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India ranked Apple’s fifth biggest iPhone market in the second quarter of 2023. A separate report shows that the biggest contributor to this success is the company’s iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 series.
According to a report from CyberMedia Research (via ET Telecom), the last two series of Apple made huge great contributions to the Cupertino company’s success in the country during the second quarter. The report shows that Apple saw up to 70% year-on-year growth in its iPhone shipments in India in the said timeframe.
The report adds that iPhone 13 is the top contributor to sales in India, owning 52% of the share. It was followed by the iPhone 14 lineup with a 45% share. Meanwhile, iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 reportedly contributed only 1% and 2% shares, respectively.
This trend in the Indian market is different from the preferences of consumers from other markets. For instance, in a recent report by IDC Japan, Japanese buyers reportedly had a stronger preference for iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and third-generation iPhone SE over the newer iPhone 14 line. Meanwhile, Wave7 Research’s report underscored the growing popularity of the iPhone 11 in the US, describing it as “central to prepaid Apple sales.”
Regardless of this trend, the growth of iPhone shares in India is good news for Apple. As noted in our last report, iPhone is still an underdog in the Indian market despite the brand’s popularity in Western countries. India’s market is home to several smartphone brands, with Chinese brands dominating it. According to the current StatCounter data, Apple only owns 3.92% of India’s mobile market, with Xiaomi being at the top at 21.76%. The list is followed by Vivo (17.39%), Samsung (14.35%), Realme (13.03%), Oppo (1.92%), and unknown brands (6.27%).
On a positive note, there’s a chance that Apple’s number will improve in the future. According to the recent Counterpoint Research report, there’s an indication that the premium smartphone section in the Indian market is growing. This could be the chance for Apple to further boost its iPhone sales in India, especially now that the company finally opened its first physical stores in India: the Apple BKC in Mumbai and Apple Saket in Delhi.
Apple’s plan to bring some of its iPhone manufacturing deals to India is also expected to help the brand better attract Indian customers. Foxconn is reportedly expanding its business in the country by buying equipment from Apple. The country is also set to have its first local company to handle an iPhone assembly business, with the Tata Group in the process of taking over Wistron’s iPhone factory in the southern Karnataka state.