Samsung slips! India has a new player at number 2 in smartphone market; Xiaomi No. 1

Chinese smartphone manufacturer vivo has emerged as the number 2 smartphone maker in India in Q4 of 2019, surpassing Samsung which held the spot for a while. Vivo is only behind Xiaomi with 21 per cent market share. According to a Counterpoint Research, Xiaomi has over 27 per cent market share while Samsung slips to third position with a market share of 19 per cent. Realme, meanwhile, has witnessed a decline in the fourth quarter after an overwhelming Q3.

The next quarter remains important for Samsung as it prepares for several big launches like Samsung Galaxy A51, high-end Galaxy S20 phones and a new foldable smartphone. The last is expected to be priced considerably less than last year's Samsung Galaxy Fold (priced at Rs 1.65 lakh), Zee Business Online has learnt.

Vivo's success in the last quarter is attributed to its 'S' series which comprises vivo S1 and vivo S1 Pro. "By successfully pivoting to online and aggressively positioning the S series in the offline segment with new features, Vivo managed to make a dent in the Rs 15,000 Rs 20,000 segment," said Tarun Pathak, Associate Director, Counterpoint said.

WATCH | Nipun Marya on vivo's India strategy 

The company saw its shipment grow by 76 per cent in 2019 with the launch of budget and performance-driven devices. Its offline market share went from 23 per cent in October to 24.7 per cent in November as per the German research firm GfK.

"The growth has only made us humble as we enter 2020 with new energies. We will launch our next flagship in the popular V Series during the Indian Premier League (IPL) that will come with unmatched specifications," Nipun Marya, Director-Brand Strategy, Vivo told IANS.

Notably, India has surpassed the United States to emerge as the second-biggest smartphone market behind China. This is the first time India has gone ahead of the US.