Demand for parts and components by first-tier China-based smartphone vendors has rebounded recently, and some supply chain makers have reportedly landed short lead-time orders from these vendors, according to industry sources.
Oppo, one of the top-three smartphone vendors in China, has reportedly placed short lead-time orders for several million units of lens modules for entry-level and mid-range smartphones, as well as a significant amount of handset panels, said the sources.
Taiwan-based lens module supplier Largan Precision is widely believed to land more windfall orders from China as the company's products are highly rated by Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi Technology, indicated the sources.
But due to the approach of the Lunar New Year holidays in mid-February, supply chain makers are likely to delay shipments for some of the short lead-time orders to March, noted the sources.
However, most suppliers would be cautious about accepting orders from some second-tier vendors such as Gionee and Coolpad on concerns about their financial strengths, added the sources.
While Huawei is expected to continue to serve as the top smartphone vendor in China in the first quarter of 2018, Xiaomi is likely to replace Oppo to take second place as it has continued expanding its sales in Russia and other markets in Eastern Europe, according to Digitimes Research.
Oppo will rank third, while Vivo and Lenovo will take the fourth and fifth positions, respectively, in the first quarter, Digitimes Research estimates. |