China's smartphone makers chip away at Samsung, Apple's Russian market share

Chinese smartphones like Xiaomi, Realme and Honor have taken up Russian market as Apple and Samsung pause sales

China's market share in the Russian smartphone market jumped significantly in May as manufacturers like Apple and Samsung paused new sales in Russia and Western sanctions weighed on the Russian economy.

Chinese manufacturers Xiaomi, Realme and Honor accounted for 42% of Russia's smartphone sales in May 2022, according to data from mobile network MTS shared with Reuters, - up from 28% during the same month last year.

The Kremlin has also moved to allow Russian companies to ship in some products, including smartphones, without the license holder's permission in a so-called "parallel imports" scheme.