Antonio Tercero is country manager in Mexico for Infinix, a Chinese-owned smartphone brand that launched in Latin America in 2022. For decades, Infinix’s parent company, Transsion, has been one of the top-selling smartphone companies in countries like Nigeria, Tunisia, and Pakistan. Now, Tercero is leading Infinix’s expansion in Mexico, a 127-million-person market that’s increasingly appealing for Chinese brands. As Huawei has reduced its market share in the country since 2021, brands like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Honor have stepped in.

Transsion, including its Infinix brand, has had a lot of success in Africa, but it’s only recently set its sights on Latin America. What was the one thing you learned in Africa that you didn’t want to repeat here? 

In Africa, our success is mostly based on our online sales because the brand is so well known there and has been so for years. Since we’re just introducing our phones to the Mexican market, we’re focusing on partnering with large physical stores nationwide so potential users can get to know our products firsthand.

Mexico’s smartphone market is already crowded. What does Infinix bring to the table that brands like Xiaomi already don’t?

We want to sell a phone that’s more accessible, so our phones have great specs — like a long-lasting battery — and range from 2,099 to 9,099 pesos ($123 to $535). We don’t have our own Infinix stores; over 800 retailers carry our devices, including the country’s main department stores and MercadoLibre. One of our devices is the official phone of Free Fire, a popular video game. This strategy works well in Mexico, which has such a large gaming culture.

Has Infinix’s Chinese ownership impacted its performance in the market? Do you think Mexicans care?

This is something that isn’t in our minds, although it is a question that is often raised in the industry. I don’t believe in taboos regarding a company’s reputation based on where it’s from. Plus, we have a study that shows that users in Mexico are open to better smartphone options. They’re willing to switch brands — so much so that one of the smartphone models we launched in Mexico in late October sold out by early December, topping over 40,000 units.