Samsung Electronics has lost ground to Chinese companies in the Southeast Asian smartphone markets.

The Korean smartphone maker ranked second in market share in four major Southeast Asian countries -- Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam -- in the first quarter of 2021, according to market research company Counterpoint Research on May 11.

During this period, Samsung Electronics logged a 19 percent share, while Oppo took first place with a 22 percent stake. Samsung Electronics lost its No. 1 spot in the Southeast Asian market in the third and fourth quarters of 2020. It failed to return to the top spot in the first quarter of 2021 due to a price war initiated by Chinese companies.

Chinese brands such as Vivo, Xiaomi, and RealMi ranked third to fifth after Oppo and Samsung Electronics. Apple ranked sixth.