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A new report from research firm Counterpoint Research reveals that Indians prefer Samsung smartphones over Apple this festive season.
It is an important season in every market as customers are expected to spend on devices for gifts. According to a study on Indian customers planning to purchase new smartphones, 31% said they would upgrade to the latest technology. This complements the 42% of the respondents planning to opt for premium models this year. That could translate to big sales for Samsung’s S23 line and Apple’s iPhone 15 series in the coming months in India. However, if the study’s results are to be followed, the former would likely gain more sales.
In its data, 33% of Indian customers chose Samsung as their most preferred smartphone brand, while Apple only garnered 18%. The two are followed by Xiaomi and OnePlus, with 11% and 10% shares, respectively. According to the firm, the RAM (9%), the processor (14%), and availability of the 5G mobile network (18%) are the top specifications the participants considered in the study.
The results are part of Counterpoint’s research to identify the most preferred smartphone purchase channel in India’s market, which is dominated by online purchasing. The study has found that 40% of Indians are considering buying their new smartphones online, with 48% of the participants choosing Amazon as their top online platform. Meanwhile, 14% of the responders said they would buy the new units offline, while 46% considered doing it either way.
Both brands have an offline and online presence in India, so Indian customers should be able to have access to the brands’ smartphone offerings this season. However, compared to Samsung, Apple might find it more challenging to attend to the demands this season.
According to previous reports, while the wait times for the iPhone 15 orders are improving, India has been facing issues with iPhone 15 orders. Tamil Nadu-based newspaper outlet The Hindu reported that before September ended, iPhone 15 series unavailability issues were observed offline, online, and at Apple’s physical stores. The report’s sources claimed this greatly affected iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models.
