Smartphone shipments ring loud in India; set to overtake feature phones

Annual growth rate ranged between 120% (in 2013) and 14% (in 2017) - much higher than the single-digit to low-double-digit growth in feature phone shipments

Given the recent explosion in the mobile industry, smartphones are no longer playing second fiddle to feature phones. Even as phone makers play catch-up in a bloated market, smartphone shipment has surged to a record high of 43 million units, matching the shipment of feature phones for the first time, reveals recent data from the IDC India.

This feat comes after years of accelerated growth that helped smartphones close the gap. Annual growth rate ranged between 120 per cent (in 2013) and 14 per cent (in 2017) – much higher than the single-digit to low-double-digit growth in feature phone shipments.