Chinese Smartphone Player Joins the Mexican Market

The Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus arrived in Mexico this week. After evaluating the market, the company decided to bring three mid-range models, including the OnePlus Nord, an affordable device with high-end tools, said Jesús Mejia, Communications Manager of OnePlus in Mexico, to Expansion. The company also brings to Mexico the OnePlus N10 and OnePlus N100, smartphones with both 5G and OxygenOS technology.

In 2020, according to IDC, the smartphone market will register a loss of between 5 and 20 percent by the end of the year in Latin America. In Mexico, the number of smartphone users for this year is 80.9 million. This number is expected to exceed 95 million by 2025.

OnePlus, founded in 2013, will start distributing its OnePlus Nord smartphone through retailers including Amazon, Sears and Coppel on Nov. 28, while the OnePlus N10 and Nord N100 will be available in mid-December. 

More news below:

• Starting in 2021, the Rappicard credit card, jointly developed by Rappi and Banorte, will be available in the Mexican market. "Banking must now focus on personalization and digital services. Our alliance with Rappi allows us to transform the experience of Mexicans in the digital financial ecosystem, combining the best of two worlds: the strength and expertise of Banorte and Rappi's digital DNA," said Carlos Hank Gonzalez, Chairman of the Board of Grupo Financiero Banorte, in a statement. 

• DiDi Mexico launched DiDi Mujer, a feature that allows its female drivers to accept requests only from female passengers. DiDi Mujer is now available in Mexico City, Puebla, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Juan Andrés Panamá, DiDi's General Manager in Mexico, said in a statement that this is the first time that a program like this has been launched in Latin America, except for Brazil.

• A few days earlier, Uber Mexico announced a new feature, Ellas, which gives female drivers the option to accept trips only from women should they prefer to do so, providing greater security during their rides.

• American Express is enhancing digital payment methods so businesses and companies can transact digitally. “Our clients, and SMEs in particular, are taking advantage of these solutions to engage digitally with clients and suppliers. Companies are also pushing toward digital client acquisition from an end-to-end point of view: banks, financial institutions and fintechs are all chasing the full, digital acquisition experience,” Jorge de Lara, Vice President of Global Commercial Services at American Express Mexico and Latin America, told MBN. Read the full conversation here. 

• DiDi Pay is now in Mexico. But what benefits does this solution offer to drivers and partners of the Chinese company?. “We are working on several partnerships that we hope will come to fruition by the end of this year and in early 2021. Our partners are reliable; that is what we are looking for. In return, we offer our partners larger and more stable sales volumes,” Andrea Picardi, General Manager of DiDi Pay Mexico, told MBN this week.

• The US elections have led to different forecasts on their impact on Mexico. Little has been said about the impact on the entrepreneurial system, however. “Traditionally, capital has been one of the main problems when it comes to the startup and small-business ecosystem in Mexico. Finally, US and other foreign venture capital firms are taking notice of Mexico’s market opportunity,” Nick Grassi, COO and Co-Founder of Finerio Connect, wrote in an article for MBN.

• Microsoft is one of the preferred brands for phishing attacks among cybercriminals. The company led by Satya Nadella climbed from fifth place to the top of the Brand Phishing Report ranking, carried out by Check Point during July, August and September.

• During the 2020 Buen Fin, online transactions grew 36 percent, according to Adyen. The highest average peak in spending was recorded on Nov. 10, with a rise of 428 percent, when consumers shifted to categories such as housewares, footwear and transportation, according to the report.

• Like Instagram, Snapchat also wants to compete with TikTok. This week, Snapchat launched Spotlight, its new feature that aims to keep users off its competitors. The company said it will motivate its users to try this new feature by offering a million dollars, which will be distributed among users who generate more engagement.