For app marketers, the narrative of the last few years has been consistent — and consistently challenging. The easy wins on traditional social and search platforms are gone. The cost of acquiring users on the duopoly continues to climb, while performance slowly erodes. Users are tuning out saturated ad formats, and standing out on Google Play or the App Store feels increasingly like a lottery.

The result? Even top-tier brands are paying more for less.

As we move into 2026, diversification is not just a buzzword but a survival strategy. While social and search remain critical, a “third pillar” of app growth has emerged that offers the scale, retention, and efficiency UA managers are desperate for: mobile OEM advertising.

To help marketers navigate this ecosystem, AVOW has released the Mobile OEM Advertising Guide 2026. It offers a blueprint for accessing the untapped potential of the world’s leading smartphone manufacturers, including Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, Transsion, and Honor.

The scale of the opportunity

There is a common misconception that OEM advertising is a niche channel or limited to specific emerging markets. The data tells a different story.

By partnering directly with mobile manufacturers, advertisers gain access to over 1.85 billion daily active users. These partnerships cover approximately 86% of the global Android market, representing the vast majority of users outside of iOS.

This isn’t just about volume, but about granular, device-level reach.

  • Samsung remains the dominant force in Europe and Latin America.
  • Transsion (Tecno, Infinix, itel) commands over 50% of the African market.
  • Xiaomi and Vivo are powerhouses in Southeast Asia and India.

For global apps, ignoring this inventory means ignoring the native ecosystem where these billions of users live.

Beyond the install: Innovation in ad formats

The Mobile OEM Advertising Guide 2026 highlights that this channel has evolved far beyond simple factory preloads. While dynamic preloads remain a powerful way to be on a device from day one, the modern OEM ecosystem offers high-impact, brand-safe inventory that spans the entire user journey.

The guide details formats such as:

  • The “minus-one” screen: Native placements located on the dashboard immediately to the left of the home screen, targeting users in a “lean-in” mindset.
  • Lock screen magazine: High-resolution visuals that act as a personal billboard, generating impressions before the device is even unlocked.
  • Native app store placements: Banners and search ads within the manufacturer’s own app stores (like Galaxy Store or GetApps), capturing high-intent users actively searching for new apps.

Efficiency and ROAS as the new benchmarks

Perhaps the most compelling argument for the “third pillar” is cost efficiency. As competition on Meta and Google drives bidding prices to unsustainable levels, OEM inventory remains a comparative blue ocean.

Our data shows that apps running campaigns via OEM channels consistently see approximately 30% lower cost per acquisition (CPA) compared to traditional app store marketing.

But the metrics that matter most in 2026 are return on ad spend (ROAS) and lifetime value (LTV). Because OEM placements are native to the device experience, they attract users who exhibit stronger long-term retention.

  • Exness, a fintech trading platform, achieved a 1000% ROAS by leveraging OEM inventory in emerging markets.
  • Joom, a leading e-commerce platform, secured a 150% ROAS by positioning itself as a default shopping utility during device setup.
  • Funvent Studios exceeded retention goals with a Day 7 retention rate of 8.5%.

The roadmap for 2026

The mobile landscape is shifting. To escape the rising-cost, shrinking-returns trap, marketers need to look where the competition isn’t.

The Mobile OEM Advertising Guide 2026 is designed to be a practical manual for this transition. It covers everything from in-depth analyses of regional market shares to technical specifications for the latest ad formats. It moves beyond theory to provide actionable strategies for building a sustainable, fraud-free growth engine.

Access the full Mobile OEM Advertising Guide 2026 here.