India’s smartphone market has shrinked for the fourth consecutive quarter. According to a report by Counterpoint, India’s smartphone shipments have declined by 3% year-on-year (YoY) in the second quarter (Q2) of 2023. However, the shipment decline reduced significantly from 19% in Q1 to 3% in Q2. The report notes that this reduction was helped by increased demand and improving macroeconomic conditions.Meanwhile, the country’s premium smartphone showed a different scenario as it grew by 112% and contirbuted 17% to the overall shipments.

Fight for premium smartphone market between Apple, Samsung continues
As per the report, Samsung retained its top postion for the third consecutive quarter with an 18% market share. The South Korean tech giant also overtook Apple to regain its top position in the premium smartphone segment (above Rs 30,000) after capturing 34% of the market last year. The report claims that this growth was fuelled by offers on the Galaxy Z Flip 3, Galaxy S21 FE, Samsung Finance+ and high demand for the latest premium A-series and F-series devices.

Meanwhile, with 59% market share, Apple continues to lead India’s ultra-premium smartphone segment (above Rs 45,000). India is now among the top five markets for iPhones.
Oppo, Vivo continues to dominate the lower-priced segments
Coming back to the overall smartphone market, Vivo took the second spot. The Chinese smartphone maker was the only brand among the top five that saw an YoY growth. Vivo’s growth was facilitated by the company’s extensive offline presence, online demand for its sub-brand iQoo and multiple products launched across various price tiers.

Another Chinese brand, Oppo also expanded its shipments in the higher-tier segments. The company mainly focused on the upper mid-tier range (between Rs 20,000 – Rs 30,000). This growth showed Oppo’s strategy to cater to the diverse consumer needs. With a 21% market share, Oppo emerged as the top brand in this segment. Also, with a 68% YoY growth, OnePlus became the fastest growing brand in India’s smartphone market in Q2.