The latest report by the International Data Corporation (IDC) shows OnePlus dominating the high-end segment (Rs 40,000 - Rs 60,000) of smartphones with 50% market share in Q1 2018. According to the report, OnePlus’ success can be credited to the popularity of its OnePlus 5 and 5T devices in India.
OnePlus, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, essentially makes Android iPhones. Their newest device, the OnePlus 6, is set to launch on 17 May 2018 in Mumbai, India. The launch of this particular OnePlus smartphone has been one filled with leaks, rumours and news. We already know everything that there is to know about the smartphone.
This isn’t a new strategy for the brand. They’ve been using anticipatory tactics since before the launch of their first Indian smartphone launch in 2014. And true enough, the company managed to win over their fans with a good mix of software and hardware at an affordable price.
The brand’s biggest competitor has been Xiaomi, especially in the Indian market, where it has taken over the budget smartphone segment. The smartphone manufacturing giant has targeted all the price points with a wide range of devices, from the Redmi series and Mi line of phones.
What are other brands up to?
Overall, the Indian smartphone market has seen shipments increase a total of 11% from Q1 2017, but in comparison to Q4 2017, there isn't much of a growth to report. That being said, it's still the strongest start to the year that the Indian smartphone market has made thus far.
According to Upasana Joshi, Senior Market Analyst at IDC India, "The recent import duty hike on PCBs, camera modules and connectors by the Indian government definitely puts cost pressure on the smartphone companies, till such time that they set up lines for CKD (complete-knock-down) type of manufacturing to reduce this impact."
Samsung still captivates the ultra-high-end segment (over Rs 60,000) of the smartphone market with 77% market share. Overall, the brand is second with 25.1% market share.
Xiaomi still leads the pack after bumping Samsung off its perch in Q4 2017, with 30.3% market share. The Redmi 5A and Redmi Note 5 models have been especially popular but Xiaomi's offline expansion also had a part to play.
Oppo’s climbed from the being 5th to being 3rd, this quarter. Although the F7 did launch earlier this year, most the brand’s sales came from launching their mid-range A-series phones in India.
The IDC report predicts that the smartphone market will continue to grow in double digits with focus on budget phones continually increasing. Aggressive offline efforts in the ecosystem to make devices more affordable will continue to play a major role.
