The number of smartphones sold in Viet Nam in October soared to about 400,000, according to market research firm GfK.

The number of sales was five times higher than in August. This achievement marked the growth of the market after a prolonged period of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic in many localities across the country.

Samsung continued to be the leading brand in the domestic phone market, with more than 40 per cent market share.

In the list of the 10 best-selling devices of the month, there were six from the South Korean manufacturer. Second place belonged to Oppo with more than 18 per cent of sales.

Launched in the last week of October, more than 10,000 iPhone 13 Pro Max phones were sold. This number helped Apple maintain third position in the smartphone market with more than 13 per cent.

Other brands in the list included Vivo, Realme and Redmi (a Xiaomi sub-brand).

Doan Van Hieu Em, CEO of The Gioi Di Dong (Mobile World), told online newspaper Zing that when the distancing regulations were relaxed around mid-September, their online stores returned to about 80 per cent of pre-pandemic sales.

From October 1, the company reopened more than 2,000 stores nationwide. Sales in the first 10 days increased by about 150 per cent compared to the previous normal business months, said Em.

FPT Retail also said that growth was strong from October 1. Smaller outlets also recorded good growth figures.

"After the first 10 days of reopening stores in the Southern region, sales have grown well, at 150 per cent higher when compared to the social distancing period. Some categories increased by 200 per cent," said Nguyen Lac Huy, a communications representative of the CellphoneS retail chain.

Although the market purchasing power in October was good, electronic businesses are still worried because it could be just short-term growth. After the sudden increase, the buying power of the market gradually stabilised.

Huy said that the business situation in November and early December was bleak because users had tightened their spending, while companies did not launch new products and there was a shortage of best-selling models. — VNS