The Indian smartphone market witnessed a flat YoY growth in 2023 but rebounded in Q4 with a 25% YoY growth in smartphone shipments. This reflects the dynamic nature of the smartphone industry where prospective buyers and tech enthusiasts are expecting nothing but the best from the phonemakers. And the best way to gauge which brands are getting this right is by looking at the macro trends. That’s why we are bringing the quarterly edition of MSP Tech Insights, based on user searches on the MySmartPrice platform.
Top 5 Mobile Brands in India in Q1 2024
The MSP Tech Insights list of top mobile brands in India in Q1 2024 has the usual suspects from top brands of 2023, except with one change. Xiaomi has managed to claw back its popularity share to reach the second spot. And Apple — the fifth rank holder in top mobile brands in 2023, has slipped to the 6th position. Let’s look at top mobile brands in the country in the previous quarter by user searches.
1. Samsung
Samsung was the top smartphone brand in India in terms of mobile shipments in 2023, according to Counterpoint Research. And Samsung devices were the most searched on MySmartPrice as well in Q1 2024. The brand started the year with a bang by launching its flagship Samsung Galaxy S24 series, comprising the Galaxy S24, Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
It also launched the Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 as its first rugged and first enterprise-focused device in February. It then closed the quarter ending in March with several launches under its A-series, M-series, and F-series. By covering a wide range of price segments in India, the South Korean brand has kept users’ interest piqued.
Samsung At a Glance in Q1 2024
- Samsung Galaxy S24 series launched in January with ‘Galaxy AI’ in all three Galaxy S24 devices.
- Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 marks the debut of the X-series of rugged phones by the brand in India.
- The Galaxy F15 launched in early March with the MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ processor and Android 14.
- The brand then went on to launch the Samsung Galaxy M14 4G as a budget offering.
- The Samsung Galaxy A35 5G and the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G with 120Hz AMOLED displays and Vision Booster were the last launches by the brand in Q1 2024.
2. Xiaomi
Xiaomi used to own a lion’s share of the Indian smartphone market a few years ago. However, with the growing popularity of brands like OnePlus, Realme, and others, it lost ground. The company then shifted gears from budget and mid-range devices to flagship launches in India, and it worked in the brand’s favour.
The brand started the year with new additions to its most popular Note series with the launch of Redmi Note 13 5G, Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G, and Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G. But its popularity soared with the launch of its latest flagships Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
Xiaomi At a Glance in Q1 2024
- The Note 13 Pro 5G series smartphones bring a curved AMOLED display to the Note series for the first time.
- The Note 13 Pro+ 5G launched as the first Redmi Note series smartphone to sport an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.
- The Xiaomi 14 and 14 Ultra launched with powerful Leica-tuned cameras and top-of-the-line hardware.
3. vivo
vivo was the third most searched brand by MSP readers in Q1 2024. Just like Samsung, vivo started the year by launching its flagships – Vivo X100 and the Vivo X100 Pro. These devices marked the debut of the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 chipset in India. The brand then launched a couple of Y series devices across January and February.
In March, the brand grabbed the headlines again with the launch of the V30 series. The vivo V30 Pro arrived as the first V-series smartphone with ZEISS optics. vivo then rounded up the first quarter of the year by launching the budget Vivo T3 5G.
vivo At a Glance in Q1 2024
- vivo X100 and X100 Pro launched in India with Zeiss-branded cameras and a V3 chip for image processing.
- vivo Y28 5G with Dimensity 6020 SoC launched in January.
- vivo Y200e 5G with an all-new durable eco-fiber leather design, 120Hz display, 50MP camera, and Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 was launched in February.
- vivo V30 series with colour-changing fluorite AG glass and Leica camera launched in early March.
- The last launch from vivo in Q1 2024 was the budget offering called vivo T3 5G.
Realme
Realme continued to be one of the most popular brands with Indian consumers. The brand is known for offering smartphones designed to cater to Indian sensibility with best-in-class features at competitive price tags. From having Shah Rukh Khan as a brand ambassador to launching compelling Narzo, C series, and number series phones, Realme has got its strategy right.
In January, the brand launched its Realme 12 Pro series flagships Realme 12 Pro and Realme 12 Pro+. These were joined by the Realme 12 5G and the Realme 12+ 5G in March. Realme also launched the top-of-the-line NARZO 70 Pro 5G in the last month of the quarter.
Realme At a Glance in Q1 2024
- Realme 12 Pro+ 5G launched in January as the first numbered series device with a telephoto camera.
- Realme 12 5G series launched with a luxury watch-inspired design in collaboration with Ollivier Savéo.
- Realme 12 Pro 12GB RAM variant launched in India.
- The Realme NARZO 70 Pro 5G with 10 air gestures was launched in March.
OnePlus
OnePlus enjoyed the numero uno spot in the top 5 mobile brands list in 2023, thanks to the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G, India-exclusive OnePlus 11R, and its debut foldable OnePlus Open. However, the green-line issue on display left a dent in its reputation as well as the ranking. The brand managed to salvage the situation by offering free lifetime screen replacement to users of OnePlus 8 or newer models.
The year started with the brand launching its flagship OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R in the country. These devices flaunt Snapdragon 8 Gen processors, ProXDR LTPO AMOLED displays. 50MP cameras, and more. The brand then launched a limited edition OnePlus 12R in February.
OnePlus At a Glance in Q1 2024
- OnePlus 12 launched with a dedicated Display P1 chipset and a new Dual Cryo-velocity cooling system.
- OnePlus 12R launched globally in India and is not India-exclusive.
- OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition with custom interface, case, glinted cable, and glinted charger launched.
Top 10 Most Popular Smartphones in India in Q1 2024
Xiaomi might have been the second most popular brand in the last quarter but the brand dominated the list of top 10 most popular smartphones in Q1 2024. The phone maker had four smartphones in the list including the top two. OnePlus was also very popular with users with three devices appearing in the list. Let’s take a look.
