Apple saw strong iPhone sales in India in Q4 of 2021. A new report suggests the tech giant appears to have earned more smartphone revenue in the country than competitors like Samsung and Xiaomi. In addition, Apple saw a rise of 34% in iPhone sales which it has not witnessed in previous quarters.
Apple witnessed strong iPhone sales in India in Q4 2021
In 2018, the company’s market share in India was said to have been as low as 1%. In 2020, Counterpoint and Cybermedia reported that Apple’s market share in India increased to 4% by the end of the year due to strong demand for older iPhones like the iPhone 11 and iPhone XR. But, that seems to be changing. It is important to note that iPhone sales in India are still low enough that they are mentioned in the “Others” category in a report published by Counterpoint Research.
Xiaomi led the market with a 24% shipment share.The brand also reached its highest ever share in the premium segment (>INR 30,000, ~$400) with 258% YoY growth. Samsung registered its highest ever retail ASP in 2021. The brand led the INR 20,000-INR 45,000 (~$267-$600) price segment with a 28% share. OnePlus registered its highest ever shipments in India in 2021 and led the affordable premium segment (INR 30,000-INR 45,000, ~$400-$600). vivo led the 5G smartphone shipments in 2021 with a 19% share. Among the top five brands in 2021, realme was the fastest growing brand. It captured the second position in Q4 2021 for the first time.
Apple shipped about 2.3 million units in the fourth quarter of 2021, while Samsung sold 7.2 million phones. Xiaomi dominated the list by shipping a total of 9.3 million units. The tech giant performed particularly well in the premium smartphone market, defined as 30,000 rupees and up (around $400).
Apple was one of the fastest growing brands in 2021 with 108% YoY growth in shipments. It maintained its lead in the premium segment, with a 44% share. Aggressive offers during the festive season, strong demand for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 and increased ‘Make in India’ capabilities drove high growth. We expect strong momentum for Apple in 2022 as well with increased manufacturing and retail footprint.
“It’s a turning point for Apple in India,” said Neil Shah, the Mumbai-based partner, and research head at Counterpoint Technology Market Research. “Indians were willing to lavish money on premium phones during the pandemic because everyone’s lives revolved around their devices and there was nothing else to spend on.”
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