Vivo leads 5G smartphone market in India in Q3, Samsung 2nd

Vivo led the 5G smartphone segment with 18 per cent market share in India, followed by Samsung at 16 per cent, as 5G smartphone shipments gained momentum in Q3 in the country, a new report showed on Monday.

Over the course of the quarter, more than 20 5G-capable smartphones were launched, and 5G now accounts for 22 per cent market share of the overall smartphone shipments, according to CMR's ‘India Mobile Handset Market Review Report for Q3 2021'.

"With smartphone brands such as OnePlus, Oppo, realme, Samsung and Vivo prioritising 5G, and consumers seeking to future-proof themselves, 5G continues to gain momentum," said Shipra Sinha, analyst, Industry Intelligence Group, CMR.

"Together, these five brands shipped 5G smartphones in excess of $3 billion during Q3 2021," Sinha added.

In Q3, smartphone shipments in India posted a 47 per cent sequential quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) growth, on the back of robust consumer demand, and despite persistent supply constraints.

Xiaomi (23 per cent), Samsung (18 per cent) and Vivo (15 per cent) captured the top three spots in the smartphone market, followed by realme and Oppo.

The feature phone segment declined 21 per cent (YoY), driven by continued consumer transition to smartphones.

The 2G feature phone segment declined 27 per cent YoY, with itel (27 per cent), Lava (19 per cent) and Samsung (14 per cent) capturing the top three spots.

Samsung launched 10 new smartphone models including 7 5G smartphone models. Nearly 20 per cent of all Samsung smartphones were 5G capable.

The Samsung Galaxy M02, M02s and Galaxy A12 accounted for 34 per cent of its shipments, the report mentioned.

In Q4 2021, CMR anticipates the ongoing supply constraints, high components and logistics costs, and consequent high retail costs, to continue challenging smartphone brands.

"In Q4 2021 and beyond, the supply chain constraints will continue to persist. Smartphone brands that are able to augment their component supplies, and plan in advance their market outreach strategies, will be able to succeed" said Anand Priya Singh, Analyst, Industry Intelligence Group, CMR.