‘At Sea’ With Communication: India Sets Record In Smartphone Shipments; 44 Million Units Sold Across Country In Q2

According to a new report by Counterpoint Research, Business Standard has reported that smartphone sales in India increased by 5 per cent in Q2, reaching an all-time high of over 44 million. It also observed that the smartphone market in India grew by 24 per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis.

"The record shipments happened at a time when the Indian rupee has hit a record low against the US Dollar," Counterpoint Research Analyst Anshika Jain told CNBC. Though many smartphone companies have started assembling phones in India, they still import the components from China.

The report also notes that over half of the total handsets sold in the country were smartphones. While Chinese smartphone, Xiaomi, held on to its top position in the pecking order with a market share of 27 per cent, it is followed by the Korean mobile giant, Samsung (23 per cent). Vivo, Micromax and OPPO occupied the next few spots.

Interestingly, the report also stated that Indians are buying more expensive smartphones with $150-250 (~Rs 11,000 - Rs. 18,000) segment, accounting for over a third of the total shipments in the quarter. In the premium category, OnePlus 6 retained its best-selling tag, overpowering pricier models by Samsung and Apple.

India recently surpassed the US to become the second largest smartphone market in the world. In August of this year, Chinese smartphone-maker, Huawei overtook California-based Apple, as the world’s second largest vendor of smartphones. It still trails Samsung in global shipments.