After showing a major fallback in performance in the 2nd quarter of 2020, the Indian smartphone market is now on a strong recovery in the third quarter.
According to a report drafted by Canalys, Xiaomi still is the most demanded and purchased smartphone option in India, marking an annual growth of 9% and shipping a total of 1.3 crore units in only Q3.
In addition, while we will list the top 5 most selling smartphones in the Indian market for you, it is also to be noted that the premium smartphone brand Apple has also displayed a double-digit growth in the Indian market.
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Indian Smartphone Market Records 8% YoY Growth
The Covid-19 pandemic posed a heavy slump in the smartphone market.
India being the 2nd largest smartphone market in the world, took this blow in a rather alarming sense.
The smartphone shipments in the 2nd quarter of 2020 fell over negative 40%, with lower than 50 lakhs (5 mill) units shipped in the country.
This could be accounted to production disruptions and import delays caused due to the nationwide pandemic.
However, with the onset of Q3, the country witnessed a restriction on movement, creating a perfect atmosphere for sustained growth of the smartphone market in India.
“Smartphone vendors are definitely bullish”, comments Canalys Analyst, Adwait Mardikar.
Truthfully so, the smartphone shipments in India posted an 8% year-on-year growth in Q3, with total shipments of about 5 crore units.
This is an all-time record for smartphone shipments in a single quarter in India.
However, Chinese vendors have collectively comprised 76% of total smartphone shipments this quarter, which has grown from 74% a year ago.
List of Top 5 Most-Selling Smartphone Brands in India
It is surprising to note that the list of top 5 highest shipped smartphone brands in the country has some changes, in terms of the sequence.
Xiaomi
- Xiaomi still holds the market leader position, shipping a total of 1.3 crore units in Q3, showing an annual growth of 9%.
- This number has risen when compared to Q3 in 2019, which marked the total Xiaomi shipments at 1.2 crore.
Samsung
- Samsung regained its second place from Vivo, selling 1.2 crore units, with an aggressive annual growth of 7%.
- It is observed this is due to the South Korean brand’s aggressive product portfolio and competitive pricing in the budget segment, which paid out well.
Vivo
- Vivo, slipping down to the 3rd position, has shipped 88 lakh units, showcasing a whopping growth of 19%.
Realme
- The Xiaomi sub-brand Realme, closely follows Vivo, placing itself in the 4th position of this list, with a shipment of 87 lakh smartphone units in Q3.
- The BBK Electronics smartphone recorded a strong 23% annual growth.
Oppo
- Lastly, another BBK Electronics brand that finds itself in the 5th place on this list, is Oppo.
- It has recorded a total of 61 lakh smartphone shipments in Q3, highlighting a 6% annual growth.
Apple Records Good Shipment Numbers
It is not just the budget smartphone brands, which have recorded positive growth charts in the 3rd quarter.
The premium brand Apple, too has managed to score a double-digit growth in Q3, selling nearly 8 lakh units.
“Apple is finally paying attention to India”, remarks Canalys Research Director, Rushabh Doshi.
“It has opened a direct online store, giving it several new angles in its go-to-market strategy, such as utilizing device trade-ins to provide purchase incentives, or bundling AirPods with iPhones to make them more appealing.”, he adds.