India’s smartphone shipments grew a modest 4% year-over-year [YoY] to reach a little over 31 million units in quarter one [Q1] of 2020, according to the latest research from Counterpoint’s Market Monitor service. But the news was really good for the iPhone.
Apple grew a strong 78% YoY driven by strong shipments of iPhone 11 and multiple discounts on platforms like Flipkart and Amazon. In the ultra-premium segment (>INR 45000,~$600 ) it was the leading brand with a market share of 55%.
January and February smartphone shipments in India grew annually due to new launches and aggressive promotions, according to Counterpoint. However, a steep annual decline in March (-19%) due to COVID-19 outbreak restricted overall quarter growth to just 4%.
The nationwide lockdown was enforced by the Indian government from the last week of March and will remain in place until May 3. Any signs of recovery will likely only start from the third quarter onwards. As a result, Counterpoint is estimating that overall smartphone shipments will decline by 10% for the full calendar year.
