Beijing: According to reports from Bloomberg on Monday, Chinese internet giant Baidu is set to release its inaugural smartphone next week amidst a global mobile market that is facing a decline due to macroeconomic conditions.
The new device will be launched by Baidu’s Xiaodu unit, which is similar to Amazon’s Alexa division.
Baidu is already known for selling smart speakers and displays, and its conversational artificial intelligence (AI) system, DuerOS.
The release of the smartphone will make Baidu the first major Chinese entrant into the congested mobile market in years.
As per the report, Baidu is expanding its hardware ecosystem to complement its internet services by introducing a phone to its product portfolio.
Counterpoint Research reveals that smartphone sales in China fell 5% YoY in Q1 2023, reaching their lowest point for the quarter since 2014.
Nevertheless, this decline represents an improvement from the double-digit YoY drops witnessed in previous quarters, indicating a trend of leveling off.
During Q1 2023, Apple achieved the largest share in the China smartphone market by boosting its sales by 6% YoY, despite a decline in the overall market.
Apple’s Q1 market share reached 19.9%, marking its highest Q1 share since 2014, while its sales also hit the highest Q1 sales since 2015.
Another notable highlight of Q1 was the rapid growth of OnePlus in the China smartphone market following its high-profile return to the market.
With frequent and even aggressive launches of the OnePlus 11 and OnePlus Ace 2 and Ace 2V, OnePlus’ sales surged by 227% YoY in Q1.
