Apple’s top position in premium smartphone market intact: IDC

 Shipments in the premium ($500 and above) segment declined by (-35.4 per cent ) in the Q2 (YoY) but Apple maintained its lead, followed by Samsung and OnePlus.

 The iPhone 11 and iPhone XR together accounted for 28 per cent shipments in this segment in Q2, said the IDC report. The mid-premium segment of ($300-$500) with a share of 4.8 per cent declined YoY by 48.4 per cent, with top models such as Samsung’s Galaxy A51 and A71, vivo’s V19, Apple’s iPhone SE (2020) and the OnePlus 7T.

 Upasana Joshi, Associate Research Manager, Client Devices, IDC India, said Apple should continue to focus more on the $700-$850 (Rs 50,000-Rs 61,000) segment. “That is the sweet spot for iPhones in India with added attractive offers for making the new model lineup a little more affordable, however, continuing to focus on older-generation portfolios for volume growth,” she said.

 In the Q1, Apple dominated the premium ($500 and above) segment with a market share of 62.7 per cent. The ($700 and less than $1,000) segment registered a high growth as well, as shipments doubled YoY, with the iPhone 11 accounting for 68 per cent of shipments in this price segment.

 Apple has started manufacturing its highest-selling model iPhone 11 in India which is a significant boost to the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Currently, iPhone XR and iPhone 11 are being assembled by Foxconn at its Chennai plant while iPhone 7 is being assembled by Wistron in Bengaluru.