Smartphone shipments in India grew 7.2 percent year-over-year (YoY) in the first half (H1) of 2024 where 69 million units were shipped, according to a report by a market research firm. The second quarter (Q2) of the year saw 35 million smartphones being shipped, which was a 3.2 percent YoY rise over Q2 2023 shipments. The report added that the latter half of the second quarter is a crucial indicator of the second half of the year with festival sales going up till November. Mid-quarter of Q2 2024 onwards saw the launch of new smartphones, mostly in the mid-premium and premium segments, primarily from China-based brands.
Indian Smartphone Market Q2 2024 Rise
According to an International Data Corporation (IDC) report, shipments of entry-level phones (priced under Rs. 8,400) dropped 36 percent YoY, capturing just 14 percent of the market share in Q2 2024, down from 22 percent in Q2 2023. Xiaomi lead this segment and was followed by Poco and Realme.
The mass budget segment (from roughly Rs. 8,400 to Rs. 16,800) grew by 8 percent YoY, where the top three brands — Xiaomi, Realme and Vivo, made up 60 percent of the segment’s market share.
The entry-premium segment (roughly Rs. 16,800 to Rs. 33,500) saw the highest growth of 42 percent YoY. Oppo, Vivo and Samsung made up 60 percent of this segment’s market share.
However, the mid-premium segment (roughly Rs. 33,500 to Rs. 50,400) fell by 25 percent YoY in Q2 2024 from a 5 percent market share, down to 4 percent. In this segment, Vivo led with a 25 percent market share, followed by OnePlus and Oppo.
Shipments in the premium segment phones (roughly Rs. 50,400 to Rs. 67,100) fell 37 percent YoY in Q2 2024 capturing 2 percent of the market share. Most popular handsets in this segment were the iPhone 13, Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, iPhone 12, and OnePlus 12. However, Apple’s market share in the segment increased 61 percent YoY, and Samsung’s share grew from 21 percent in Q2 2023 to 24 percent in Q2 2024.
The super-premium segment (over roughly Rs. 67,100) continued to grow in Q2 2024 with a 22 percent YoY rise in shipments and captured 7 percent of the market share in Q2 2024 as compared to 6 percent in Q2 2023. The report noted that in this segment, the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus together made up 77 percent of shipments, giving Apple an 83 percent market share. The Samsung Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Ultra, on the other hand, made up 11 percent of this segment’s shipment and contributed to 16 percent market share of Samsung.
As per the report, 5G smartphone shipments increased from 49 percent in Q2 2023 to 77 percent in Q2 2024. Mass budget 5G smartphone shipments grew by 2.5x to 45 percent of market share. Among the most shipped budget 5G smartphones in Q2 2024 are Redmi 13C, Oppo F25 Pro, Realme 12x, Redmi 12, and Realme C65.
Indian smartphone shipments to online channels grew by 8 percent YoY in H1 2024, the IDC report added. Vivo led the overall smartphone shipments market in the country with a 16.5 percent share, followed by Xiaomi and Samsung at 13.5 percent and 12.9 percent, respectively.
Indian Smartphone Market H2 2024 Outlook
Despite Q2 2024 being the fourth consecutive quarter of YoY smartphone shipment growth, the report claimed that “muted consumer demand” and rising average selling prices (ASPs) “continue to restrict swift annual recovery.”
The entry-premium segment (roughly Rs. 16,800 to roughly Rs. 33,500) is expected to “see healthy growth”, according to the report. Meanwhile the entry-level (under roughly Rs. 8,400) will continue to face challenges this year despite affordable 5G smartphone launches. The report lastly noted that the marketing around generative AI (GenAI) smartphones will increase and promotional activities will rely on this feature in the upcoming quarters.