Despite the COVID-19 pandemic impact, smartphone makers Samsung, Realme, and Xiaomi have reported robust shipments to the Indian smartphone market during Q4 2021, say the statistics released by Cybermedia Research (CMR).
According to Cybermedia Research, Samsung recorded a shipment of smartphones worth $2 billion in Q4 2021. While Xiaomi shipped smartphones worth $1.7 billion, Realme reported a shipment of value $1.1 billion in the same period. Compared to last year, the overall market shipments grew 11%, with 166 million units by the end of the calendar year 2021. The smartphone market revenue reached $37 billion.
CMR attributed the success of the smartphone market to the advent of 5G technology. According to the statistics released, 5G’s contribution to the smartphone market increased to 17% in 2021. 5G shipments showed a 43% increase in smartphones of the medium price segment, ranging from Rs 7000 to Rs 24999.
In terms of shipments, Xiaomi dominated the market in the quarter with a 21% market share, followed by Realme with 17%. Samsung reported a market share of 16% in the last quarter. Xiaomi’s 5G smartphone shipments grew 76% Q-o-Q, primarily due to the launch of Xiaomi 11 series smartphones in the quarter. In Samsung, 33% of smartphones shipped in the quarter were 5G capable.
Premium Smartphone Shipments Witness a Surge
Apple is another top smartphone that made a fortune in 2021, with the company reporting a shipment growth of 31% year on year. Among the super-premium segment (smartphones of price range Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000), Apple occupied 81% market share. Apple reported $5 billion in revenue in the calendar year 2021.
OnePlus reported a decline in the shipment of about 9% year-on-year, primarily due to the increasing competition in the premium smartphone segment. Less than 40% of OnePlus’s market was accounted for by OnePlus Nord 2 smartphone, which also became the top-selling model in the premium segment.
The shipments of smartphone brands such as Itel, Tecno and Infinix, coming under the umbrella group Transsion, declined 5% year on year. It is interesting to note that the shipments of affordable smartphones have declined, while the premium smartphones registered a growth.
CMR estimated that smartphone shipments would grow 15-18% in CY 2022 and reach 190 million units. The 5G smartphone shipment would alone grow to 64 million units.
