Share of 5G handsets in India’s smartphone market reaches 79% in 2024: CMR

The share of 5G smartphones in overall shipments reached 79% in the calendar year 2024, led by Vivo and Samsung, according to the latest report released by CyberMedia Research (CMR) on Tuesday.

As per the research firm, Vivo took a 19% volume share in the 5G smartphone market, closely followed by Samsung with an 18% share.

Counterpoint had separately said that 5G smartphone shipment penetration reached 78% in 2024, due to the availability of 5G chipsets in entry-level smartphones.

“The India smartphone market in CY2024 saw mixed trends across segments,” CMR said, adding that while the affordable segment (sub-Rs 7,000) grew slightly by 1% year-on-year, the value-for-money segment (Rs 7,000-Rs 25,000) declined by 7% annually, reflecting a shift toward premium smartphones.

Xiaomi (18%), Samsung (16.9%), and Vivo (16.7%) were the top three brands, respectively, last year while Oppo and Realme took fourth and fifth ranks each with an 11% share, according to CMR.

However, in Q4 2024, Vivo took the first rank with an 18% share, followed by Xiaomi and Samsung with a 15% share each, according to the research firm. Oppo ranked fourth with an 11% share, while Apple entered the top five list for the first time in the December 2024 quarter.

The iPhone-maker’s shipments surged by 72% year-on-year, enabling the company to capture an 11% share in Q4 2024. Its share in the super-premium segment, defined between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1,00,000, skyrocketed by 82% year-on-year, as per CMR.

The market tracker attributed Apple’s healthy performance in the quarter to aggressive marketing, deep festive discounts, and strong demand for both the latest and previous-generation iPhones.

The consumer preference for smartphones with 5G and generative artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled features drove healthy momentum in the premium price segments. The super-premium smartphone segment (Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000) and uber-premium segment (>Rs 1,00,000) posted impressive gains, up 10% and 25%, respectively, CMR said.

Furthermore, frequent launches and rising demand for affordable handsets drove an 80% year-on-year growth in sub-Rs 10,000 5G segment.

“In CY2024, India’s smartphone market presents a complex picture of a heterogeneous consumer base. On one end, the premium segment continues to expand, reflecting a shift toward high-performance lifestyle statements. On the other hand, the less than Rs 10,000 segment is experiencing green shoots of recovery. Across price segments, affordability and accessibility initiatives are empowering consumer aspirations and driving market growth,” said Menka Kumari, Senior Analyst-Industry Intelligence Group (IIG) at CMR.

The research firm has estimated the market conditions to remain tough in H1 2025, with smartphone shipments for the entire year growing in single digits. Market trackers Canalys, Counterpoint and Techarc, too, expect a low single-digit growth in India’s smartphone market volumes this year.

“As India’s smartphone market evolves in 2025, the premium segment (>Rs 25,000) will continue to grow, driven by rising consumer demand. Smartphone OEMs will reposition their product strategies from primarily hardware-centric to GenAI-centric product strategies with a simultaneous focus on innovating in the value-for-money and affordable smartphone segments to cater to mass-market demand,” said Pankaj Jadli, Analyst – Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CyberMedia Research (CMR).