Samsung saw a sharp 19.4% drop in sales in India in 2024, while Apple made a significant leap by entering the top five smartphone brands for the first time, according to a report by IDC. Samsung, which had secured the second spot in market share in 2023, saw its share decline from 17.0% to 13.2% in 2024. Meanwhile, Vivo, the Chinese smartphone maker, surged to the top, claiming the number one spot with a 16.6% market share, up from 15.2% in the previous year. Vivo’s impressive 13.9% year-over-year growth highlights its growing appeal among Indian consumers.
OPPO and Xiaomi also maintained strong positions in the market, each holding 12.0% of the market share in 2024. OPPO saw substantial growth of 21.0%, while Xiaomi’s sales remained nearly flat with a marginal 0.2% increase. Experts attribute Samsung's decline to the intense competition from Chinese brands like Vivo, OPPO, and Xiaomi, which continue to offer feature-packed devices at highly competitive prices.
Overall, India’s smartphone market grew by 4% year-over-year (YoY), with shipments reaching 151 million units. A strong first half with 7% growth helped compensate for slower growth in the second half, which saw a 2% increase. After five consecutive quarters of growth, the market experienced a cyclical dip in 4Q24, shipping 36 million units, a decline of 3%.
“The vendors and channel partners continued to provide price cuts, discounts, and extended device warranties in the post-festive period in 4Q24. While financing options were available across price segments, its impact was more pronounced in mid-range and premium devices throughout the year, with the ‘No Cost EMIs’ for up to 24 months being most popular,” said Upasana Joshi, senior research manager, Devices Research, IDC Asia Pacific.
2024 was a landmark year for Apple, as India became its fourth-largest market after the USA, China, and Japan. Shipments reached a record 12 million units, marking a remarkable 35% YoY growth. In 4Q24, Apple broke into the top five brands in India for the first time, securing a 10% market share. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 13 were the most shipped models during the quarter, together accounting for 6% of total shipments.
The average selling price (ASP) of smartphones reached a new high of $259 in 2024, reflecting a 2% YoY growth, though it was significantly lower than the double-digit increases seen in the previous three years. The entry-premium segment ($200–400) saw the highest growth, with a 35.3% YoY increase and a 28% market share, up from 21% in 2023. The premium segment ($600–800) also grew by 34.9%, with its share rising to 4% from 3%. Key models driving growth in these segments included the iPhone 15, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and Samsung’s Galaxy S23/S24. Both Apple and Samsung saw increased market share, thanks to strong sales of previous-generation models.
India saw the shipment of 120 million 5G smartphones in 2024, representing a significant 79% of the total smartphone market, up from 55% in 2023. However, 5G smartphone ASPs declined by 19% YoY, reaching US$303. The mass-budget segment ($100–200) saw the most remarkable growth, with shipments almost doubling and capturing a 47% market share. The most shipped 5G models in 2024 included the Xiaomi Redmi 13C, Apple iPhone 15, Vivo Y28, Apple iPhone 13, and Vivo T3X.
Shipments through both offline and online channels grew by 4% YoY, with market share remaining almost equal: 51% for offline and 49% for online in 2024. Samsung continued to lead in the online channel, while Apple rose to the fourth position, with the iPhone 15 emerging as the highest-shipped smartphone online. In the offline channel, Vivo maintained its dominance, while OPPO and Xiaomi climbed to second and third places, respectively.
Feature phones saw a decline of 11% YoY, with 54 million units shipped in 2024. Transsion maintained its leadership in this segment with a 30% market share, followed by Nokia and Lava. Overall, the mobile phone market saw a slight 1% annualdrop, with 205 million units shipped across all categories