Last week, Counterpoint released the latest Indian smartphone survey report for the second quarter of this year. The Indian smartphone market fell 51% year-on-year. But Xiaomi still leads with 29% of market share. Samsung returned to second place, followed by VIVO, Realme, and OPPO.
Note: Canalys has provided an almost identical report.
Of course, the nationwide lockdown has had a huge impact on the smartphone market and sales. In April, there were 0 shipments. As a result, the quarterly sales drop by 51% to just over 18 million units in the second quarter (Q2) of 2020.
According to the source, the market has begun gaining momentum and returned to normal in June 2020. In this month, the smartphone shipments in the country registered a mild decline of 0.3% YoY. We should also point out that due to concerns over potential coronavirus infection, consumers prefer contactless purchasing and online channels. So those brands that have had strong online sales, will benefit a lot. At the same time, those who have been focusing on offline channels should revise their approach.
In the low- to mid-range niche, Xiaomi’s models like the Redmi 8A dual, Redmi Note 8 Pro, and Redmi Note 8 continue to attract consumers’ interest. As you guess, the main factor for their success is competitive pricing.
Well, apart from Xiaomi, Samsung has gained a lot as well, reaching the second position. It has captured 26% of the market. Revamping the M-series and launching it in offline channels together with new schemes like Samsung Care+ helped the brand to further to restore its position in the Indian market.
Anyways, we should admit that Chinese smartphone brands are very popular in India. And it’s not surprising to see VIVO in the third place. Its market share reached 17%. It was followed by OPPO, which has had a market share of 11%.
It’s also very interesting to point out that OnePlus regained its top position in the premium market due to its newly launched OnePlus 8 series. These handsets come with 5G support, while Apple remained the leading brand in the ultra-premium segment driven by the iPhone 11 shipments.
