India’s 5G rollout stands out globally in bridging coverage gap: GSMA
Almost 750 million additional people were covered by 5G in 2023 and more than half of that was due to rollouts by operators in India alone, a new GSMA report said on Wednesday.
India’s 5G smartphone market share increased to 77 per cent in the second quarter (Q2) — up from 49 per cent in the same quarter last year — while the average selling price declined by 22 per cent to $293 (about Rs 24,000), a report said on Tuesday. Nearly 27 million 5G smartphones were shipped in the April-June quarter.
The Indian smartphone market shipped 69 million smartphones in the first half of 2024, with 7.2 per cent growth YoY (year-over-year), according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). In Q2, the market shipped 35 million smartphones, with growth of 3.2 per cent YoY.
The report said that although it is the fourth consecutive quarter of YoY shipment growth, muted consumer demand and rising average selling prices (ASPs) continue to restrict swift annual recovery.
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“Apart from old inventory clearance in the first half of the quarter, vendors also started to launch new smartphones, especially in the mid-premium/premium segment (mostly China-based vendors) from mid-quarter onwards, for monsoon sales in July and August,” said Upasana Joshi, Senior Research Manager, Devices Research, IDC India.
The entry-level (sub-$100) segment witnessed a strong decline of 36 per cent YoY to 14 per cent share, down from 22 per cent a year ago. Xiaomi continued to lead this space, followed by Poco and realme.
Shipments to the mass budget (above $100 and below $200) segment grew by 8 per cent YoY. The top 3 brands were Xiaomi, realme and vivo, making up 60 per cent of this segment.
According to the report, the premium segment held 2 per cent share and declined by 37 per cent in unit terms. Key models were the iPhone 13, Galaxy S23FE, iPhone 12 and OnePlus12. Apple’s share increased YoY to 61 per cent, while Samsung’s share increased to 24 per cent, from 21 per cent a year ago.
In Q2, shipments to online channels grew by 8 per cent YoY, and its share increased to 50 per cent in Q2 compared to 47 per cent in Q2 2023.
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