Smartphone shipments in India slips by 3% in Q3 2023

Robust sales were reported for Samsung’s Galaxy S23 series and Apple’s iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 series, driven by attractive online sales promotions during the festive season. However, research analyst firm Canalys has noted that in India, smartphone shipments for the July-September period (Q3) of 2023 experienced a 3% year-on-year (YoY) decline. On a global scale, the smartphone market too has been steadily contracting since the beginning of 2023, mainly attributed to adverse macroeconomic conditions. Nevertheless, there are currently indications of the market stabilizing.

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New Delhi, October 20th: In new report launched by a research firm reveals that smartphone shipments in India during the third quarter of 2023 saw a 3% YoY decline. Despite this drop, mobile brand Samsung has maintained its lead in the Indian smartphone market, shipping 7.9 million units and holding an 18% market share.

According to the analyst firm, Canalys, Samsung is in the dominant position which can be attributed to the successful launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S23 series earlier in this year. This has led to significant growth of the company in the domestic market. Smartphone brand Xiaomi secured the second spot in the market, with other Chinese smartphone brands like Vivo, Realme, and Oppo following closely in the top five rankings. As India gears up for upcoming festival sales and with an improvement in consumer confidence, the smartphone market is expected to see positive growth in the months ahead.

Canalys’ latest report further states, smartphone shipments in India for the third quarter of 2023 amounted to 43 million units, reflecting a 3% decline in y-o-y shipments.

In keeping with historical trends, Samsung maintained its stronghold in Q3 with a 7.9 million unit shipment and an 18% market share. Xiaomi secured the second position by shipping 7.6 million units, capturing 21% of the market share, largely driven by the release of its budget-friendly 5G models. Vivo claimed the third spot with 7.2 million units shipped and a 16% market share. Realme and Oppo, both subsidiaries of BBK, followed in the fourth and fifth spots, respectively. Realme shipped 5.8 million units, securing a 14% market share, while Oppo shipped 4.4 million units, earning a 12% market share.

The high-end smartphone category experienced strong expansion in the previous quarter, according to the report. Canalys predicts that the combination of growing consumer confidence and the introduction of new smartphone models will likely contribute to a gradual recovery in the market.