Apple witnessed a record number of unit shipments in India in 2024, according to a report by a market research firm. Overall, smartphone shipments in India grew four percent year-over-year (YoY) in 2024, reaching a total of 151 million units. The growth was reportedly a result of a strong first-half performance with a seven percent growth, which compensated for a slower two percent growth in the second half. The report also stated that shipments to offline and online channels respectively grew by four percent YoY, at par with the overall growth.
Indian Smartphone Shipments Witness 4 Percent Growth YoY in 2024
According to an International Data Corporation (IDC) report, the YoY reduced smartphone shipments growth in 2024 was the result of a cyclical dip in the fourth quarter of the year, where 36 million units were shipped, posting a decline of three percent. Despite the four percent growth, the average selling price (ASP) of handsets reached a new high of $259 (roughly Rs. 22,470) in the previous year.
The entry premium segment of $200 to $400 (roughly Rs. 17,350 to Rs. 34,700) grew by 35.3 percent YoY in 2024 and occupied a 28 percent share of the market, up from 21 percent in 2023. On the other hand, the premium segment of $600 to $800 (roughly Rs. 52,000 to Rs. 69,400) grew 34.9 percent, with a marginal rise in market share from three percent in 2023 to four percent in 2024. The key models in this segment were the iPhone 15, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, Samsung Galaxy S23, and Samsung Galaxy S24.
IDC also highlighted that 120 million 5G smartphones were shipped last year, posting an increase in share from 55 percent in 2023 to 79 percent in 2024. Interestingly, the ASP of 5G handsets declined by 19 percent YoY to $303 (roughly Rs. 26,300). Some of the most shipped 5G handsets include the Redmi 13C, iPhone 15, Vivo Y28, iPhone 13, and Vivo T3X.
Coming to individual brands, Vivo surpassed Samsung to take the top position with 16.6 percent of the Indian smartphone market share in 2024. Overall, Nothing posted the highest growth, followed by Motorola and iQOO.
Apple witnessed a strong performance in 2024, reaching a record shipment of 12 million units in the country. It also saw 35 percent YoY growth in the country, making India its fourth-largest market in 2024. The Cupertino-based tech giant also entered the top five brands in India with a 10 percent market share in the fourth quarter of the previous year.
Samsung, Realme, and OnePlus lost their hold in the Indian market as they lost 19.4, 8.5, and 32.6 percent share YoY in 2024.
Finally, IDC also reported that 54 million feature phones were shipped last year, noting a decline of 11 percent YoY. Among the market leaders, Transsion took the top spot with a 30 percent share, followed by Nokia and Lava. A total of 205 million mobile phones were shipped in the period, registering an annual drop of one percent.
