Xiaomi, after taking the second spot in Indian market with 10.7 percent market share is now the most preferred smartphone brand in the country for users who are looking to upgrade their Android device. According to a survey conducted on the ‘next smartphone purchase,’ by Strategy Analytics, Xiaomi topped the list with 26 percent share beating the famous brands such as Samsung and Apple.
It’s not at all surprising as Xiaomi has been selling its phones with high-end specifications at killer prices and that’s exactly the reason why Xiaomi is preferred by most of the consumers in India. The report further reveals that Samsung and Apple share 12 percent share from users who are looking to upgrade their phones with newer models in India.
The Lenovo-owned company, Motorola accounted seven percent share, whereas the parent company, Lenovo has only six percent share. Interestingly, six percent of OnePlus smartphone owners are looking to upgrade their phone. Micromax users are the least ones to update their phones at just two percent.
Strategy Analytics has conducted the survey for 2000 buyers in India. Although most owners of Xiaomi looking to update their phones, the report shows that Xiaomi has less Android share than Samsung. Samsung is still leading the pack in India, but it is likely to be surpassed by Xiaomi by the end of this year.
The report further says that Xiaomi has seen a 125 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth. Flagship smartphone market in India is still bleak with only six percent out of 2000 members are using a flagship phone. More than half of the list are looking to purchase a smartphone between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000, and this is where Xiaomi’s presence is strong in India.
Nevertheless, the firm believes that Nokia’s re-entry into the Indian market will inevitably change the market again. “Clearly a pool of dissatisfaction exist which OnePlus, Xiaomi, and others are stepping in to address. With Nokia re-entering the market this month, a powerful emotive brand will be added as an option to those dissatisfied with the current status quo. Micromax, as well as Sony, LG, Lenovo, and Motorola, have cause for concern,” Kerr said in a statement. Kerr adds that it is “striking how poorly Micromax is rated in terms of purchase consideration relative to its position in the market,” says David Kerr, Senior Vice President at Strategy Analytics.
Rajeev Nair, the Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, “Xiaomi for the first time since it started operations in the Indian market was ranked among the top three vendors in Q4 2016. The vendor grew a whopping 125 percent YoY and 17 percent QoQ and captured 10 percent of market share in India in the quarter.”
Chinese brands in India are going big in India, and the market will become more competitive with the Nokia’s entry in May. HMD Global, the parent company of Nokia is said to launch the Nokia 3310, Nokia 3, Nokia 5, and Nokia 6 in India by the end of May. However, the pricing for the phones in still unknown.
