Has Samsung Beaten Xiaomi To Reclaim Top Spot In Smartphone Market In India?

New Delhi: After three long years, Samsung seems to have finally regained its numero uno position in India beating Xiaomi.

The South Korean brand has captured 24 per cent of the Indian smartphone market, just ahead of the Chinese Xiaomi at 23 per cent in Q3 of 2020, according to marketing research firm Counterpoint.

However, another research firm Canalys reported that Xiaomi still holds the top position with 26.1 per cent market share as against Samsung’s 20.4 per cent.

Q3 has been good for the phone industry according to data from both research firms. Counterpoint noted that more than 53 million units were shipped during this period while Canalys said the number is about 50 million.

Samsung’s growth in sales is attributed to its recent aggressive online strategy and launch of affordable online-first M-series, according to experts.

It seems the growing anti-China sentiment because of the pandemic and border issue has left Xiaomi feeling the heat.

Meanwhile, home-grown Micromax is coming up with a new sub-brand “In”. CEO Rahul Sharma also took to Twitter, taking a jibe at Chinese phones.

Chinese smartphones currently have more than 70 per cent market share in India.

The Indian government has recently approved applications from 16 smartphone and other electronics companies for a $6.65 billion incentives programme in order to boost local manufacturing. Under the scheme, Apple’s contractor Foxconn, Samsung, Micromax and Lava have applied.