Budget smartphone brand Micromax has overtaken Samsung as India’s biggest seller of smartphones, says research company Canalys. 22% of all India’s smartphone shipments involved Micromax during Q4 2014, with Samsung’s market share slipping to 20%.
The news comes at a time when many Indian citizens are using smartphones for the first time ever after upgrading from simpler, more basic devices. More than a quarter of all shipments were for devices costing less than $100. Manufacturers have been making a determined effort to cater for those looking for affordable smartphones.
Canalys’ Rushabh Doshi said: “Catering to local market preferences will become increasingly important…Micromax has been quicker than its competitors to improve the appeal of devices, for example, by including a wide variety of local languages on its Unite phones.”
Doshi said that the key to success on the Indian smartphone market was selling versatile devices at low prices, something that Micromax are clearly excelling at. The company claims to be the tenth biggest mobile phone manufacturer in the world. Meanwhile, Samsung are said to be on the cusp of launching their latest ‘phablet’, the S6.
