From start-up to breaking records: realme surpasses 200 Million global shipments in just 5 years

After entering the highly saturated global market in 2018 and since achieving the 100 million sales milestone in 2021, realme has continued to leap forward against all odds and announced that its global smartphone shipments have surpassed 200 million units.

Amidst the increasingly competitive market and a stable hierarchy of leading brands, realme embarked phases of growth to gain widespread recognition as a key player, becoming the fifth-fastest brand to achieve said milestone and officially joins the elite ‘200 Million Club’ in the international arena. Since its inception, realme remained true to its commitment to provide disruptive technology experience that is backed up with deep consumer insights and propelled by product innovation.

Fast-forward to 2023, realme focused on delivering a breakthrough tech, design, and performance experience to its users by following the “No Leap, No Launch“ in which leap-forward technology is guaranteed in each generation of products. Driven by the diverse demands of global users, realme gains value recognition from users and grows alongside them, achieving mutual success.

On bringing realme to new heights and growing with its global consumers

realme upheld a healthy and steadfast growth in the thick of a shrinking global smartphone market and despite the pressure from external environments. The weight and influence of its stance in the international market have increased. This only empowered realme to persevere with its mission and bring an even better, comprehensive lineup of products to young people worldwide.

With the milestone of 200 million global shipments, realme has truly become a mainstream international smartphone brand. It has established a strong presence in most global regions with a market share from emerging markets (88%) far exceeding other members of the ‘200 Million Club.

realme devotes itself to continuous innovation and invests in R&D. As a matter of fact, the brand set up the realme Global Institute of Leap-forward Technology early this year to oversee product competence and focus on groundbreaking technologies in four key areas: display, photography, gaming and charging.

In 2024, realme plans to significantly boost its technological capabilities with a planned 470% increase in R&D spending. The brand will bring together over 33 leading international tech partners to develop cutting-edge technologies, specializing in imaging, gaming, display, and charging. Moreover, realme also looks forward to expanding its pool of tech talent, engaging in Research & Technology team expansion, with an expected 400% increase in research personnel next year.

As realme’s founder and CEO, Sky Li, expressed in the brand’s fifth-anniversary open letter, the era of “elevator-style” development in the smartphone industry is over. Future steps will be more challenging, but each step brings realme closer to its next destination. As it climbs towards new milestones, realme remains committed to its original vision, continually scaling new heights, listening to its users, and growing with them worldwide, creating more realme miracles together.