Realme to open stores in every Chinese city

Smartphone brand realme, which posted sales growth of 463 percent in the first quarter, is to open more offline stores across the country and launch more affordable 5G models to tap the domestic market.

Realme, which used to focus on overseas markets, plans to open 80,000 stores in China this year, covering “every city in the country,” said Xu Qi, realme’s vice president.

The company launched its GT Neo model on Wednesday with a MediaTek chip and a starting price of 1,799 yuan (US$281). The “dual platforms” strategy of Qualcomm and MediaTek offers users more affordable 5G phones.

The Chinese market is becoming more competitive with smartphone makers Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo all planning to open more stores.

Realme's first-quarter sales are already similar to the brand's sales last year after it officially returned to the domestic market.