Xiaomi surpasses Samsung in budget smartphone segment
As the 4G handset base in India crossed the 150 million units mark in the second quarter of 2017, data showed that Xiaomi had toppled Samsung as the top smartphone seller in the under-Rs. 10,000 segment of the smartphone market. With LTE-capable smartphones contributing to 96% of smartphone shipments, India is set to surpass the US in terms of 4G handsets in a year.
Xiaomi's sub-10k portfolio was the trump card
"Xiaomi's comeback can be attributed to strong demand for its sub-10K portfolio, making the Redmi Note 4 the top-selling model in the first half of 2017," said Tarun Pathak, Associate Director of Counterpoint Research.
Xiaomi handsets had significantly more market share
A report by Counterpoint Research revealed that the top two smartphones in the under-Rs 10,000 segment were the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 and the Redmi 4 with 7.2% and 4.5% of the market share respectively. Samsung J2 came a close third with 4.2%. This is a significant moment for Xiaomi, as it is the first brand to beat Samsung in the last four years.
Top 5 smartphone brands in India by market share
Samsung continues to be the top smartphone seller in India with overall handset shipments accounting for 24.1% of the Indian smartphone market share. Xiaomi comes second with 10.7%, while Lenovo is third with 9.9%. Oppo commands 8.6%, while Vivo has 7.6% of the market.
Current trends in India's growing smartphone market
India's smartphone market grew by 4% compared to last year, with the top five brands - Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo, Oppo, Vivo - contributing to over 70% of the shipments. Data showed Xiaomi, Oppo, Gionee, and Vivo to be the fastest growing smartphone brands in the country. Local brands did relatively well compared to their performance in the last three quarters.
