Smartphone shipments to India grew 82 per cent on year to 33 million units in the second quarter of 2021, Counterpoint’s Market Monitor data suggests. Sequentially, however, the market declined 14 per cent as consumer sentiment took a hit during the second wave of Covid-19. The decline was lower than anticipated due to the smartphone market’s resilience.
Xiaomi, including sub-brand Poco, remains the pre-eminent player in India’s smartphone market, the Counterpoint data showed. The 28 per cent market share it cornered was driven by the Redmi Note 10 series and Redmi 9 series. Xiaomi also recorded its higher-ever shipment volumes in the premium segment, and captured over 7 per cent market share. Sub-brand Poco recorded a 480 per cent on-year growth.
Samsung also retained its position as the second-largest brand, with an on-year growth rate of 25 per cent, as online sales of the Galaxy M-series and F-series phones made up 66 per cent of its shipments. The company’s online sales recorded the highest-ever growth.
Sales of Vivo smartphones also grew 61 per cent on year, while its share of the premium segment rose to 12 per cent — the highest quarterly figure for the company. Realme shipments grew 140 per cent during the second quarter and was the leader in 5G smartphone shipments, with a market share of over 22 per cent. Oppo, meanwhile, grew at 103 per cent on year.
Apple remained the market leader in the ultra-premium segment, clocking an on-year growth of 144 per cent. Continued robust demand for the iPhone 11 and the company’s aggressive marketing of the iPhone 12 series phones led the company to corner a 49 per cent market share. OnePlus, meanwhile grew over 200 per cent on year, thanks to the OnePlus 9 Series. Its market share in the premium segment was at 34 per cent, while it was also the top premium 5G brand with a 48 per cent market share.
The country’s mobile handset market, which includes both feature phones and smartphones, grew 74 per cent on year, but declined 28% on quarter. The feature phone market took the bigger hit as quarterly shipments declined 50 per cent during the second Covid-19 wave, which ate into consumers’ disposable income. Most consumers who rely on feature phones are from the country’s Tier 3 and Tier 4 towns and rural areas, which were hit hardest by the second Covid-19 wave.
