Mobile sales dropped 14.5 per cent the first quarter (Q1, January-March) 2015, on a quarter-to-quarter basis, compared to Q4 (October-December) 2014 — from 62 million handsets in Q4 2014 to 53 million handsets in Q1 2015, according to a report of CyberMedia Research, a consultancy.
The decline in smartphone sales from quarter-to-quarter was 7.14 per cent. Cheaper “feature” phones performed worse, with an 18.3 per cent sales decline over the same period. India became the fastest-growing market for smartphones in Asia-Pacific in 2014, and is supposed to overtake US as the second-largest smartphone market globally, with 204 million smartphone users by 2016, according to a study by eMarketer, a research firm.
“Established brands, such as Micromax and Samsung, should focus on their existing legacy. The differentiating strength of these brands lies in their distribution network, built and invested in over the years across India, which they should leverage to increase sales.”
Overall, the industry will get used to changes (such as the increase in excise duty) and pick up again, he said.
The year 2014 saw the entry of many new players in the mobile market, especially Chinese firms. With an 18.5 per cent market share, Samsung continues to occupy the top spot, followed by India’s Micromax with 12.1 per cent and Microsoft with 9.6 per cent.
Within the smartphone segment, Samsung has an even bigger lead, a market share of 27.9 per cent, followed by Micromax with 16.2 per cent and Intex, an Indian brand, with 9.2 per cent.
