2020 was an odd year for the Indian smartphone market for a few reasons. Things weren't looking great in the first half of the year because of the pandemic and the lockdowns that followed, but the smartphone market picked up in the second half of 2020 to the point where H2 shipments have surpassed the 100 million mark for the first time ever, reveals Counterpoint Research.
In the middle of all this, Samsung has aggressively promoted its online retail channels which boosted the popularity of Galaxy A and Galaxy M mid-range devices. The company was able to retake 2nd place in the Indian smartphone market and it remains the nation's second-largest vendor after Xiaomi.
Samsung shipped 28.6 million smartphones in India throughout 2020
According to market research firm Canalys, Samsung experienced a 11% decline throughout 2020 and its market share at the end of the year stood at 20%, down from 22%. Back in 2019, Samsung was able to ship 32.2 million smartphones to India, but in 2020 that figure dropped down to 28.6 million. Xiaomi, who continues to lead the Indian smartphone market, also experienced a 5% decline and fewer shipments by about 2 million.
All the major OEMs combined have reportedly shipped 144.7 million smartphones to India throughout 2020, which represents only a 2% year-on-year decrease from the 148 million shipments recorded in 2019. The exact figures aren't clear though, as Counterpoint Research estimates a 4% YoY decline. Either way, both market watchers agree that Samsung India had a decent year and won the silver medal.
