Realme becomes a top 10 brand

Smartphone startup Realme became one of the world’s top 10 brands, thanks to its China debut and expansion in Belt and Road regions.

Realme, a Chinese brand previously focusing on overseas markets, introduced its first smartphone to the domestic market in May. 

In the second quarter, Realme expanded into overseas markets including Russia, making it one of the top 10 brands globally, Xu Qi, its marketing director, said in Shanghai.

Realme released a new model with a 6.3in screen, 48-mega-pixel quad-camera and Snapdragon 712 in Shanghai on Thursday. It costs from 998 yuan (US$143).

According to industry insiders, it may put pressure on products such as Xiaomi's Redmi and Huawei’s Honor, both of which target young and price-sensitive groups.

Realme, backed by Oppo in the tech and supply chain, made its debut in India, followed by expansion in Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Egypt. It has more than 7 million users globally.