Vivo tops smartphone shipments record in Q3 '24 due to festive season

Smartphone brand vivo has reclaimed the top spot with a 19% shipment share of smartphones in the July-September quarter (Q3) 2024, followed by Xiaomi with 17%, according to Counterpoint’s monthly India smartphone tracker.

The brand maintained healthy inventory levels throughout the year, and this helped it reclaim the top spot in the Indian smartphone market with 26% YoY growth, supported by a diverse product portfolio and the successful expansion of its T series.

Driven by the ongoing trend of premiumisation, smartphone shipments (volume) in India were the highest-ever (up 3% YoY) in Q3 2024, the report said.

India’s smartphone value also surged by an impressive 12% YoY to reach an all-time record for a single quarter.

The value growth was driven by an ongoing premiumisation trend while the volume growth was driven by the earlier onset of the festive season when compared to 2023.

The report said that OEMs proactively filled channels, ensuring that retailers were well-prepared for the expected surge in sales during the festive season.

However, festive sales started at a slower pace compared to the last year.

Commenting on the market’s value dynamics, Senior Research Analyst Prachir Singh said, “The market is increasingly shifting toward value growth, fueled by a premiumisation trend, which, in turn, is supported by aggressive EMI offers and trade-ins.

Samsung currently leads the market in terms of value with a 23% share. The brand has been prioritising its flagship Galaxy S series and enhancing its value-driven portfolio. Samsung is also integrating Galaxy AI features into its mid-range and affordable premium models in the A series, encouraging consumers to upgrade to higher price segments.

Apple closely follows Samsung at the number two spot with a 22% value share. The brand has aggressively expanded into smaller cities, driving significant value growth with an increased focus on newer iPhones. Strong shipments of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 ahead of the festive season have further enhanced Apple's performance.

As consumers increasingly invest in premium smartphones, Apple has cemented its status as the top choice for premium buyers in India, supported by its aspirational image and expanding footprint, Singh shared.

Commenting on the market’s volume dynamics, Research Analyst Shubham Singh said, “During Q3 2024, several sales events were hosted by both OEMs and channels. These included parallel offline campaigns, which helped some of the OEMs clear existing inventory. This, in turn, enabled them to fill channels with multiple new launches ahead of the festive season."

Xiaomi claimed the second position with a 3% YoY growth, driven by its balanced focus across both online and offline channels.

With 41% YoY growth, OPPO emerged as the fastest-growing brand among the top five. The brand was supported by new product launches and an aggressive market strategy.

Key trends

-Nothing was the fastest-growing brand for the third successive quarter, recording an impressive 510% YoY growth in shipments in Q3 2024 and entering the top 10 for the first time. This growth was fueled by portfolio expansion, strategic market penetration, and partnerships with over 800 multi-brand outlets across more than 45 cities.

-Motorola recorded 87% YoY growth in Q3 2024, fueled by the success of budget-friendly models with a focus on CMF (color, material, finish), rising demand from smaller cities and its expanding market footprint.

-5G smartphones achieved their highest-ever share of 81% in overall shipments. In the Rs 10,001-INR 15,000 segment ($120-$240), 5G penetration reached 93%, with brands focusing on introducing 5G models in the budget segment.

-The firm expects a significant upward trend in audio-visual enhancements in smartphones, driven by features like Dolby Atmos for immersive sound, Dolby Vision for superior visual clarity and Dolby Vision recording for high dynamic range content.

-MediaTek led India’s smartphone chipset market with a 54% share. Apple led the premium segment with a 35% share, followed by Qualcomm with a 28% share.

-Within the realme portfolio, the contribution of the premium price band (>INR 30,000,~$360) increased to 6% in Q3 2024, driven by the reintroduction of the GT series this year.

-itel led the feature phone segment with a 36% share, driven by affordable pricing and a strong distribution network. itel was followed by Lava with a 26% share.