HIGHLIGHTS
- Apple is the best-selling brand in the premium class, with a 5% year-on-year increase.
- In India, Samsung maintained its lead as the best-selling 5G smartphone brand.
- Xiaomi maintained its lead in India's smartphone market.
In the January-March quarter of FY22, smartphone shipments in India fell 1% year on year (YoY). Smartphone shipments reached 38 million units in Q1 2022 due to component shortages and a steep fall in demand. The statistic was disclosed in the most recent Counterpoint Market Monitor service analysis, which highlights the effects of COVID-19 on the Indian smartphone market. The third wave of the pandemic, which hit the country in January of this year, caused a poor start to the quarter, which picked up momentum in the final few weeks of the March quarter.
According to a Counterpoint Research analysis, despite the downturn, Chinese brands led with a market share of more than 74% in Q1 2022. Xiaomi maintained its lead in India's smartphone market with a 23 percent share, as it did in the first quarter of last year. However, its YoY market share fell by 13% year on year. Counterpoint's Xiaomi shipping data include the Poco brand. Even in the face of increasing competition, component shortages, and inflation, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer managed to maintain its market leadership. For the first time in the Indian market, the brand has also taken second place in 5G shipments.
Xiaomi was followed by Samsung, a South Korean smartphone manufacturer that has boosted customer demand with the debut of the Galaxy A series. Interestingly, for the second quarter in a row, the business maintained its lead as the best-selling 5G smartphone brand in India. Samsung had a 20% market share in smartphone shipping in Q1 2022, despite a 1% YoY fall.
Realme is the next brand on the list, and it is the only one among the top five to have grown by 40% year on year in Q1 2022. Realme's market share now stands at 16%, up from 11% in Q1 of previous year. After the holiday season, shipments of Realme models increased quickly. Other considerations in Realme's favor include the usage of Unisoc chipsets, a tailored product range, and an active channel approach.
Vivo and Oppo finished fourth and fifth, respectively. While Vivo's shipments fell by 8% year on year in Q1 2022, Oppo's fell by 18% year on year. However, Vivo has a 15% market share in smartphone shipping, while Oppo has a 9% market share. The OnePlus brand is not included in Counterpoint's Oppo numbers.
According to the survey, Apple grew by 5% year on year in the first quarter of 2022, and it is the top-selling brand in the luxury market.
In terms of the total India handset market (feature phones + smartphones), Counterpoint estimates a 16 percent YoY loss in shipments, with the feature phone market particularly experiencing a 39 percent YoY decline in sales. With a 21 percent market share, Itel dominates the feature phone industry. When all of the Transsion Group brands - Itel, Infinix, and Tecno - were combined, the business ranked fourth in the global phone market. Meanwhile, OnePlus expanded 347 percent year on year in Q1 2022, thanks to the success of the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G and OnePlus 9RT. OnePlus also finished third in the premium class.
