Xiaomi, vivo and Oppo see massive gains in India as the smartphone market contracts for the first time

Canalys has outed the numbers for the Indian smartphone market for the second quarter of the year, April to June that is. And for the first time ever, the overall market is contracting, as shipments fell 4% compared to Q2 2016. Just under 27 million smartphones were sold in the subcontinent in Q2 of this year.

Samsung leads the pack in market share, with 25%, but its lead is ever more threatened by a bunch of Chinese device makers. Xiaomi, for example, is in second place now, managing to quadruple its shipments to 4.8 million units compared to the year-ago quarter.

vivo broke its previous shipment record too, with 3.4 million units, while Oppo comes fourth having displaced Lenovo. Speaking of which, Lenovo rounds up the Top 5 of smartphone makers in India by market share, although its sales growth pales in comparison to what Xiaomi, vivo, and Oppo have managed.

In fact, Xiaomi, vivo, Oppo, Gionee, and Lenovo put together control over 50% of the Indian smartphone market, so Samsung should really be careful if it wants to keep its crown. As you'd imagine, the Chinese vendors are strongest in the mid-range and entry-level segments, which is also where Samsung still has some work to do - although for now its J series of devices is helping it sustain its lead.

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