Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi has made a sheer rise in the smartphone market share in India in the last couple of years. At the end of the third quarter (Q3) of 2017, the company was neck and neck against Samsung, with 22% market share against Samsung’s 23%. That itself is a huge achievement for Xiaomi given that its market share a year earlier was just 6%. Now at the end of Q4, the Chinese company has pipped out Samsung to become India’s largest smartphone seller.
Ever since Nokia‘s downfall, Samsung has been at the pole position in terms of smartphone market share in India. But it couldn’t survive Xiaomi’s aggressively priced range of smartphones and finally lost the crown to the Chinese company. According to research firm Canalys, Xiaomi shipped 8.2 million smartphones in India during the period of October and December 2017. In comparison, Samsung shipped slightly over 7.3 million units.
Another research firm Counterpoint pointed out that 25% of smartphones sold in India during Q4 last year were Xiaomi made. The company’s share during the same period a year earlier was mere 9%. Samsung meanwhile sold a lesser number of phones in Q4 of 2017 that it did in that period in 2016. The Korean company accounted for 23% of smartphones sold during Q4 of 2017, no significant changes from Q3.
Samsung has, however, refuted to these claims and said it still remains India’s top smartphone brand. Citing figures from a German research firm GfK, the company said it leads Indian smartphone market in every segment.
“As per GfK, which tracks sales to end consumers, in the last (November) quarter, Samsung had a 45% value market share and 40% volume market share. Samsung is a full range player and leads the smartphone business across every segment of the India market in 2017,” a Samsung India spokesperson said.
For Samsung, consumers’ trust is much more important. The company is thankful for the love shown to it by Indian consumers and credits them for its success.
“More importantly, Samsung is India’s most trusted brand. We owe our undisputed leadership to the love and trust of millions of our consumers in the country,” the spokesperson added.
Overall, India’s smartphone market grew by 6% during Q4 of 2017. Samsung and Xiaomi accounted for almost 50% of the market, while Vivo, Oppo and Lenovo rounded out the top five.
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