Indian smartphone market flat in 2023 after Q4 boost; Apple crosses 10 million mark

• Smartphone shipments remained flat in India in 2023 despite a 25% growth in Q4 2023.
• Samsung occupied the top spot in the smartphone market with an 18% share.
• Apple crossed the 10 million shipments mark for the first time in 2023.

The Indian smartphone market remained flat in 2023, with 152 million smartphones shipped in the country. While the first three quarters reported a decline in shipments, the shipments grew by 25% in Q4 2023.

According to a report by Counterpoint Research, the Indian smartphone market faced a challenging time in the first six months of “macroeconomic turbulence” which led to low demand and inventory buildup. The smartphone market recovered in the second half of the year due to festive sales and customers upgrading their 4G smartphones for 5G smartphones.

“The last quarter (October-December) exited the market with healthy inventory levels compared to last year, setting the right tone for growth for next year. We believe the market will grow by 5% YoY next year driven by premiumization, diffusion of 5G in lower price bands and better macroeconomic conditions,” said Shilpi Jain, Senior Research Analyst, Counterpoint Research.

Samsung tops the charts

Company	2023 share	2022 share
Samsung	18%	19.40%
Vivo	17%	15.80%
Xiaomi	16.50%	20.30%
Realme	12%	13.70%
Oppo	10.50%	10.40%

Source: Counterpoint Research

Korean smartphone maker Samsung has emerged as the country’s leading smartphone maker in 2023, occupying a market share of 18%, down from 19.4% in 2022. According to analysts, the company’s performance can be attributed to strong sales of the Galaxy A series, focussed approach in the premium segment with its Galaxy S series and aggressive marketing in the offline segment.

Vivo takes the second spot

Chinese smartphone maker Vivo occupied the second spot in smartphone shipments, just behind Samsung with a market share of 17%, up from 15.8. The company also led the affordable premium segment in the country. The company’s shipments were boosted by its T series smartphones and the V29 series.

Xiaomi moves to the third spot but tops in Q4 2023

Company	Q4 2023	Q4 2022
Xiaomi	18.30%	18%
Vivo	17.30%	18.10%
Samsung	16.80%	20%
Realme	11.50%	8.50%
Oppo	9.50%	11.20%

Source: Counterpoint Research

Xiaomi was pushed to the third spot when we look at the overall shipments in 2023, with a market share of 16.5%, down from 20.3% in 2022. The company however managed to get back to the top spot in the last quarter. The company occupied a 18.3% market share in Q4 2023, up from 18% in Q4 2022.

Apple crosses the 10 million mark

Apple crossed the 10 million shipments mark in India for the first time in 2023. The company captured the top position in revenue in a calendar year in the country, with both its older and newer iPhones performing well.

“The opening of own retail stores and increasing focus on LFR (large-format retail) through regular promotions contributed to increased offline shipments. Besides, higher trade-in values presented an appealing proposition for consumers to transition to iOS,” said Shubham Singh, Research Analyst, Counterpoint Research.

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