Apple had its strongest quarter yet for iPhone sales in India, a sign that the Cupertino, California-based company is finally making strides into the world’s fastest-growing smartphone market.
Sales rose to 2.3 million units in the fourth quarter, up 34 percent from a year ago, according to data from a market research firm. competition, of china Xiaomi and South Korea samsung 9.3 million and 7.2 million smartphones were sold for the quarter, respectively, leading in terms of units.
Apple It appears to have generated more revenue than any of its rivals, however, due to iPhone The high price tag of the handset as per Counterpoint’s calculations. The US company took an estimated $2.09 billion (approximately Rs 15,651 crore) for the quarter, superseding Samsung with revenue of around $2 billion (approximately Rs 14,976 crore).
“This is a turning point for Apple in India,” said Neil Shah, Mumbai-based partner and head of research at Counterpoint Technology Market Research. “Indians were willing to spend money on premium phones during the pandemic as everyone’s life revolved around their devices and there was nothing else to spend.”
Apple iPhone sales in India
photo credit: bloomberg
While Apple has become the world’s most valuable company on the popularity of its iPhone, it has struggled in the 1.3 billion-person India market. Pricey iPhone hansets are far out of reach for many local consumers, a situation exacerbated by harsh import duties Apple had to pay on devices made outside the country.
In 2018, the company stumbled through several top-level executive departures in the country, declining sales and upsetting retail partners who opposed its online discounting practices. Apple sold 1.8 million iPhone units for the full year, down from the most recent quarter.
Since then, however, the technology giant has almost made a face in the strategy. It has opened its own India online store, streamlined discounts, and started local manufacturing of iPhone handsets. The company is planning to open company-owned retail outlets in several cities in the coming quarters.
Recently, during the period October to December, India’s festive shopping and gifting season, the phone maker has reduced its original price to Rs. iphone 12 Models under Rs. 50,000, offering cashback incentives and easy payment plans.
According to World Bank data, in a country where per capita income in 2020 was less than $2,000 (about Rs 1.49 lakh), Apple is still a tough sell. According to Counterpoint, the average selling price of iPhones in the country in the recent quarter was $908 (approximately Rs.68,000), while Samsung’s was $278 (roughly Rs.20,800) and Xiaomi’s was $172 (around Rs.12,900).
While Apple’s market share has climbed, it remains in the single digits for the quarter at just over 5 percent. Indians bought 44 million smartphones in this period.
The market has challenges beyond price. Apple Manufacturing Partners, Foxconn And PythonThere has been a setback in India due to its treatment of workers. The US company took the unusual step of putting a Foxconn factory on probation near the south Indian city of Chennai after protests over food safety and housing standards.
In addition, the country’s antitrust regulator, Competition Commission of Indiahas started investigating App Store fees.
,