India third largest 5G smartphone market, Xiaomi dominates

India is now the third largest market for 5G smartphones in the world. Yes, despite no signs of 5G networks reaching India anytime soon, the market saw 10 million units of 5G smartphones shipped in the third quarter of 2021, and an overall 17 million units of 5G phones shipped between January 2021 and September 2021. And Xiaomi came out as the leader once again.

Based on the latest stats from IDC, India witnessed an overall decline in shipments due to component shortage in Q3 2021. However, it was Xiaomi who dominated the list, with a total share of 23.4 percent in this period. Samsung came second with a share of 16.9 percent while Vivo came at a close third with 16.4 percent.

5G smartphones continue gaining more sales

Realme followed at fourth position with an overall share of 15.7 percent, with its Realme C11 (2021) and Realme 8 (both the 4G and 5G models) being the most shipped devices. Oppo sat at fifth with a share of 10.7 percent but its Reno 6 series drove it to the second spot in the premium smartphone space.

For Xiaomi, the Redmi 9A, Redmi 9 Power, Redmi 9 and Redmi Note10s were the top sellers, along with the Poco M3 and Poco C3. Samsung's Galaxy A22 and Galaxy A12 worked wonders for Samsung. Demand for the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 was high but supply constraints affected overall numbers for Samsung.

IDC also states that the top 5G smartphones sold in India during this period include the iPhone 12, OnePlus Nord CE, and Samsung Galaxy A22.

With more affordable 5G smartphones coming to India in the upcoming months, India could witness more growth in this segment, despite 5G networks still a while away.