Korean Media: Chinese Smartphone Brands Weaken in India, Samsung Set to Top Market!
On August 22, South Korean media outlet JoongAng Ilbo published an article stating that during the second quarter of this year, Samsung Electronics saw its market share grow in India's smartphone market, closely following market leader vivo. Analysts point out that due to soaring memory chip prices leading to overall smartphone price increases, Chinese manufacturers—which dominate the mid-to-low-end segment—have seen their positions weakened, while Samsung Electronics has performed relatively well thanks to its competitive edge in high-end products.
Data released by market research firm Counterpoint Research shows that smartphone shipments in India declined by 10% year-on-year in the second quarter of this year.
Leading vendor vivo maintained its top position from last year’s second quarter with a market share of 17.8%, though down 1.4 percentage points compared to the same period last year. In contrast, Samsung Electronics increased its market share from 15.5% to 17.6% during the same period—an increase of 2.1 percentage points—and narrowed the gap with vivo to just 0.2 percentage points. Samsung’s smartphone shipments rose by 2% year-on-year, making it the only company among the top five smartphone manufacturers to achieve growth.
Aside from vivo, the weak performance of other Chinese companies was also very pronounced. In the second quarter of this year, the combined market share of Chinese smartphone brands fell to its lowest level since the second quarter of 2020. Analysts note that Chinese firms with higher proportions of low- and mid-tier products were hit hardest, as shipment volumes in the low-end segment plummeted by 45% compared to the same period last year.
The phenomenon of “chip inflation” driven by surging memory prices is considered the underlying cause behind these market shifts. Observers note that rising prices for core components such as memory semiconductors have significantly increased production costs for smartphone manufacturers. As major players raised prices across their product lines, demand for price-sensitive entry-level models declined sharply. In fact, smartphone memory prices have nearly quadrupled since September of last year.
According to analysis, Samsung Electronics expanded its presence in the high-end market by launching mid-to-low-range models such as the Galaxy A37 and A57, while maintaining its leadership through the Galaxy S26 series.
Counterpoint Research forecasts that due to continued increases in memory prices, the Indian smartphone market will shrink by 13% this year compared to last year. Consequently, the firm predicts that manufacturers will shift toward strategies centered on trade-in programs and premium products rather than engaging in price wars.
Samsung Electronics plans to strengthen its premium strategy and is set to launch the new Galaxy Z8 foldable smartphone series later this year, further expanding its footprint in the Indian smartphone market.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874204692107402/
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