Samsung or Xiaomi: Who leads India's smartphone market?

Smartphone users in India were left confused on Monday after global market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) crowned Xiaomi with a market share of 29.7 per cent and placed Samsung in the second spot with 23.9 per cent share in the second quarter of 2018.

Earlier, three market research firms -- Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Research, Singapore-based Canalys and Gurugram-based CyberMedia Research (CMR) -- gave Samsung bigger or almost identical market share with Xiaomi in the Q2 2018.

According to IDC`s latest "Quarterly Smartphone Tracker", approximately one out of three smartphones sold in India was a Xiaomi device in Q2 2018. 

Xiaomi continued to be the number one smartphone vendor in the online smartphone market with 55.6 per cent market share, for the seventh consecutive quarter, said the report.

"Our mission to deliver amazing products at honest pricing has changed people`s lives and started a new chapter in the mobile Internet era in India and I believe we will become an even bigger part of people`s lives," reacted Manu Jain, Vice President, Xiaomi and Managing Director, Xiaomi India. 

However, in late July, Counterpoint Research said South Korean firm Samsung reclaimed the top spot in the second quarter in India with 29 per cent share against Xiaomi`s 28 per cent.

According to Canalys, Samsung shipped 9.9 million smartphones in India in the second quarter of 2018, registering almost a 50 per cent annual growth rate -- its best since the fourth quarter of 2015. 

Chinese handset maker Xiaomi also shipped 9.9 million smartphones and this is the best quarter either vendor has had in the country, said the report, adding that Samsung "J2 Pro" was the top model in the second quarter, with 2.3 million units shipped in India.

On August 2, CMR reported that Samsung garnered 29.9 per cent market share while Xiaomi was second at 29.6 per cent market share.

According to IDC`s latest report, in the online segment, Huawei with strong shipments of its Honor branded phones climbed to second position with an all-time high of 8 per cent share in online segment in 2Q 2018. 

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"The market, however, is seeing rapid consolidation at the top end, as the top 5 vendors made up 79 per cent of the smartphone market in 2Q18, marginalising smaller brands," said Upasana Joshi, Associate Research Manager, Client Devices, IDC India.