Cheap Chinese smartphones take on Apple as 5G moves forward

Competitors' devices much more affordable than Apple's iPhone 12 series

Inexpensive 5G smartphones, including XIaomi's Redmi Note 9T, left, and Realme's V3 5G are taking on Apple's pricey iPhone 12 series. (Courtesy of Xiaomi and Realme)

TOMOKO WAKASUGI and HIDEAKI RYUGEN, Nikkei staff writers

March 21, 2021 19:09 JST

TOKYO -- Low-cost Chinese smartphones that can take advantage of high-speed 5G communications have entered the Japanese market. Through SoftBank, Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi has introduced a model costing just under 20,000 yen ($183), excluding tax. Until now the iPhone has been the popular choice in Japan, thanks to its high quality, but the challenge from Chinese models could trigger a race to cut prices.