Apple still hasn’t cracked the top five smartphone vendors in India, but the iPhone is doing well in the premium smartphone segment, according to Canalys.
The research group says that Indian smartphone vendors capitalized on robust festival season demand and propelled quarter four (Q4) shipments to 38.9 million units, a 20% year-on-year rebound. Samsung maintained the pole position in Q4 2023 with a market share of 20% and shipments of 7.6 million units.
Xiaomi continued its robust performance, claiming second place by shipping 7.2 million units. vivo secured third position with shipments of 7.0 million units, while realme and OPPO (excluding OnePlus) rounded out the top five by shipping 4.5 million and 3.7 million units, respectively.
With the celebration of Diwali (the Hindu festival of lights) in November 2023, Apple got the opportunity to push the latest iPhone 15 series during the festive sales, contributing more than 50% to its shipments in the fourth quarter, according to Canalys Senior Analyst Sonya Chaurasia. Additionally, discounts on the previous-generation iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 models during online sales resulted in Apple’s record shipments, allowing it to capture 7% market share in India, he adds.
