Smartphone shipments in India grew by a significant 25 percent year-on-year (YoY) for the October-December period (Q4) in 2023, as per a new report by market research firm Counterpoint. Samsung which slipped to third after leading the market for four consecutive quarters. Chinese smartphone brands Realme and Oppo grabbed the fourth and fifth spot, respectively.
In its iPhone 15 series launch.
Coming to brand-wise comparison in the top five positions, Xiaomi appeared as the market leader taking 18 percent of the market share. Oppo retained the fifth spot.
However, despite a good quarter, the wider landscape for smartphone shipments in India in 2023 remained flat at 152 million units, a separate Counterpoint report highlighted. The market research firm noted challenges emerging from macroeconomic turbulence resulting in low demand and an inventory build-up in the first half of 2023 as the reason for the lack of growth. “The market started recovering in the second half of the year ed by 5G upgrades and better-than-expected festive sales,” the report added.
Samsung held the top position in 2023 after taking 18 percent of the market due to strong showing in the first three quarters. This is the first time the South Korean tech conglomerate led a calendar year since 2017. Notably, the company launched the Galaxy Z Flip 5 in 2023. Showing a stable performance, Vivo retained the second spot with a 17 percent share. Chinese smartphone brands Xiaomi, Realme, and Oppo occupied the next three spots with 16.5 percent, 12 percent, and 10.5 percent of the market share, respectively.
While Apple did not feature in the top five positions in shipments, it sured the ten million mark in revenue for the first time in a calendar year, leading the category.