From hero to zero, before you knew what hit you. In the cut-throat world of smartphones, it has been a recurring story—from Nokia dominating the scene at one time to going ‘crash-boom-bang’, to BlackBerry’s transition from everybody’s buddy to a nobody.
Chinese phone maker Xiaomi would truly understand it. A decade ago, it stole the thunder of desi smartphone brands like Micromax and Lava with a slew of inexpensive but feature-rich smartphones through brands like Redmi, Mi and the sub-brand Poco. It soon became the largest seller of mobile phones in the country. Even the Covid-19 pandemic and the anti-China sentiment post the clashes in Ladakh did not slow it down. But then it got hit by a curious shift in the Indian consumers’ preferences.
About a year ago or so, more and more Indians began coveting premium phones, moving away from Xiaomi’s budget offerings. With the market share of phones costing less than ₹10,000 falling significantly, Samsung overtook Xiaomi as India’s top-selling phone brand.
Premium smartphones sales more than doubled in the April-June period, while sales of the ultra-premium foldable phones tripled last year. This is when the overall smartphone market declined 3 per cent.
This new trend could solidify now, as Diwali sales hit a crescendo. “Many people time their purchases with the festive season, and they are increasingly opting for premium smartphones,” Arushi Chawla, senior analyst with Counterpoint Research wrote in a blogpost.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 05, 2023 من THE WEEK India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 05, 2023 من THE WEEK India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
SCORCHED PERTH
The first match of this Border-Gavaskar Trophy will go down in history as 'Bumrah's Test'
Rain is an effective scavenger of pollutants
INTERVIEW - Prof Sachchida Nand Tripathi, dean, Kotak School of Sustainability, IIT Kanpur
What will it take to clean up Delhi air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
SOPS OPERA
The Mahayuti's victory in Maharashtra could lead to more sops and freebies in upcoming elections
LOOK EAST.INDIA
Jharkhand results have given the opposition alliance hope that clear leadership can counter the BJP's superior organisational strength