Giving gifts with luxury smartphones
The high-end smartphone market in Vietnam is a competition between major brands such as iPhone Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy Ultra or other hit products from Honor, Motorola or Huawei. These are mass-market products and have gained a firm foothold in the market as the trend of buying high-priced smartphones is increasing in Vietnam.
At a higher level, super high-end smartphones with prices ranging from several hundred million VND to billions of VND are also increasingly being chosen as gifts thanks to their distinctive design, high-quality materials and customization capabilities. These factors help gifters easily choose products that suit the recipient's style, preferences and position, thereby showing sophistication in the way they are given.
According to Data Intelo, the global super high-end smartphone market is valued at 8.6 billion USD in 2025 and is expected to expand to 18.4 billion USD in 2034, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.8% in the forecast period from 2026 to 2034.
This strong growth momentum is driven by the rapid increase of the ultra-rich individual class worldwide, the increasing demand of consumers for proprietary, handcrafted personal electronic devices, and the increasingly deep brand reputation culture in both developed and emerging wealthy markets.
For example, in Vietnam, sales of Vertu Vietnam's smartphone lines increased by about 30% in the period from the end of July to August, most of the demand comes from products specifically made as gifts for partners, customers and relatives. Mr. Nguyen Minh Cuong - Sales Director of Vertu Vietnam said that this year, the trend of choosing high-tech gifts is gradually shifting from high value to appropriate value.
Customers prioritize finding products that suit the position, work needs and style of the recipient. With Vertu, design, material and finishing options also help customers have more choices to create a unique impression for the gift," a representative of Vertu Vietnam shared.
Among them, smartphone models such as Vertu Quantum Flip, Vertu Alphafold, Vertu Agent Q and Vertu Iron Flip are of great interest to many people thanks to their different designs, high-quality materials and the ability to meet many usage needs.
Momentum from the new iPhone line
After Samsung and Motorola launched high-end products in Vietnam in the second quarter of the year, the Vietnamese smartphone market will become more vibrant when Apple will introduce the iPhone series 18 and possibly the first folding iPhone model in September.
Thanks to strong revenue growth over the years and the launch of Apple Store Online, Vietnam is currently in the second-tier market group (level 2 market) in Apple's product distribution strategy. Vietnamese consumers will receive the device only 1-2 weeks after its launch globally instead of waiting as long as before.
For systems and retail chains, iPhone 2026 season is an important stage in the business strategy of the whole year. Sharing with Lao Dong, a representative of a large system in Ho Chi Minh City said: "iPhone 2026 season is expected to continue to be an important growth stage for the retail market.
The main factors driving the market can be mentioned such as the iPhone 14, iPhone 15 customer group entering the upgrade cycle; the demand for new technology, AI and camera experiences continues to increase from customers; the form of collecting old and innovating helps reduce cost barriers and users are increasingly accustomed to cyclical device upgrades”.
However, according to the analysis of Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hong, E-commerce Director of the 24hStore retail system, the competition of the systems will not only lie in the selling price. The advantage of retail systems will come from the ability to support customers to switch more easily through pricing good old machines, flexible installment policies, consulting according to needs and clear after-sales service.
