It's no big secret that the smartphone industry is not doing great, but while global sales are only expected to rebound in 2020 following several years of steady decline, certain individual markets seem to be defying those general trends by setting new all-time records.
That's right, India's smartphone shipments have reportedly reached their highest ever level of 49 million units during 2019's third quarter, according to the latest research from Counterpoint, and that's good news for a number of big and small companies in the world's second-most populous country.
Apple, for instance, is not exactly a force to be reckoned with around those parts, but believe it or not, its top ten placement in the vendor ranks between July and September can be considered progress. iPhone XR price cuts and "good channel demand" for the newly launched iPhone 11 apparently propelled the Cupertino-based tech giant in the number nine spot in India shipments, behind several brands completely unknown on the Western Hemisphere, like Itel and Transsion.
While there's no word on the actual sales figures racked up by Apple in this latest three-month period, odds are that the company managed to ship way more than the 220,000 units estimated back in Q1, when it pretty much hit rock bottom in this thriving and very important market. Looking ahead, Apple should be able to make further progress now that the iPhone XR is being manufactured locally, which might help reduce its price even more.
Interestingly, Samsung didn't have a great quarter in India, as its overall shipments declined by 4 percent year-on-year, allowing Xiaomi to consolidate and extend its lead over the Korea-based regional silver medalist. Xiaomi's numbers grew 7 percent from Q3 2018 to record a new all-time high, while Samsung can at least be content with its strong performance in the premium segment registered thanks to the reasonably popular Galaxy Note 10 series.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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