Samsung has reportedly grabbed the top position in the Indian smartphone market from Xiaomi in Q4 2022. According to the reputed data analysis website – Counterpoint Research, Samsung pipped Xiaomi by just two percent to grab the top spot in India. The same report also claimed that while Samsung came out on top, the smartphone market recorded a shipment volume of over 152 million units, a 9% YoY decline. Here’s all you need to know about the Indian smartphone market and the brands’ standing.
Xiaomi Rejigs Strategy as Samsung Regains the Top Spot as a Smartphone Brand in India
According to Counterpoint Research, Xiaomi lost its top spot in the Indian smartphone market to its arch-rival, Samsung. The latter captured a 20% market share in India in terms of shipment volume. Xiaomi, on the other hand, was perched on the second spot with 18% of the market share in shipment volume. If the report is believed, Xiaomi’s strategy of focusing on run-of-the-mill smartphones priced under Rs 10,000 in India.
However, Indian customer sentiments have turned towards feature-rich smartphones with good-looking aesthetics. Moreover, they are okay with paying a premium for such smartphones. Samsung has managed to sway these customers into its fold by offering better-looking smartphones with good features set and software support under its Galaxy A and M series.
According to the report, the Indian smartphone market also declined 9% YoY despite clocking 152 million units in shipment in 2022. The premium segment of smartphones (above Rs 30,000) contributed 11% of shipments and 35% of market revenue. According to Counterpoint Research, this is the highest-ever figure recorded by the premium category in India. This is also an indication of the shift in consumer behaviour when it comes to smartphone purchases in India.
Xiaomi has also decided to shift its attention from budget devices to mid-range offerings. Xiaomi is also offering the Mi Credit scheme to its buyers in collaboration with various banks in India to compete with the offers provided by Samsung.
According to Tarun Pathak, Research Director at Counterpoint Research, “The Indian market is witnessing a ‘premiumization’ trend. (But) Xiaomi has been caught underprepared with a budget phones-heavy portfolio for the shift.”
Xiaomi is now launching its flagships like Xiaomi 11 series and, more recently, Xiaomi 13 Pro. With the latest flagship quickly going out of stock in the country, the shift in focus is working for the brand. To recall, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is a Leica-branded camera-centric phone that’s priced at Rs 79,999 in India. The handset flaunts a 6.73-inch WQHD+ E6 AMOLED display, a 4 nm-based Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, a 50MP Sony IMX989 primary sensor with a 1-inch sensor size and OIS, and 32MP front camera.
