Smartphone Penetration Still Low in India
With the global smartphone market stagnating, phone makers from Korea and China are focusing on the Indian market which continues its upward curve. China's Xiaomi has been in the top position since last year, while Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are seeking to overtake the front runner by launching smartphone models customized for users in India.
Samsung Electronics posted a market share of 22.7 percent in the first quarter of this year against Xiaomi’s 30.1 percent. The company is looking to increase its market share as the ultra-low-priced Galaxy M series released earlier this year is gaining popularity.
The Galaxy M10, 20 and 30 were ranked fifth, second and seventh, respectively, in the Indian online market sales as of April this year. In addition, the company plans to release the Galaxy M40.
LG Electronics, which has not been big on the Indian market, will also launch the India-customized W series for the first time. The new W10 is equipped with a triple camera and a water drop notch.
Xiaomi, the leading player in the Indian smartphone market, announced that it will update Google's Android 9 pie for its Redmi 6 Pro, which was launched in India last September. The Redmi 6 Pro is the third most popular model in the Indian online market as of April. Four of the top 10 popular models, including the number one Redmi 6A, come from Xiaomi.
Chinese company Vivo, which ranks third in the Indian market with a share of 13.3 percent, is also planning to launch the new Z-series model Z1 Pro in India. The Z1 Pro is Vivo’s first model targeting the online market dominated by Samsung Electronics and Xiaomi. Vivo plans to launch the Z1 Pro in the third quarter.
Domestic and Chinese companies are all attracted to the Indian market because of its 1.4 billion population. According to market research firm Strategy Analytics, the smartphone penetration rate in India was only 25.4 percent last year. This means that there remain at least one billion potential customers in India.