Metro
Cebu and the rest of Cebu province is by far one of the most technology-centric
areas in the Philippines. Sure, we all know that there's more about Cebu than pristine beaches, historic sites, culture and religion. But the Queen City
of the South is also a haven of tech consumers primarily defined by their
unique preferences for products and brands.
Cebuanos,
in general, make up a beefy market for most brands. And the fact the province's
economy is one of the fastest growing in the country, many local and
international brands flock in the metro. Talking about electronics and
technology, Cebu has a big chunk in the pie graph of every tech company's sales
figures. This article will give you a good rundown on the Cebuano's tastes when
it comes to consumer electronics, especially in the smartphone segment. This
list is tallied base on the popularity of these brands in our blog from Q4 of 2014 to Q3 of 2015. This listing is in no particular order.
1.
Asus, Zenfone 2
The
Taiwanese outfit became a household name since the inception of the Zenfone
series. It started with the Zenfone 5 craze, but who would've thought that its
Intel-based cousin could overshadow it in multiple proportions. The Zenfone has
been launched in the country last May and it came to Cebu weeks later.
The
handset's marquee feature is the 4GB of RAM which made it the first smartphone
to pack this amount of memory. Now, the Zenfone 2 series has been complemented
with the latest Zenfone 2 Deluxe with a stunning crystal-back pattern,
mobile-photography oriented Zenfone 2 Laser and the Zenfone Selfie.
Asus
team has also visited Cebu for an intimated meet-and-greet event with its loyal
Zenfone users last July.
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2.
Apple, iPhone 6
On
the higher end of the spectrum, Cebuano-users are Apple loyalists. The iPhone 6
has been very popular since its release last November 2014 in the country. It
has also clouded the higher-end smartphone market in Cebu as well as in the whole
country.
The
iPhone 6 is, of course, one of the most popular iPhones ever made. It typically
answered the long-standing demand for a bigger iPhone. This year, the
Cupertino-based company released the S version of the iPhone 6 (iPhone 6s)
which features 3D Touch display that senses varying pressure in the display. It
also features the 12MP rear camera shooter and new A9 processor.
3.
Cherry Mobile, Flare Series
The
Cherry Mobile Flare series has come a long way since the original Flare
smartphone released in November of 2012. The former "Dual-core ng
Bayan" is now a 64-bit octa-core worker with a premium-metal frame and
2.5D curved glass display.
Other
local contender such as MyPhone and Starmobile pose a huge threat to the local
company's standing; but Cherry Mobile remains the most prolific smartphone
brand in the Philippines according to IDC. This year, its popularity in Cebu
has peaked when they brought the Cherry Mobile Planet Me caravan that features
one-half of the popular JaDine love team, James Reid.
4.
Samsung, Galaxy S6
The
Korean giant may have underwhelming sales in the province but it still poses as
one of the popular smartphone brand this year. The April-to-May release of the
Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge fizzles the higher-end segment on this year's Q2.
Likewise, Entry-level Galaxy J1 is also a worker in beating off other local
handsets in its respective category.
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5.
Lenovo, Vibe series
The popular
Chinese outfit has been turning Cebuano heads lately. Their release of their Q3
flagship, the camera-centric Vibe Shot, has gathered enough attention due to
the fact that it is one of the most unique handsets they have produced in the
last two years.
Value-for-money
releases like the A7000 and the A5000 are also making waves in the mid-range
department. Lenovo has made it a point to reintroduce their brand and their new
logo in the Cebuano consumers last August. Their Vibe On campaign is positioned
for “millenials” who are fans of digital lifestyle.
Others
Several
runners-up are also on queue. For one, O+ Plus is getting traction in the
entry-level to midrange category with the Yaya Dub smartphone called O+ Ultra.
LG is a consistent Cebuano puppy with the LG G3 and LG G4 smartphones. Other
Chinese manufacturers like Huawei and Oppo are also seasonal handsets.
Conclusion
Cebuano
consumers are hard to please; however when a brand delivers, it could expect a
different kind of brand loyalty that cannot be found in any other consumer
groups. Cebu gadget fans tend to prefer quality over gimmicks which made them wise
buyers in their own right.
As
a solid and growing market due to rapid urbanization and social media presence,
Cebu is definitely a gem in the eye of any local and international brand.
