India overtakes the U.S. to become the world's second-largest smartphone market

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2016-02-04 21:22

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With over 220 million active users in 2015, India has surpassed the U.S. to become the world's second-largest smartphone market. Smartphone shipments saw a YoY increase of 15 percent during Q4 2015, with an overall growth for the year at 23 percent, crossing 100 million units.
Counterpoint Research noted that smartphone shipments accounted for more than 40 percent of all mobile sales in Q4 2015, with LTE-enabled handsets in the majority for the first time.Samsung retained its spot as the number one manufacturer in the country with a market share of 28.6 percent in the smartphone segment, and 23.6 percent overall for Q4 2015. The vendor's aggressive push into the budget and mid-tier segments was attributed to strong sales, with the Galaxy J2 being the best-selling device during the quarter.
Micromax came in second with a smartphone market share of 14.3 percent. The vendor's Yu sub-brand, which exclusively licenses Cyanogen OS in the country, has registered sales of 2 million units in 2015, offering budget LTE-enabled devices for less than $100 as well as the fully decked out Yutopia for $375.
Lenovo — including Motorola's sales figures — was the third largest smartphone vendor, with a market share of 11 percent in Q4 2015. 2016 will be an interesting year, as the established vendors are set to face an increased competition from the likes of LeTV, Vivo, Coolpad and Meizu.
The government's "Make in India" initiative is also bearing fruit, with nearly half of all devices sold in Q4 2015 assembled locally. More than twenty manufacturers — international and local — have set up facilities to assemble handsets in the country.