The Indian smartphone market has shipped a record-breaking 46.6 million units in the third quarter of 2019, according to the International Data Corporation's (IDC) quarterly mobile phone tracker report. It is majorly due to the festive season in India and the multiple sales by online shopping platforms like Amazon and Flipkart.
The latest numbers indicate a strong 26.5% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) and 9.3% year-over-year (YoY) growth. Xiaomi leads the shipment volumes by a large margin standing at 12.6 million, followed by Samsung at 8.8 million.
Realme dethroned Oppo from its fourth position from last quarter due to the rise in the shipments of Realme C2, Realme 5 series, and Realme 3i.
Notably, the low-end smartphone segment (under Rs 15,000), which accounts for 80% share of the total market, saw a drop by five percent YoY, while mid-range phones (between Rs 15,000 - Rs 35,000) registered a YoY growth of six percent. This hints that more users are now willing to move from the entry-level segment to mid-range phones.
IDC India states that phones priced between Rs 20,000 - Rs 35,000 became the fastest growing smartphone segment due to phones like OnePlus 7, Redmi K20 Pro, and Vivo V15 Pro.
Apple leads the premium smartphone segment (Rs 35,000+) with a 51.3% market share courtesy of the new iPhone 11 series and price drops on old generation phones like iPhone XR.
Xiaomi continues to lead with record shipments
Xiaomi India recorded its highest ever volume shipments in a quarter with 12.6 million units. According to IDC India, Redmi 7A and Redmi Note 7 Pro were the most shipped phones while the company attracted consumers with its Redmi K20 series which starts upwards of Rs 20,000.
In the online shopping space, four out of five top phones sold were from Xiaomi giving the company a 40.0% market share.
Samsung sees shipments decline, Realme climbs to fourth position
In 3Q19, Samsung registered a decline in shipments and managed about 8.8 million units. "The lag between older Galaxy A series (Galaxy A10, 50, etc.) and the refreshed Galaxy As (Galaxy A10s, A50s, etc.) series just before the Diwali quarter led to this sharp decline," states IDC.
Samsung Galaxy M30s, on the other hand, gained some traction this quarter with strong shipment numbers.
Realme Mobiles shipments grew to 6.7 million units dethroning Oppo to capture the fourth position. This rise in shipment is due to the company's budget C2 model, Realme 3i, and Realme 5 series.
All of this amidst the fact that the Indian economy is in a period of a slowdown as the economic growth plummeted to 5% in Q1 2019 due to fewer consumer demands, lack of investments, and the ensuing climate crisis.
