VIVO SURPASSES SAMSUNG, A STEP AHEAD CONFIRMED BY INDIAN SMARTPHONE MARKET
Asia market witnessed a twist as Vivo surpasses Samsung in the smartphone market, and as a result, the South Korean tech giant ‘Samsung’ saw its decline after it dropped to third place – a company that once led the smartphone market in Asia’s second-largest ‘India’. According to a research firm Counterpoint, 158 million smartphones was shipped in India in 2019, up from 145 million compared with that of the previous year.
In 2019, the subject company smartphone shipment grew by 76%, Counterpoint stated that the Chinese firm’s aggressive positioning of its budget S series of smartphones – price pegged within the range of $100 to $150 (the sweet spot in India) – in the brick and mortar market and acceptance of e-commerce sales helped Vivo surpass Samsung.
The Chinese phone maker ‘Vivo’ emerged the second-biggest smartphone vendor in India in the fourth quarter of 2019. Xiaomi has refused to give up on its aggressive approach while commanding over 27% of the market, and as a result, it has maintained its top spot in the country for ten consecutive quarters.
Meanwhile, there seems to be another surprise from Realme, which was born out of Chinese smartphone maker Oppo, claimed the fifth position. Realme is currently two-years-old but has suddenly taken the Indian market by storm. Within this short period, the firm has focused on selling low-cost Android smartphones online.
In a bid to curb the scourge, Samsung has reportedly lowered the prices of some of its handsets in the country coupled with the introduction of smartphones that promises local features but is still struggling to compete with a good number of Chinese firms. A good number of the country’s population may not be interested in high-quality smartphones, but durable ones. And we know Samsung would rather not compromise its standard in a bid to regain its position in the country.
But, what measure was deployed by these firms! According to reports, over the years Vivo and Oppo strategically expanded into smaller Indian cities and towns while offering merchants good deals. These companies offered merchants irresistible commission in a bid to promote their product over their rivals.
In the same vein, Xiaomi had also established its presence through a partnership with the big retail chain but had earlier sold its handsets through online channels with the aim of cutting overhead. However, the company claimed it shipped 100 million smartphones into India.
It’s been proven, there are nearly half a billion smartphones currently in use in the world’s second-most populous country, however, the appetite of new smartphones is also an indication why Vivo surpassed Samsung coupled with the price of these handsets.
India has suddenly emerged as the second-largest market for the annual shipment of smartphones, overtaking the United States. But, should Samsung deploy a measure! It will mean working closely with retailers in small towns and villages. Perhaps sell a few numbers of its products and get a free smartphone, possibly one of its high-end phones.
- What is your take as Vivo surpasses Samsung in the India market?
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