Xiaomi dominates Indian smartphone market, beats Samsung and Oppo in Q3 2022

Xiaomi dominates the Indian smartphone market in Q3 2022 even as overall shipments decline.

Xiaomi dominated the Q3 2022 period despite a lower demand in the market. (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

Indians love Xiaomi phones and the proof comes once again from last quarter's market share data. Based on the data obtained by market research firm Canalys, it is now said that Xiaomi dominated the Indian smartphone space by a mega margin during the Q3 2022. This was despite the overall market witnessing a lower demand during the period. In fact, smartphone shipments had declined by 6 percent in comparison to the previous year's performance in the same quarter.

Xiaomi sat on top with a share of 21 percent, shipping 9.2 million units during the period. Next came Samsung with a share of 18 percent, shipping 8.1 million units during the same period. Vivo, which also comprises of iQOO in the research data, shipped 7.3 million units and had a share of 16 percent. Oppo comes in fourth with a share of 16 percent and shipped 7.1 million units.

Xiaomi dominates the Indian smartphone market in Q3 2022

The quarter saw all brands struggling to push units but the early Monsoon and Independence Day sales helped them clear inventories before heading into the festive season. Canalys Analyst Sanyam Chaurasia says, “The good news is, as the festival season began, in the last few weeks of the quarter, consumer demand improved. Hit by inflation, entry-level device contribution declined this year, while the mid-to-high segment performed relatively well thanks to aggressive promotions. OPPO's OnePlus and vivo's iQOO were the two brands driving mid-range growth in the e-commerce channel during this period.”

Not sure which
mobile to buy?

As for the ultra-premium category smartphones, the market observed a huge demand for older generation flagships, as well as the new ones due to the price cuts. Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 and latest Galaxy S22 series enjoyed good discounts in online and offline channels. Apple, which has a strong presence in the premium space, saw more demand for its “aggressively discounted” iPhone 13. It even outsold the newer iPhone 14.

What remains to be seen is how the market prepares for the upcoming quarter. Smartphone launches have gone down to a minimum, with no new launches on the horizon. Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo are yet to make any announcements during this period.