Market research firm Counterpoint has released the top 10 best-selling mobile phones globally. Only one Chinese mobile phone, the Redmi 12C, made the list. This marks the first time since 2020 that only one Chinese mobile phone has entered the best-selling list, and both MediaTek and Xiaomi have created miracles with this single mobile phone and chip, dominating the global mobile phone market for consecutive years.

In 2020, Xiaomi released the Redmi 9A, which entered the top 10 best-selling list for two consecutive years. The Redmi 9A is equipped with the MediaTek Helio G25 chip and is priced as low as 599 yuan. With its ultra-low price, it has gained popularity among consumers in both domestic and international markets.

In January 2023, Xiaomi released the Redmi 12C, which can be considered the successor to the Redmi 9A. Priced at 598 yuan, it is even 1 yuan cheaper than the Redmi 9A. The Redmi 12C has indeed taken over from the Redmi 9A, entering the top 10 global best-sellers list in both 2023 and 2024. It is also the only Chinese mobile phone to make it to the top 10 global best-sellers list.

The Redmi 12C is equipped with the MediaTek Helio G85 chip. Although both the G85 and G25 belong to the Helio brand, which MediaTek once promoted, MediaTek now focuses on its Dimensity brand. Despite belonging to the same Helio brand, the G25 and G85 are not in the same league. The G25 features an eight-core A55 architecture with low power consumption and performance, while the G85 has two high-performance A75 cores.

The Redmi 9A and Redmi 12C have created a myth for MediaTek and domestic mobile phones. Both mobile phones and their respective chips have entered the top 10 global best-selling mobile phones for two consecutive years, making them the only domestic mobile phone and chip to achieve this feat. This is quite rare, as domestic mobile phones and chips are often upgraded once or even twice a year, yet these two models and their chips have dominated the market for two years in a row.

The reason why MediaTek and domestic mobile phones can dominate the global mobile phone market for an extended period with low-end chips and phones lies in the strong demand for low-end phones in the global market. However, the low-end market is currently overlooked by both mobile phone chip and device manufacturers, who believe it is difficult to make money in this segment.

MediaTek started in the counterfeit mobile phone market. Its turnkey solutions were once popular in this market. Merchants in Shenzhen's Huaqiang North could quickly produce a mobile phone with just three people by purchasing MediaTek's turnkey solutions and phone cases. With prices as low as 100 yuan, MediaTek's chips were also extremely affordable at that time.

After more than a decade of development, MediaTek and Qualcomm have nearly monopolized the mobile phone chip market, accounting for over 80% of the global market share combined. MediaTek ranks first in the mobile phone chip market, and its chip prices are no longer cheap. Recently, Qualcomm released the Snapdragon 8 Premium Edition priced at $200, while MediaTek's Dimensity 9400 is priced at $150.

As mobile phone chip prices rise, so do mobile phone prices. Nowadays, domestic mobile phones are priced up to 6999 yuan. In the sub-1000 yuan market, there are few options. The Redmi 9A and Redmi 12C, as the few and cheapest models among well-known mobile phone brands, have become the only choice for low-end consumers, allowing them to dominate the mobile phone market for consecutive years and become rare evergreens.

For low-end consumers worldwide, mobile phone chip and device manufacturers have neglected the low-end market. They have no choice but to select outdated chips and phones, which consistently occupy the best-sellers list. This peculiar phenomenon highlights the helplessness and limited options faced by low-end consumers.