In a first, Apple among top 5 smartphone brands in India, overtakes Realme

It was Apple Inc’s magic quarter in India.

 

In the fourth quarter (Q4) of calendar year (CY) 2024, the Cupertino-headquartered company saw iPhones in the premium and ultra-premium segments enter the coveted top five smartphone brands in terms of volume sales for the first time in India. With a market share of 11 per cent, Apple displaced Realme from the fifth position, according to data from Counterpoint Research.

 

In the same quarter of the previous year, Apple’s volume share was 9 per cent, while Realme was just ahead at 10 per cent. The other brands in the top five include Vivo, Xiaomi, Samsung, and Oppo.

 

Not only that, but among smartphone models in the same quarter, the iPhone 15 was the top seller across all segments in terms of volume, with a 3 per cent share among over 300 model brands in the country, despite its ultra-premium positioning and price. The second-best-selling models were Samsung’s Galaxy A16 and Vivo’s Y287, both with a volume share of 2.5 per cent, according to Counterpoint estimates.

 

Apple has also continued to dominate in terms of value market share. In Q4 of CY 2024, it led the market with a 34 per cent share — nearly double that of its closest rival, Samsung, at 18 per cent, followed by Vivo at 15 per cent. 

 

Apple Inc’s big-ticket performance was acknowledged during an analyst call after the company’s earnings results on Friday by none other than Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, who said: “India set an October-December quarter record, and we are opening more stores there. We have announced we will open four new stores.” He also said that the iPhone was the top-selling smartphone in India for the quarter.

 

Analysing the iPhone’s momentum, Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint, said: “The premium smartphone market segment has seen considerable growth, driven by rising disposable income and aspirational purchases, especially among the youth. Apple has become the preferred brand for young consumers. Beyond Tier-II cities, the iPhone has evolved from being just a smartphone to a symbol of lifestyle and status.”

 

While exports remain a key focus for Apple Inc, the company has also seen substantial growth in the domestic market. In 2023-24, Apple’s domestic revenue surpassed Rs 67,000 crore, the bulk of it coming from iPhones — an increase of over 35 per cent from the previous financial year’s Rs 49,322 crore. In 2021-22, its total revenue from India stood at Rs 33,381 crore.