Apple was the fastest growing premium smartphone brand in India last year with 41 percent annual growth, according to new data gathered by Counterpoint Research.

Counterpoint India Premium Market Share 2016 2019
Premium smartphone shipments in the country reached a record high in 2019, increasing by 29 percent year over year. The growth is said to have been driven by affordable premium smartphones, aggressive offers like significant price cuts, and user upgrades.

In Apple's case, growth in the fourth quarter was driven by multiple price cuts on iPhone XR throughout the year. The ‌iPhone‌ XR was the number one ultra-premium smartphone model in India followed by Samsung's Galaxy S10 Plus and China's OnePlus 7 Pro, according to the report.

Apple also oversaw the fastest rollout of its flagship devices in India, with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series introduced at a lower price point than the previous year's ‌iPhone‌ XR launch. This reportedly helped to gain share during the festive season and in its launch quarter in India.

"We expect the strongest 2020 for Apple in India as it has expanded its production capacity in India and is now manufacturing iPhones on a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) basis. These activities will help the brand to offer competitive pricing in a price-sensitive market like India," Counterpoint said.

OnePlus remained the number one premium brand for the full calendar year, with shipments growing 28 percent year over year and the brand capturing one third of India's premium mobile market. The Chinese brand also became the first ever premium smartphone brand to cross two million shipments in a year in 2019.

Meanwhile, Samsung dropped to second position and declined 2 percentage points year over year in the premium segment. The Galaxy S10 Plus was the top-selling flagship for Samsung in 2019. As a result, Samsung's ultra-premium segment shipments grew by 24 percent year over year.

After a strong year in India, Apple is now pursuing its aim of opening an online Apple Store in the country to start official online sales of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and more starting in the third quarter of 2020.

In August 2019, India eased the rules that had kept Apple from offering its products in first-party stores and an online ‌Apple Store‌. Apple is now said to be working on opening up retail locations in India, with a store in Mumbai in the works.

Tag: India

Top Rated Comments

Winni Avatar
65 months ago
Okay. Growth in percent - that by itself is not saying anything. About how many shipped units are we talking here and how many units have the others shipped?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pukul Avatar
65 months ago
Yeah. So as someone in India absolutely in love with Apple, will just say, it has missed the bus.

By Indian standards, owning, maintaining and reinvesting every two years (on average) just doesn't make sense.

So i don't think apple is going to "take over" the Indian market anytime soon.

Even in premium segment, its products are simply not suited for India.

Sorry.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wide opeN Avatar
65 months ago

Yeah. So as someone in India absolutely in love with Apple, will just say, it has missed the bus.

By Indian standards, owning, maintaining and reinvesting every two years (on average) just doesn't make sense.

So i don't think apple is going to "take over" the Indian market anytime soon.

Even in premium segment, its products are simply not suited for India.
Sorry.
While I will by no means try to compete with your assessment, it really doesn't matter.

Apple is just going to continue to sink money into the Indian market, until it is in the hearts and minds of the people.

If it were anyone else I may agree that they've missed the boat, but this is Apple we're talking about. They've got a war chest to make just about anything happen.

The ease of regulations recently in India certainly don't hurt. It's a war of attrition.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Will Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday February 5, 2025 7:15 am PST by
iOS 18.3 was released last month, so the first iOS 18.4 beta should be coming soon. iOS 18.4 is expected to be a more substantial update for the iPhone, with several new features and changes related to Apple Intelligence and beyond. Apple's website suggests that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, following beta testing. Below, we outline what to expect from the update so far. Apple...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive an All-New Perk

Thursday February 6, 2025 11:21 am PST by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. iCloud+ is the official name for Apple's paid iCloud storage plans, which range from 50GB for $0.99 per month to 12TB for $59.99 per month in the United States. iCloud+ plans already come with multiple perks for free, such as Hide My Email and HomeKit Secure Video, and now there is another one...
maxresdefault

An Apple TV Refresh is Coming in 2025 - Here's What You Should Know

Wednesday February 5, 2025 10:17 am PST by
Apple hasn't refreshed the Apple TV since 2022, but rumors suggest that we're finally going to get an update in 2025. We don't have a full picture of what to expect yet, but we have some hints on what's coming. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Updated A-Series Chip The current Apple TV 4K uses the A15 Bionic chip that was in the iPhone 13 lineup, and it's time for...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb

iPhone SE 4 Launching as Soon as Next Week

Thursday February 6, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone SE could debut as soon as next week with a launch to follow later in February, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple isn't expected to hold an event for the iPhone SE 4, and will instead unveil the device through a press release. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to have an iPhone 14-style design, with Apple eliminating the thick bezels and Touch ID Home button of...
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Thursday February 6, 2025 7:31 am PST by
Apple is internally testing iOS 18.3.1 for iPhones, according to our website's analytics logs, which have been a consistently reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released within the next few weeks. iOS 18.3.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Apple Intelligence notification summaries for news and...
iCloud General Feature Redux

Apple Ordered by UK to Create Global iCloud Encryption Backdoor

Friday February 7, 2025 2:37 am PST by
The British government has secretly demanded that Apple give it blanket access to all encrypted user content uploaded to the cloud, reports The Washington Post. The undisclosed order is said to have been issued last month, and requires that Apple creates a back door that allows UK security officials unencumbered access to encrypted user data worldwide – an unprecedented demand not before...
disney

Disney+ Loses 700,000 Subscribers Following Price Increase

Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:34 pm PST by
Disney+ lost 700,000 subscribers worldwide in recent months, according to Disney's earnings results for the first quarter of 2025. Disney said it now has 124.6 million Disney+ subscribers, a decrease of 0.7 million compared to its subscriber numbers in the fourth quarter of 2024. The drop in subscribers comes after Disney+ prices increased in the fall. Disney+ with Ads went from $7.99 to...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's Licenses to Expand to These 7 U.S. States

Wednesday February 5, 2025 6:27 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Below, we outline which U.S. states and territories offer the feature, and additional states that have committed to rolling it out in...