Smartphone shipments in India continued their upward trend during the first quarter of this year at 34 million units, with an impressive 11.5 percent year-over-year growth. Apple also posted an impressive 19 percent YoY growth, making it the best first quarter for the company in terms of shipments, a report said on Tuesday.
Despite overall growth, the premium segment saw a decline of 21 percent in unit terms, with a modest 2 percent share, according to insights from IDC.
Upasana Joshi, Senior Research Manager for Client Devices at IDC India, said: "Several new launches across multiple price segments happened during the quarter, coupled with increased promotional activities, particularly around premium offerings. Its success in the Indian market lay in strategic initiatives such as price discounts, exclusive offers on e-commerce sites, and attractive financing options to sustain growth even beyond the festive season. This does indicate that the company is committed to manufacturing locally in the country.
Shipments in the mass budget segment posted a strong 22 percent YoY growth and captured 48 percent of the market share, compared to 44 percent last year.
vivo, Xiaomi, and Samsung were the top three players in the segment, capturing a 53 percent share, according to the report.
This quarter has been remarkable in terms of shipment for 5G smartphones, with around 23 million units shipped, impressively increasing from last year. The share of 5G devices increased to 69 percent from 46 percent in the same quarter last year, indicating an increase in the adoption of 5G technology by Indian consumers.
Read also | Ola CEO Advocates for India's Tech Sovereignty, Parts Ways with Microsoft
