Smartphone sales in Republic of India up threefold in 2013

Smartphone sales within the country grew nearly threefold to over forty four million in 2013, buoyed by a robust uptake of cheap devices created by native corporations like Micromax and Karbonn, analysis firm IDC aforementioned.

Smartphone shipments stood at sixteen.2 million in two012. "India was one in all the fastest-growing countries worldwide in terms of smartphone adoption in 2013. This surge has been in the main hopped-up by native vendors, that have shown an amazing and consistent growth over the past four quarters of 2013," IDC aforementioned during a statement.

Korean player Samsung maintained its leadership with a thirty eighth share of the Indian smartphone market, followed by Micromax (16%), Karbonn (10%), Sony (5%) and volcanic rock (4.7%) in this autumn 2013.

There was an interesting migration from feature phones to smartphones last year, primarily due to the narrowing value gaps between the 2 product classes, it added.

Overall mobile shipments within the country rose eighteen to regarding 257 million units in 2013 from 218 million units within the previous year.

"Growth within the smartphone phase is anticipated to outmatch the phone market growth for the predictable future. The end-user shift towards mid-to-high screen size merchandise are amplified by the declining costs and availableness of feature-rich localized product offerings," it said.

In the overall phone market, Samsung was the market leader with a nineteen share in this autumn 2013, followed by Micromax (13%), Nokia (12%), Karbonn (10%) and volcanic rock (6%).

In the October-December 2013, vendors shipped fifteen.06 million smartphones compared with five.35 million in this autumn 2012. There was a spike in smartphone shipments by smaller domestic vendors like volcanic rock and Intex within the quarter.

"Growth within the smartphone market is being propelled by the launch of low-end, value competitive devices by international and native vendors that ar additional narrowing the value gaps that exist between feature phones and smartphones," IDC Republic of India senior analyst Manasi Yadav aforementioned.

International vendors have understood the importance of making a various portfolio of devices at varied value points and ar endeavour to launch value competitive devices that cater to each phase within the audience, IDC Republic of India analysis manager Kiran Kumar aforementioned.

Phablets (smartphones with screen sizes between 5-inch and half-dozen.99-inch) accounted for regarding two hundredth of the market in this autumn.

The overall mobile market (feature and good phones) stood at sixty seven.83 million units in this autumn 2013, up 16 PF year-on-year.