The battle for smartphone supremacy inside one of the world’s largest emerging markets for mobile is fast becoming an intense war between two of the biggest players in the game – Apple and Samsung.
As MMW reported at the close of 2012, Apple is now authorizing the use of payment plans to help prospective iPhone buyers in India acquire the devices they desire. As a result, IDC confirms that iPhone sales in India have climbed three-fold in the last quarter alone.
On Wednesday, CNN revealed that Apple has now officially emerged as India’s second largest smartphone supplier.
“In Q4, Apple has turned out to be the number two player in India. And this means that they have done a significant shift in their positioning,” explains Venu Reddy, research director at IDC.
Apple’s success has been attributed to its ability to adapt to India’s smartphone distribution market, where most electronics are sold through small, family-owned shops. Mobile phones in India are not subsidized by telecom operators, unlike other parts of the world.
Samsung, however, is still the reigning champion of smartphones in India, holding on to a 38.8% of market share in terms of revenue (Apple has 15.6% in comparison).
