“Despite established players like Samsung and Intex dominating the largest shares of the Indian market currently, Apple continues to grow, with sales up 56 percent year over year, according to the latest data from Canalys,” Jan Manon reports for AppleInsider. “As second fastest growing vendor in the top ten smartphone providers in the country, Apple has now started to challenge Samsung’s dominance in the premium market.”
“In terms of total market share for devices priced over $300 U.S., Apple has grown from 11 percent in the first quarter of 2015 to 29 percent at the start of 2016,” Manon reports. “That led to significant losses for rival Samsung, which saw its share tumble from 66 percent to 41 percent over the same span.”
Appel CEO Tim Cook “has turned his sights toward growing demand in India,” Manon reports. “This week, in an appearance on Jim Cramer’s Mad Money, Apple’s CEO noted that 50 percent of the population is aged 25 or younger, and those users have shown interest in buying the best products available.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: A POS Samsung is bad enough, but anyone shackled with an Intex has our deepest sympathies.
This parallels what happened in China. Small but growing middle class that wants new tech. The iPhone SE should do well there.
The pattern is playing itself out again and again. Companies like Samsung go in to emerging markets and establish a market for cheap smartphones. Once the demand is realized, Apple come in with a better product and steal all the profits.
I am hoping Apple will start making an even cheaper phone that really starts killing off the competition. A bit like the iPod Shuffle. High volume, lower tech that gets an Apple device in everyones hands. Probably not this year since the SE needs to establish a foothold in the mid-range market.
It’s hard to see how Apple could make a low priced iPhone without risking diminishing their well proven and uniquely successful method of doing business.
There may be a possibility of using a less highly specced screen, one of the older CPUs, a modest camera and a case designed for robotic assembly, but just how much would that shave off the cost of an iPhone?
Apple would be reluctant to release a product with very low profit margins as it would reduce Apple’s overall margins and there is a significant risk of cannibalising sales of higher end products. Just what would the tech press ( and other critics ) make of a new iPhone with a spec sounding like it had come from several years ago?
I can see that having a lower entry point into the Apple ecosystem could be advantageous, but there would also be a downside and it would be one hell of a challenge to get the balance right.
However, the important thing to bear in mind is that Apple works in a way entirely unlike others and earns money on a scale that is entirely unlike any other. Is it wiser for Apple to continue doing that they do, or to copy what their vastly less profitable competitors have been doing?
India has said no to Apple regarding refurbished Apple iPhones. (don’t know why – same warranty as new) BUT if they reverse that decision, then Apple will have a plentiful supply of refurbished iPhone 4s, 5, 5s, 6 and 6S ready to be sold in India at very reasonable prices.
So instead of 100 units they sold 156? LOL
so if what you saying is true and the article states : “in terms of total market share for devices priced over $300 U.S., Apple has grown from 11 percent in the first quarter of 2015 to 29 percent at the start of 2016”
So Samsung and all the other phone makers sold a handful as well (to make up the other 71%) ? the high end Indian market from 1 billion population is that small?
First of all, Samsung is eating Apple’s lunch in the US and China. Secondly, Indians are super cheap and they tend not to buy high end Apple stuff which is why Apple was insisting on selling used hardware there. And BTW, how did that work out for Apple?
First of all, define “eating Apple’s lunch”.
Are you talking about market share, or profit share?
If it’s market share, you and Samsung can keep it.
If it’s profit share… it’s no secret that the lion’s share of the profits goes to Apple.
So your point is…?
First of all Xiaomi is eating Samsung’s lunch in China. Apple clearly isn’t aiming to be the leader in marketshare. Everything they do is to maximize the profit share of the smartphone business, which they are wildly successful at being pretty much the only money maker worth discussing.
It’s working out GREAT for Apple in their market objectives. What about that don’t you understand? I know everyone wants to be a Wall $treet big wig, but if your aim isn’t marketshare, why the hell does everyone refer to it as if it’s some type of ideal to aim for?
It’s hardly an indictable offense wanting to sell used iPhones in india for those with less to spend, subject to being allowed there.
Wait a minute…!!! Wasn’t Apple about to be dead?????