THE 'APPLE' OF INDIAN BUYERS' EYE

While Android continues to be the more popular smartphone platform in the country, iPhone has gained a stronger foothold in premium segment

- ARYAMAN GUPTA

In 2007, Steve Jobs unveiled the revolutionary iPhone, which ran on Apple's patented operating system iOS. A little over a year later, Google would go on to introduce the first Android phone, the HTC Dream, sparking a rivalry that would continue for decades.

"I'm going to destroy Android, because it's a stolen product. I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this," Jobs famously said in a 2011 biography by author Walter Isaacson.

While the long-standing tussle between Apple and Google over their respective operating systems (OSes) has been well documented, the iPhone maker's growing success in the Indian market may have rekindled the "Android vs iOS" debate.

Last week, Apple Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tim Cook announced an all-time revenue record in India yet again for the September quarter, driven by high demand for its latest iPhone models and strong iPad sales.

As the iPhone continues to witness increasing adoption, especially among Gen Z buyers, Apple's market share in India is growing in strong double digits much ahead of the broader market.

The smartphone major has now cemented itself as the top dog in the premium segment, despite India being a largely Android market.

"I see this as a failure of Android as an operating system in the premium category," said Faisal Kawoosa, co-founder and chief analyst, Techarc, a market research firm.

"Android has not been able to empower original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to deliver the experience that a premium consumer is looking for. In the premium segment, the benchmark continues to be Apple iOS," he added.

Android vs iOS

While Android continues to be the more popular smartphone platform not just in India, but globally, analysts say that the Google-owned operating system's shortfall lies in allowing Apple to gain a stronger foothold among India's premium buyers.