Everything seems to be going right for Samsung since the launch of the Galaxy S7 and the S7 edge. It has sold more than 10 million premium phones in the month of march and is set for a rare profit growth this quarter.
The fight in the smartphone industry is now shifting from U.S. and china to India. neither Samsung nor Apple wants to grant the other even an inch of space. But India is a smartphone market where Samsung reigns supremacy. Apple is a brand name synonymous with the premium smartphone buyers. However, that has changed last year according to the analytical team at Cybermedia Research.
There was a total of 96.4 million smartphones sold in the sub-continent region and 3.3 million among them were premium smartphone that were sold at a price of more than 30,000 inr. Samsung captured a share of 46% in this segment and Apple has a share of 44%. Sony held its position with 3% of the total sales.
There are various reasons for this shift in the mind-set of the premium consumers in India. Apple has priced its products significantly higher when compared to the other region pricing. The iPhone 6s started at 62,000 inr which is beyond the reach for most buyers.
Samsung on the other has been significant pushing its brand into the premium smartphone segment. The Galaxy S6 and S6 edge stared at a reasonable 50,000 and 59,000 inr respectively. The street price is even lower. At least 10,000 inr. Samsung has also introduced a slew of offers to move the units off shelves and that seems to have done the trick.
But Apple is not letting its guard down. It has introduced a cheaper iPhone SE and also plans to import used iPhones that can be sold for as low as 15,000 inr.
“This is an encouraging indicator that the premium segment is exhibiting such growth. As the Indian market moves from a volume game to value market, premium segment becomes significant for the industry where you sell lesser units for higher value,” said Faisal Kawoosa, Lead Analyst Telecoms, CMR. “To mark the next level of growth, the India Mobile Handset brands need to leverage the premium segment as the unit’s market shrinks.”
The only winner in this war is the mobile consumers who stand to gain more and more as the manufacturers fight for their attention.
