The history of the mobile manufacturer Vivo before its arrival in Spain

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The history of the mobile manufacturer Vivo before its arrival in Spain

Spain is one of the most important markets for mobile technology manufacturers. We have always been quite open with new brands and that the price factor is so relevant in our country has opened the doors to Chinese firms.

It is what we have seen in recent years with Xiaomi and OPPO and before with ZTE and Huawei. Now it is the turn of Alive, the fifth world manufacturer that has landed on October 20 in our country.

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What company is Vivo

Those of you who do not know anything about the manufacturer may be surprised to learn that it is one of the largest mobile phone sellers in the world, with a presence in more than 30 markets. This is so even though it does not have a presence in the United States or Europe.

The history of the mobile manufacturer Vivo before its arrival in Spain 1

Its market share in Indonesia or China is really high and now it wants to increase its international expansion. The same day it arrives in Spain, it also lands in other markets such as Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Poland and Germany.

Although it is normally included within the so-called BBK group, the reality is somewhat more complex, as my colleague Esteban tells in this article.

  • nineteen ninety five: The company is founded.
  • 1998: Number one in sales of landlines in China.
  • 2003: Enter the mobile phone market.
  • 2011: The Vivo smartphone brand is created.
  • 2014: International expansion begins.
  • 2017: 100 million mobile phones sold per year are reached.
  • 2018: The Jovi AI brand, the Vivo assistant, is launched.
  • 2019: First 5G mobiles from Vivo on the market.

Strong investment in R&D

The history of the mobile manufacturer Vivo before its arrival in Spain 2

This company stands out above all for its innovation. They have 9 global R&D centers (Research and Development). Seven of them are in China but two are abroad, two very relevant.

The one in charge of the cameras and other aspects related to the image is in Tokyo, Japan. The one that specializes in Artificial Intelligence is in San Diego, United States. It has more than 10,000 employees in these R&D departments and has its own factories.

The latter is relevant since it does not manufacture for other brands. There are five and they are located in India, Blangladeh, Indonesia and China (2).

The innovations of the company are many and notorious. They hold the record for the thinnest phone in the world, the 2014 Vivo X5 Max. They were the first to put a sensor under the screen, to use a motorized camera or to include a gimbal on the back of phones.

So strong is their commitment to innovation that APEX has a conceptual motive, of which we have spoken on occasions.

Focusing on the European market

The history of the mobile manufacturer Vivo before its arrival in Spain

En Vivo they have taken the arrival to the old continent very seriously. For this they have opted for one of the most important features for users: the camera.

The first Vivo analyzed in DXOmark has entered the third place and it is not something strange.

Despite that, they have not wanted to simply bring what they offer in China and that is clearly seen in strategies such as not using their voice assistant in Europe, but they will bet on Google’s.

We also see how FunTouch OS, its graphical interface, is very different in its Chinese and European versions. The first is reminiscent of MIUI, Color OS or EMUI while the second is almost Android Stock. This shows that Vivo has been analyzing consumers before landing in Spain.

We will have to see how a new brand develops in a market as competitive as Spain, especially you confirm like OPPO or Samsung that they focus on quality and others that can fight on prices.

The entry The story of the mobile manufacturer Vivo before its arrival in Spain appears first in El Androide Libre.