While the key smartphone markets across the world continue to witness a slowdown, India has seen its smartphone sales go up from 80 million units in 2014 to 150 million units in 2018. The price-sensitive market is largely dominated by Chinese players such as Xiaomi and OnePlus. Per Counterpoint Research, the premium smartphone market, which comprises of smartphones worth $400 USD and above, grew by 16 percent year-over-year for Q4 2018. OnePlus, Apple and Samsung emerged as the top three brands, with OnePlus leading the fourth quarter. On this momentous occasion, the company didn’t let go of an opportunity to rub the victory in the face of its competitor Apple.
OnePlus Takes a Dig at Apple, but the Chinese OEM Forgets It Is Dealing With the World’s Third-Largest Smartphone Brand
Per Counterpoint, the OnePlus 6 was the highest selling model in the premium category in 2018, followed by its successor OnePlus 6T. Taking a jibe at Apple, the company uploaded a picture on its official Facebook page, asking Siri about India’s best selling premium handset.
iDare you pic.twitter.com/iSstVVv0aI
— OnePlus India (@OnePlus_IN) January 30, 2019
According to Counterpoint’s latest report, OnePlus captured 36 percent of the market in Q4 2018, while Apple and Samsung had a market share of 30 percent and 26 percent, respectively. The Chinese smartphone maker sold a record number of phones in India in Q4 2018, maintaining its lead in the premium segment for the third consecutive quarter. The OnePlus 6T sales received a sales boost during the Diwali season and the momentum still continues because of strong word of mouth. The company has also started selling its phones via offline locations recently, allowing it to serve a broader range of consumers.
Disclaimer: OnePlus phones do not support Siri as a feature. Try Google Assistant
— OnePlus India (@OnePlus_IN) January 30, 2019
Apple, on the other hand, continues to struggle in India but the technology giant managed to accumulate its second-highest revenue when it reported its Q1 2019 financial results. However, these earnings came at the cost of reduced iPhone sales, with the company’s premium segment shipments falling 25 percent year-over-year in Q4 2018 because of the high prices of its latest offerings. This is further exacerbated by the fact that the company pays 20 percent import duty on its phones as they aren’t manufactured in India.
However, that may change in the future as the company is apparently planning to manufacture the more premium models in the country.
News Source: Twitter (OnePlus)
