Dreame CEO Yu Hao Boldly Claims Smartphone Will Rival Apple and Samsung for Global Dominance

Yu Hao Drops Another Bombshell: Sights Set Directly on Apple and Samsung

On May 2, Dreame Technology founder and CEO Yu Hao posted on social media, once again making highly controversial claims: "Dreame Phone will split the market three ways with Apple and Samsung!" He went further, stating, "I was thinking too small when I previously said we'd split the market with Huawei and Xiaomi. Chinese companies shouldn't fight each other. Dreame Phone will inevitably compete with Apple and Samsung for a three-way split of the global market! And it will ultimately rise to become number one in the world!"

Even more strikingly, Yu Hao followed up by adding: "Dreame's mobile phone business unit will definitely surpass Apple's $4 trillion market cap!" This series of statements quickly sparked widespread discussion across the tech community.

From 'Three-Way Split at Home' to 'Three-Way Split Globally': Escalating Ambitions

This is not the first time Yu Hao has made bold claims about Dreame's smartphone ambitions. According to a Sina Tech report from September 2025, Yu Hao had previously stated in an internal speech that "Dreame, Huawei, and Xiaomi will split the smartphone market three ways," which also generated significant online buzz. The key escalation this time is that Yu Hao replaced his domestic competitors with Apple and Samsung — the two global giants — while deliberately avoiding comparisons with Chinese brands, explaining it as "Chinese companies shouldn't fight each other."

From a strategic positioning perspective, Yu Hao's plan for Dreame Phone is to firmly pursue a premium route, prioritizing the high-end market above 5,000 yuan ($690). This means Dreame Phone is targeting Apple and Samsung's core territory from the outset, rather than gradually climbing up from the mid-to-low-end market.

Modular Phone Revealed: Signs of a Differentiation Strategy

Beyond the bold rhetoric, Dreame Phone's product form is gradually coming into view. Yu Hao recently shared a hands-on video of a modular phone prototype under development at Dreame. The video shows a device with a white back cover and a circular rear camera module that can be directly detached, connected via magnetic contact points. Additionally, the entire back cover can be removed, making the phone slimmer and lighter.

In January this year, the Dreame Phone team also appeared at a Southwestern European distributor conference, showcasing a "luxury series" and a "flagship modular series" with multiple phone designs on display. From a product strategy standpoint, Dreame is attempting to achieve competitive differentiation through modular design and luxury positioning — an approach that does bring a certain freshness to today's smartphone market.

The Enormous Gap Between Vision and Reality

However, it must be acknowledged that Dreame Phone is still in an exploratory stage, and the company itself admits it is still researching its "N+1" breakthrough direction. Crossing over from a company known for robot vacuums and smart cleaning devices into the brutally competitive smartphone market presents Dreame with challenges on every front.

First, the global smartphone market is already an ultra-saturated red ocean. Apple sits firmly atop the premium market throne with its iOS ecosystem and brand premium. Samsung commands full supply chain advantages from chips to displays. Huawei continues to break through with self-developed chips and its HarmonyOS ecosystem. Xiaomi has built competitive moats with extreme value-for-money and a massive IoT ecosystem. Dreame needs to build from scratch in areas including smartphone supply chains, operating system ecosystems, distribution networks, and brand recognition.

Second, the difficulty of "surpassing Apple's $4 trillion market cap" speaks for itself. Apple's valuation is built on diversified revenue streams including iPhone, services, and wearables, backed by decades of accumulated technology patents, supply chain control, and global brand influence.

Controversy and Outlook: Marketing Tactic or Genuine Vision?

Whether Yu Hao's series of statements represents a carefully considered strategic vision or a marketing play designed to generate buzz for Dreame Phone through controversial topics remains an open question. On the positive side, the courage of Chinese tech companies to challenge global giants deserves recognition, and the differentiated approach of modular phones could potentially carve out a unique market niche.

From a pragmatic standpoint, however, Dreame Phone has yet to launch any mass-produced product for sale. Frequently making claims about surpassing Apple and Samsung without any market validation inevitably creates the impression of "slogans before substance." The smartphone market has never lacked ambitious new entrants, but very few ultimately gain a foothold.

Whether Dreame Phone can truly make waves in the global market ultimately comes down to the product itself. The mass production timeline of its modular phone, the actual user experience, and market feedback will be the only true tests of these bold claims.