things very well in sales for a long time, Oppo and Vivo.

The first has several devices above 600 euros, such as the Oppo Reno 8 Pro, but the jewel of the high range is the Find X5 Pro, a device whose camera also seeks to be the star. To do this, the Chinese company equips its terminal with a specific chip that helps the camera improve each snapshot, especially in the most complex lighting conditions. Its price is 1,299 euros.

As for Vivo, this Chinese company is gaining ground in the premium range market thanks to terminals such as the Vivo x80 Pro. On this occasion, the firm assures that carrying your phone in your pocket is like carrying a film camera, especially in the video section. Good power and a large battery finish off a team that starts at 1,099 euros.

Smartphones not suitable for all pockets in which the camera and power are usually the great strengths to compete with Apple's new top of the range, the iPhone 14 Pro, a very well-equipped terminal but that is more expensive than all its competitors starting from 1,399 euros.