Micromax overtakes Samsung as the new smartphone leader in India: Report

Smartphone maker Micromax has surpassed Samsung in the fourth quarter of 2014 to become the leading supplier in India’s booming smartphone market for the first time, according to a report by Canalys.

Micromax accounted for 22 percent of smartphone shipments in India in the October-December quarter, up from 21 per cent in the previous quarter. Samsung’s market share fell 2 percent points sequentially to 20 per cent in the fourth quarter.

This performance is partly due to Micromax’s continuing appeal to users upgrading to smartphones by catering to local market preferences, which has become increasingly important in India.

“Micromax has been quicker than its competitors to improve the appeal of devices, for example, they included a wide variety of local languages on its Unite phones,” said Rushabh Doshi, analyst at Canalys.

The firm said Micromax’s flagship line of products has also effectively targeted the INR 9,000 to INR 12,000 (US$150 to US$200) segment, with products such as the Canvas Nitro and Canvas Hue.

Karbonn remained at the third spot followed by another domestic vendor, Lava.

A total of 21.6 million smartphones were shipped in India in last quarter, up from 18.9 million in the third quarter. 41 percent were of devices in the INR 6,000 to INR 12,000 bracket (US$100 to US$200) while 23 percent of shipments were of devices priced under INR 6,000 ($100).

Samsung is denying these numbers, and states that according to its own data, its share is nearly double to that of its closest rival.

See:The latest numbers on web, mobile, and social media in India (INFOGRAPHIC)