India Smartphone Shipments Grew 25 Percent YoY in Q4 2023, Xiaomi Climbs to the Top: Counterpoint

Xiaomi captured 18 percent of the market share and regained the top spot for the first time since Q3 2022.

Written by Akash Dutta, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 1 February 2024 17:27 IST

India Smartphone Shipments Grew 25 Percent YoY in Q4 2023, Xiaomi Climbs to the Top: Counterpoint

Despite 25 percent growth in Q4, Indian smartphone shipments remained flat in 2023 with 152 million units

Highlights

Vivo grabbed 17 percent of the market to finish Q4 in the second spot
The premium smartphone segment grew by 51 percent in the quarter
Samsung took the lead position in 2023 with an overall 18 percent share

Smartphone shipments in India grew by a significant 25 percent year-on-year (YoY) for the October-December period (Q4) in 2023, as per a new report by market research firm Counterpoint. Xiaomi climbed to the top position in the quarter with 18 percent of the market share, a first since Q3 2022. The feat was achieved on the back of the company's foray into the affordable 5G segment with its Redmi 13C. Vivo retained its second spot, followed by Samsung which slipped to third after leading the market for four consecutive quarters. Chinese smartphone brands Realme and Oppo grabbed the fourth and fifth spot, respectively.

In its report, Counterpoint highlighted the 61 percent contribution of 5G smartphones as one of the major factors behind the growth in the quarter. Notably, 5G phones in the affordable Rs. 10,000 - Rs. 15,000 price band contributed 24 percent of the total smartphone shipments. The premium smartphone segment also witnessed a 51 percent growth. Apple led the segment with a 17 percent market share, as a result of the iPhone 15 series launch.

Coming to brand-wise comparison in the top five positions, Xiaomi appeared as the market leader taking 18 percent of the market share. Vivo remained in the second position for a remarkable fourth quarter in a row, capturing 17 percent of the smartphone market. In the third spot, Samsung was only able to grab 16.8 percent of the share, after a strong Q3 showing where it dominated the market. Realme featured at the fourth position, taking 11 percent of the market share. The report also highlighted that the company was the fastest-growing brand with a 69 percent YoY growth. With a 10 percent hold of the market, Oppo retained the fifth spot.

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However, despite a good quarter, the wider landscape for smartphone shipments in India in 2023 remained flat at 152 million units, a separate Counterpoint report highlighted. The market research firm noted challenges emerging from macroeconomic turbulence resulting in low demand and an inventory build-up in the first half of 2023 as the reason for the lack of growth. “The market started recovering in the second half of the year supported by 5G upgrades and better-than-expected festive sales,” the report added.

Samsung held the top position in 2023 after taking 18 percent of the market due to strong showing in the first three quarters. This is the first time the South Korean tech conglomerate led a calendar year since 2017. Notably, the company launched the Samsung Galaxy S23 series along with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Galaxy Z Flip 5 in 2023. Showing a stable performance, Vivo retained the second spot with a 17 percent share. Chinese smartphone brands Xiaomi, Realme, and Oppo occupied the next three spots with 16.5 percent, 12 percent, and 10.5 percent of the market share, respectively.

While Apple did not feature in the top five positions in shipments, it surpassed the ten million mark in revenue for the first time in a calendar year, leading the category.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Redmi 13C 5G

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Stylish design
Supports most 5G bands
Full-HD video streaming

Bad
Plenty of bloatware
Spammy notifications
Display could be brighter
Soft speaker
Poor camera performance
Slow charging with packaged charger

Read detailed Xiaomi Redmi 13C 5G review

Display 6.74-inch

Processor MediaTek Dimensity 6100+

Front Camera 5-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 0.08-megapixel

RAM 4GB, 6GB, 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB

Battery Capacity 5000mAh

OS Android 13

Resolution 720x1600 pixels

More Xiaomi mobiles Xiaomi mobiles price in India

iPhone 15

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Big upgrades over the 14
Excellent ergonomics, build quality
Very good all-round performance
Apple ecosystem benefits

Bad
Relatively slow charging
Expensive
Still a 60Hz display

Read detailed Apple iPhone 15 review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A16 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 6GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

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Samsung Galaxy S23

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Compact design that?s hard to beat
Long-term software update commitment
Good performance, effective heat management
All-day battery life
IP68 rated

Bad
Only minor design changes
Relatively slow charging

Read detailed Samsung Galaxy S23 review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 10-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB

Battery Capacity 3,900mAh

OS Android 13

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Very good build quality, IPX8 rated
Well-optimised software
Very good system and gaming performance
All-day battery life
Reliable cameras

Bad
Expensive
Still feels bulky

Read detailed Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 review

Display (Primary) 7.60-inch

Processor Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Front Camera 10-megapixel + 4-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 10-megapixel

RAM 12GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Battery Capacity 4400mAh

OS Android 13

Resolution 2176x1812 pixels

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Vibrant displays, folding display is durable
Compact design when folded
Top-tier performance
Fast wireless charging for a foldable
Water-resistant design
Good quality primary camera

Bad
Cover screen functionality is limited
Battery barely lasts a day
Relatively slow wired charging
No macro camera

Read detailed Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review

Display (Primary) 6.70-inch

Processor Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Front Camera 10-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 10-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB

Battery Capacity 3700mAh

OS Android 13

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Further reading: Xiaomi, Samsung, Apple, Samsung Galaxy S23, iPhone 15

Akash Dutta Email Akash Dutta

Akash Dutta is a Senior Sub Editor at Gadgets 360. He is particularly interested in the social impact of technological developments and loves reading about emerging fields such as AI, metaverse, and fediverse. In his free time, he can be seen supporting his favourite football club - Chelsea, watching movies and anime, and sharing passionate opinions on food. More