Realme, the only top-5 smartphone brand to grow in the last quarter in India

Realme GT Neo 2
(Image credit: Carlos Pedrós)

Realme was the big winner in terms of growth in the Indian smartphone market in the fourth quarter of 2021 as it reached the number three spot behind Xiaomi and Samsung.  What makes Realme's growth trajectory remarkable is the fact it was the only brand which saw positive annual growth in the top five list, while the others saw a decline.

Xiaomi remained the market leader for the fourth quarter of 2021, but its annual growth slipped by a worrying 22%. Xiaomi's overall shipments stood at 9.3 million units ---  It had shipped 12 million devices in the same quarter last year.

Samsung was at number two position in the quarter with 8.5 million units, with 19% overall share. Samsung's shipments declined by 7%.

Overall, the smartphone market in India achieved a record 162 million shipments in 2021, growing 12% on 2020. Following a strong comeback in Q3, smartphone brands shipped 44.5 million devices in Q4 for 2% growth, according to the data shared by market research firm Canalys.

Innovations help Realme

Indian smartphone shipments for 2021 Q4

(Image credit: Canalys)

Realme was the real success story of last year. For the first time, it rose to the third place in India, with a 49% year-on-year increase in volume that reached 7.6 million shipments. It now commands a respectable 12% market share. 

Vivo and Oppo, with 5.6 million and 4.9 million units respectively, cliamed the fourth and fifth spots, according to Canalys.

Its analyst Sanyam Chaurasia said "Realme’s record shipment total was made possible by innovations in planning and stock management which led to good supply of mass-market smartphones such as Narzo 50A and C11."

JioPhone Next makes a good start

Reliance JioPhone Next

(Image credit: Reliance)

The report said that in the last quarter, low-end players gained momentum. Players like JioPhone Next, which aims to upgrade feature-phone users via disruptive financing options, made a strong start with several million units sold. 

On the e-commerce platforms Amazon and Flipkart, brands like Infinix and Tecno efficiently leveraged brand promotional campaigns. "They also increased brand recognition on social media platforms. Infinix promoted Esports among India’s youth to highlight its key features, while Tecno used social media influencers," Canalys said.

In 2022, analyst Chaurasia added, 5G will become significantly more accessible in terms of coverage and price. Smartphones capable of 5G will fall further in price amid fierce vendor rivalry.

Want to know about the latest happenings in tech? Follow TechRadar India on TwitterFacebook and Instagram!

TOPICS
Balakumar K
Senior Editor

Over three decades as a journalist covering current affairs, politics, sports and now technology. Former Editor of News Today, writer of humour columns across publications and a hardcore cricket and cinema enthusiast. He writes about technology trends and suggest movies and shows to watch on OTT platforms. 

Read more
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Honor Magic 7 Pro, side by side
Chinese flagship phones are great value for money, but they won't stay cheaper for much longer – here's why
Three-image composite; A Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, Snapdragon 8 Elite graphic, and see-through iPhone 16 Pro
AI step aside – 3 ways phone hardware could finally get interesting again in 2025
A person using the 2024 iPad Air with an Apple Pencil.
Global tablet sales saw a huge rise in 2024 - and one company keeps dominating
The Xiaomi 14 on a red background
Best Xiaomi phones 2025: top Mi, Poco, and Redmi devices ranked
Two Oppo Find X8 Pro models, one in white and one in black, against a violet TechRadar background
The best Oppo phone {YEAR}: the top Reno and Find models
The best tech of MWC 2025 examples, including the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, the Nubia Flip 2, and the Lenovo Solar PC
Best of MWC 2025: the 10 top tech launches we tried on the show floor
Latest in Realme Phones
Realme GT 7 Pro
The next Realme flagship phone could break the 8,000mAh battery barrier – more than 2x the iPhone 16 capacity
Realme GT 3 hands-on back straight
Realme's new Android phone charges to 100% faster than you can finish a coffee
Realme GT 3 hands-on back straight
Realme GT 3: everything you need to know
A Realme 10 in Clash White from the front and back
Realme 10: everything you need to know
realme gt neo 3 thor love and thunder
This Thor Love and Thunder-themed smartphone is the epitome of cheap tie-ins
A Realme GT Neo 3 from the front, with the screen on, resting against a plant pot
Realme GT Neo 3 review
Latest in News
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4
From Ace of Spades to Them Bones, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4's soundtrack is already looking excellent
The Google Gemini logo against a black background.
I tried Gemini's new AI image generation tool - here are 5 ways to get the best art from Google's upcoming Flash 2.0 built-in image upgrade
An image of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra from a hands-on event
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could resurrect an intriguing camera feature
Eurocom Raptor X18
At $15,000, this massive 256GB RAM laptop makes Apple's MacBook Pro look affordable, tiny and very, very slow
Cristin Milioti in Black Mirror season 7
Netflix launches trailer for Black Mirror season 7, giving us a look at its first-ever sequel episode and an unexpected returning character
A graphic of the PC Gaming Show
Get ready for a bounty of PC games on June 8, as the PC Gaming show is back