Overview of India’s Smartphone Market in 2024
In 2024, the smartphone market in India witnessed a notable increase of 5%, reaching a total of 155.9 million units shipped throughout the year. According to a detailed report by Canalys, vivo emerged as the dominant player in this sector, leading with shipments totaling 29.5 million units and capturing an impressive 19% share of the market. Following closely was Xiaomi (which encompasses Poco), with approximately 26.6 million shipments accounting for a market share of about 17%. Samsung secured third place with around 25.7 million units shipped, holding a market share of roughly 16%.
Indian smartphone shipments (full-year 2024)
The Leading Brands and Market Dynamics
Oppo, which includes OnePlus within its umbrella, reported shipment figures of approximately 18.3 million units, translating to a substantial market share of around 12%. Realme rounded out the top five brands with an impressive total of about 16.6 million shipments and an associated market share nearing11%. Analysts from Canalys reported that consumer motivation to upgrade devices stemmed largely from post-pandemic trends coupled with advancements in technology like the roll-out of 5G networks. Many brands faced inventory challenges during peak festive periods, which ultimately led to significant discounting towards year-end.
Quarterly Insights: Q4 Trends
The report also provided insights into quarterly performance for Q4 in particular—this quarter saw a slight decline year-over-year at about -4% when compared to previous figures from last year. The ranking among the leading four brands remained consistent; however, Apple experienced growth and climbed into fifth position.
Apple recorded approximately four million unit shipments during Q4 alone while acquiring an identical market share level as Oppo at around11%. A significant annual growth rate was noted for Apple at about39%, primarily spurred by appealing promotions and discounted offerings coinciding with holiday seasons alongside new iPhone launches.
Indian smartphone shipments (Q42024)
Future Outlook for India’s Smartphone Landscape
Looking forward into the next phase as per Canalys’ expectations for prospective alignment in device popularity through2030 suggests modest single-digit (%) growth rates expected for theyear ahead within local markets primarily driven by strong demand favoring devices priced between $100-$200 Ranges while declining interest is anticipated both below$100 segments along high-end pricing tiers.
Source