The South Korean smartphone brand Samsung now led the Indian smartphone market according to the Counterpoint research report. In the Q3 of 2020, the market recorded 53 million units in the September quarter while Samsung recaptured the top spot and was closely followed by the Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi.
According to a report by Counterpoint’s Market Monitor service report Samsung has recovered in India while touching the highest market share in India since 2018 by adopting an aggressive online channel strategy to benefit from opportunities arising due to anti-China sentiments in the country. The company also took the top spot in the global smartphone market in August, accounting for 22% of the market share.
In April this year, Samsung lost its top posting to Huawei due to sharp declines in its major markets of India and Europe. The smartphone market declined 51% YoY in Q2 2020 as April was a washout.
The anti-China controversy also helped the company to recover from the nationwide lockdown. As per the report Huawei has achieved its highest global share of 21% in April, Huawei’s market share is expected to fall further in the future due to US trade sanctions.
The Indian smartphone market has shown a growth of 9 percent year-on-year to reach over 53 million units in the July-September 2020 quarter which is said to be the highest-ever shipment in a quarter for the Indian smartphone market. After two years Samsung became the top smartphone brand in India with 32% YoY growth.
Commenting on the market dynamics, Senior Research Analyst Prachir Singh said, “The Indian smartphone market is on a recovery path as the lockdown restrictions have been relaxed. The market has shown consistent growth for the last few months. It saw strong demand during the Independence Day period in August as major online platforms hosted massive sales. September has always been a high sell-in month as brands prepare for the upcoming festive season and push stock in the channels. Almost all the brands recorded growth compared to the last year. In terms of price bands, the mid-tier (INR 10,000 – INR 20,000) segment registered the highest growth and reached its highest ever share in a quarter. Due to the pandemic, Indian consumers have ended up saving on leisure activities. These savings are now being funneled into smartphone purchases. Additionally, smartphones have become an integral part of consumers’ lifestyles in this changing environment.”
This is possible due to the higher demand in the smartphone segment and stronger sales of feature phones. While the feature phone market registered a 5% YoY growth in Q3 2020 with Itel being the number one brand followed by Samsung and Lava. As per the report, the focus on online channels has been increasing due to the COVID-19 situation while brands such as Vivo, OPPO and Itel are increasing their online presence due to the changing consumer behaviour.
While Xiaomi has fallen to the second position with a 4% YoY decline. The reason behind the decline is first the manufacturing constraints due to the COVID-19 that eventually affected its supply chain. While Vivo reserved the third position at the same time showing 4 percent YoY growth in Q3 2020 driven by strong demand for its Y-series models in offline channels. Followed by Realme with 4 percent YoY with 15 percent market share Oppo with 10 percent and other brands with 12 percent.
While on the other hand, Apple leads the premium smartphone segment over the Rs 30,000 market surpassing OnePlus even before its flagship launch, driven by strong demand for its iPhone SE 2020 and the iPhone 11. Whereas OnePlus persisted as the top brand in the affordable premium segment in the Rs 30,000 to Rs 45,000 price segment driven by OnePlus 8 sales.
For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.
