IDC: Indian market drops 2% in 2020, strong H2 counters weak H1

In its latest market report, IDC focuses on the performance of the Indian smartphone market in 2020. The first half of the year, which was marked by the lockdowns and restrictions at the beginning of the current pandemic, saw a 26% year-over-year decline in shipments, while the second half of 2020 saw a recovering market push to a 19% YoY growth. The resulting nearly 150 million phones shipped are a decline of just -1.7% YoY, which is the first after several years of growth for the Indian market.

IDC projects that 2021 will bring an increase in shipments of around 10% over 2020.

The online sales grew in 2020, accounting for nearly half of the total market at 48%. During Q4 of 2020 online shipments posted a record 51% share of all shipments, thanks to trade-in programs and deals.

MediaTek-powered devices led the sales with a share of 43%, followed by 40% of Qualcomm-powered phones. 5G smartphone shipments crossed the 3 million mark in 2020, but adoption was limited by the lack of a 5G network and the higher price point.

Xiaomi retained its leading position in 2020 with 41 million units shipped. Samsung was second on the thanks to the success of its online channels and its Galaxy M series of phones, shipping just under 30 million phones. Realme pushed Oppo for fourth and posted the biggest growth of 2020 with 19%.

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