India sees major smartphone growth in Q1 2021, but a storm is coming
Recognition: Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
- India’s smartphone shipments in the first quarter of 2021 are expected to have increased 11% from the first quarter of 2020.
- Xiaomi had a significant head start, but all of the top brands were able to maintain or expand their shipments.
- However, smartphone shipments in India are expected to decline in the second quarter of 2021.
India is arguably the most competitive market in the world when it comes to smartphones, with the mid-range segment in particular representing a tough battlefield. Now we have the first market share report for the first quarter of 2021 and it looks like almost all major brands have seen an increase in shipments.
Market tracking firm Canalys listed Xiaomi, Samsung and Vivo as the top three smartphone companies by market share in India during the quarter. Oppo and Realme rounded off the top 5 according to the research company.
Xiaomi saw moderate shipping growth of 2% year over year, with market share growth declining from 31% to 28%. Samsung was able to stabilize with a market share of 19%, but saw actual shipments increase by 11% compared to Q1 2020. Third-placed Vivo only saw shipments increase by 1%, with the share of shipments falling by 2%. Oppo was the top performer in the top 5 in terms of growth, posting a 35% year-over-year increase.
Overall, the tracking company found that shipments in India increased 11% year over year in the first quarter of 2021, from 33.5 million units in the first quarter of 2020 to 37.1 million units in the first quarter of 2021. For the next However, there is bad news afoot in the third quarter.
Read more: The Best Phones Under Rs 20,000 In India
Canalys expects smartphone shipments to decline in the second quarter of 2021 as a major wave of COVID-19 hits India. The company suggests that regional lockdowns could impede the transportation and distribution of raw materials for manufacturing, as well as equipment. But the company also expects more bad news for Indian consumers later in 2021.
“A combination of the ongoing supply crisis for important imported components and a weaker rupee will make it increasingly difficult for suppliers to keep margins at the current price level,” Canalys analyst Varun Kannan was quoted as saying. He added that this will hit the under $ 200 (~ Rs 15,000) segment hard, and said it represented over 80% of the market in 2020.
