India surpasses the US to become number 2 smartphone market in the world

India has surpassed the US to become the second-largest smartphone market in the world, according to the latest Counterpoint Research report.

The country recorded 158 million shipments in 2019 with 7 per cent year-on-year growth, attributed to Chinese brands introducing smartphones with flagship-grade features in the mid-tier segment.

The combined share of the top smartphone brands reached the highest ever level at around 84 per cent. Xiaomi continued to lead the market for the second successive year with 28 per cent market share. Samsung secured the second spot with a 21 per cent share.

The fastest-growing brands included Vivo at 16 per cent which recorded 76 per cent y-o-y growth, Realme at 10 per cent which recorded 255 per cent growth and Oppo at 9 per cent which recorded 28 per cent y-o-y growth.