5G smartphones shipment grew in India by 6x in 2021 as compared to 2020 and contributed to about 17% of the total smartphone shipments in the country, shared Counterpoint Research in a report. As the competition in the market intensifies amongst the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and more 5G smartphone options are available at declining prices, the growth of 5G smartphone shipments will rise further. In the last six months alone, the cost of entry-level 5G smartphones has come down by 40%, which is a huge decline. This is one of the contributing reasons to the adoption of more 5G devices in India.
India Witnessed Highest Ever Smartphone Shipments in 2021
As per Counterpoint Research, India witnessed its highest-ever smartphone shipments in 2021. The total shipments crossed 169 million units in 2021, which helped India register an 11% growth in smartphone shipments. Despite the widespread of COVID-19 in the first two-quarters of CY21, there was a lot of resistance from the consumers, and even though the price of the components and most smartphones went up, Indians kept on purchasing new devices.
More Indians Want Better Smartphone Experience
According to the data shared by Counterpoint Research, 47% of the market share in smartphone shipments was for devices priced between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000. The market share of smartphone shipments for devices priced under Rs 10,000 fell by 5% YoY, which signifies that Indian users don’t just want a 4G smartphone for the sake of having one, but they also want a good experience.
Further, there was close to a 100% YoY gain in shipments for both the category of devices priced between - a) Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 and b) more than Rs 30,000. This is also proof of the fact that Indians are spending more and more on their smartphones as years pass by, and this is an encouraging sign for the OEMs as well as Smartphone manufacturers and assemblers. The shipments of 5G devices is expected to grow further in 2022.
