India’s smartphone sector grew by 1% in 2023 after an abysmal 2022, Apple led premium segment shows IDC report

The Indian smartphone market grew only by 1% YoY in 2023, with shipments reaching 146 million units. Albeit only a small uptick, it is a positive sign as 2022 saw a 10.3% YoY decline. Apple led the premium segment in 2023, whereas Samsung’s shipment fell by over 5.5%

According to the latest report by the International Data Corporation (IDC), the Indian smartphone market experienced only a slight uptick in 2023, with shipments reaching 146 million units, marking a nominal growth of 1 per cent compared to the previous year. This comes as a positive turn following a 10.2 per cent decline in shipments witnessed in 2022, when the market recorded 144.3 million units.

The IDC report highlights that the modest increase in 2023 can be attributed to an 11 per cent growth observed in the second half of the year, driven by the introduction of several new smartphone models into the market.

Apple takes the crown
One notable highlight from the IDC findings is the exceptional performance of Apple in India in 2023. Despite its devices boasting one of the highest average selling prices, standing at $940 (approximately Rs 78,000), the tech giant managed to ship 9 million units throughout the year.

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This success was attributed to the popularity of the iPhone 14 series and Apple’s commitment to participating in the Make in India initiative, alongside the ongoing demand for previous-generation iPhone models. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 secured positions among the top 5 models shipped annually.

Samsung sees 5 per cent YoY decline
In contrast, Samsung, while maintaining its position as the leading performer in terms of smartphone shipments, experienced a 5 per cent year-on-year decline in numbers.

Foldables on the rise, 5G goes mainstream
The report also highlights the growing popularity of foldable phones, with nearly a million units shipped in 2023, primarily led by Samsung. Despite a slight decrease in market dominance to 73 per cent, the foldable phone market is seeing increased competition from newcomers such as Motorola, Tecno, OnePlus, and OPPO.

Additionally, the demand for 5G smartphones surged, with 79 million units shipped in 2023. Notably, the mass budget segment accounted for 35 per cent of all 5G phone sales. The most shipped 5G smartphone models included the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14, Samsung’s Galaxy A14, Vivo’s T2x, and Xiaomi’s Redmi12.

The SoC of choice
Regarding the chipset market, MediaTek emerged as a dominant force, capturing 50 per cent of the smartphone market share, marking a 6 per cent increase from the previous year. MediaTek-based models such as Vivo’s T2x, Xiaomi’s Redmi A2, and Realme’s C55 gained significant traction. Meanwhile, Qualcomm witnessed a slight decline, with its market share dropping to 25 per cent.

Segment-Specific Insights
The IDC report also delves into segment-specific trends, revealing intriguing developments across various price brackets. The entry-level segment, comprising phones priced under Rs 10,000, witnessed a rise in market share, accounting for 20 per cent of all sales, up from 18 per cent in the previous year. Xiaomi continues to dominate this segment, closely followed by POCO and Samsung.

However, the mass budget category, spanning phones priced between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000, experienced a dip, dropping to 44 per cent market share from 51 per cent in the previous year. Vivo, Realme, and Samsung emerged as key players in this segment, collectively securing over half of the market share.

In the higher price brackets, the entry-premium range (Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000) remained stable at 21 per cent market share, with Vivo and OnePlus leading the pack. Sales in the mid-premium segment (Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000) surged by 27 per cent, with OnePlus maintaining its dominance followed closely by Samsung and Vivo.

The premium and super-premium segments witnessed significant growth, particularly in the super-premium range (phones priced above Rs 60,000), which saw an 86 per cent increase in sales. iPhones continued to dominate this segment, closely trailed by Samsung.

The Indian smartphone market grew only by 1% YoY in 2023, with shipments reaching 146 million units. Albeit only a small uptick, it is a positive sign as 2022 saw a 10.3% YoY decline. Apple led the premium segment in 2023, whereas Samsung’s shipment fell by over 5.5%

According to the latest report by the International Data Corporation (IDC), the Indian smartphone market experienced only a slight uptick in 2023, with shipments reaching 146 million units, marking a nominal growth of 1 per cent compared to the previous year. This comes as a positive turn following a 10.2 per cent decline in shipments witnessed in 2022, when the market recorded 144.3 million units.

The IDC report highlights that the modest increase in 2023 can be attributed to an 11 per cent growth observed in the second half of the year, driven by the introduction of several new smartphone models into the market.

Apple takes the crown
One notable highlight from the IDC findings is the exceptional performance of Apple in India in 2023. Despite its devices boasting one of the highest average selling prices, standing at $940 (approximately Rs 78,000), the tech giant managed to ship 9 million units throughout the year.

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This success was attributed to the popularity of the iPhone 14 series and Apple’s commitment to participating in the Make in India initiative, alongside the ongoing demand for previous-generation iPhone models. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 secured positions among the top 5 models shipped annually.

Samsung sees 5 per cent YoY decline
In contrast, Samsung, while maintaining its position as the leading performer in terms of smartphone shipments, experienced a 5 per cent year-on-year decline in numbers.

Foldables on the rise, 5G goes mainstream
The report also highlights the growing popularity of foldable phones, with nearly a million units shipped in 2023, primarily led by Samsung. Despite a slight decrease in market dominance to 73 per cent, the foldable phone market is seeing increased competition from newcomers such as Motorola, Tecno, OnePlus, and OPPO.

Additionally, the demand for 5G smartphones surged, with 79 million units shipped in 2023. Notably, the mass budget segment accounted for 35 per cent of all 5G phone sales. The most shipped 5G smartphone models included the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14, Samsung’s Galaxy A14, Vivo’s T2x, and Xiaomi’s Redmi12.

The SoC of choice
Regarding the chipset market, MediaTek emerged as a dominant force, capturing 50 per cent of the smartphone market share, marking a 6 per cent increase from the previous year. MediaTek-based models such as Vivo’s T2x, Xiaomi’s Redmi A2, and Realme’s C55 gained significant traction. Meanwhile, Qualcomm witnessed a slight decline, with its market share dropping to 25 per cent.

Segment-Specific Insights
The IDC report also delves into segment-specific trends, revealing intriguing developments across various price brackets. The entry-level segment, comprising phones priced under Rs 10,000, witnessed a rise in market share, accounting for 20 per cent of all sales, up from 18 per cent in the previous year. Xiaomi continues to dominate this segment, closely followed by POCO and Samsung.

However, the mass budget category, spanning phones priced between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000, experienced a dip, dropping to 44 per cent market share from 51 per cent in the previous year. Vivo, Realme, and Samsung emerged as key players in this segment, collectively securing over half of the market share.

In the higher price brackets, the entry-premium range (Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000) remained stable at 21 per cent market share, with Vivo and OnePlus leading the pack. Sales in the mid-premium segment (Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000) surged by 27 per cent, with OnePlus maintaining its dominance followed closely by Samsung and Vivo.

The premium and super-premium segments witnessed significant growth, particularly in the super-premium range (phones priced above Rs 60,000), which saw an 86 per cent increase in sales. iPhones continued to dominate this segment, closely trailed by Samsung.