Sony overtakes Apple to emerge second largest smartphone brand in India

Sony has overtaken ace rival Apple to emerge the second largest smartphone complete in Asian country in worth sales, thanks mostly to its strategy to specialise in the Rs ten,000-20,000 smartphone house, backed by Rs 300-crore selling pay.

                                                   

According to latest knowledge from market huntsman IDC, the japanese physics major garnered nine.1% worth share within the Indian smartphone market within the October-December quarter of 2013 against Apple's seven-membered share. Samsung dominated the market with forty third worth share.

IDC Asian country senior analyst Manasi Yadav aforementioned Sony's robust positioning within the mid-tier smartphone house of Rs ten,000-20,000 value band has delivered results for the corporate. "Some of the highest commercialism models for Sony square measure Xperia M twin and Xperia C priced during this bracket, that is one in all the quickest growing segments within the Indian smartphone market," Yadav aforementioned.

The chief operating officer of a number one quality device distributor aforementioned Apple lost out since it withdrew its largest commercialism model, iPhone4, from Asian country as a world call thereby vacating the sweet spot ofRs twenty,000 evaluation. "While this loss of sales prompted Apple to relaunch iPhone four yet again in Asian country in Jan, sales haven't picked up since it's not the least bit defrayal on selling or providing any redemption provide and even the initial high spirits around iPhone 5s has sobered down," the person aforementioned.

Analysts, however, aforementioned Sony's share within the smartphone market might have softened within the January-March quarter, with Nokia venturing into mechanical man phones with its sharply priced X series, Apple relaunching iPhone four and Micromax rolling out a replacement vary of Canvas phones. IDC can unleash its figures for the January-March quarter in might or June.

India is one in all the rare markets outside Japan wherever Sony has achieved major success within the smartphones. Kenichiro Hibi, decision maker at Sony Asian country, aforementioned the company's smartphone business has earned similar revenues as its flagship tv business within the business enterprise terminated March thirty one. the 2 businesses contributed around seventieth to the company's turnover of regarding Rs ten,000 large integer throughout the year.

"However, smartphone business can overtake tv business in sales this year," Hibi told ET. "For us, each tv and smartphone are the most pillars to continue the pace of growth in Asian country," he said.

Hibi aforementioned the corporate is poised to more grow its share this business enterprise with flagship Xperia Z2 prepared for launch this quarter. "The smartphone business doubled in last one year that diode to twenty growth in overall sales in 2013-14. we have a tendency to expect to grow at an analogous pace this business enterprise additionally to the touch Rs twelve,000 large integer sales," he said.

Indian brands like Micromax, Karbonn and volcanic rock have notched up vital share within the smartphone volume sales. whereas Samsung had thirty eighth market share by unit sales within the October-December quarter, Micromax is second with thirteen share. Sony's volume share was 5.5% where as Apple's was 2%.