4G device sales grow in India by 108% during Q12015

 The Dollar Business Bureau Increasing use of smartphones and high-speed wireless internet has propelled the sales of 4G devices in Indian markets. According to a market research, sales of 4G-enabled devices that support high-speed data transfer have increased by whopping 108% between January and March this year. Analysts attribute the upward sales to the rising demand of data card and smartphones across the country. The two segments have witnessed an increase of 287% and 111% respectively during this period, said the quarterly report released by CyberMedia Research (CMR). While the total 4G device shipments in the country reached 2.2 million units during January-March 2015, smartphones dominated the market contributing 97% of the devices sold. And, experts predict the trend will be continued for the next few quarters. “The 4G device space is getting interesting as every quarter passes. The market more than doubled quarter-on-quarter and we see this momentum continuing for at least a few more quarters. Other than the need to appear distinctive in the market as well as move with worldwide industry trends, device vendors are also trying to create a ‘cult’ follower-ship in the emerging broadband wireless access technology space,” said Faisal Kawoosa, Lead Analyst, CMR. Rapid pace of innovation and intense competition among manufacturers also triggered a flux of new models in the market. “With the kind of expected paradigm shift in quality as well as types of services after RJio goes ‘live’, device vendors are busy showcasing their competencies in the 4G space, not only to have an early mover advantage but also to position themselves as reliable vendors in the space.” Faisal added. Among various firms catering to the Indian market, Samsung remained at the lead position in the 4G device segment. The South Korean handset maker managed to grab 27% market share in terms of number of units shipped to Indian stores, displacing Apple from the top slot, the report said. The other two players were Xiaomi with 17% and Apple with 15% share of units shipped during the first quarter of 2015. “Samsung made a jump from third spot to top spot mainly on account of the launch of new handset models like A5, A6 and S6. New brands entering this segment during the quarter were Huawei, Blackberry and ZTE. The number of players shipping 4G devices in the quarter was 19, up from 12 in the previous quarter,” said Vikrant Singh, Analyst, CMR Telecoms Practice. A total of 55 new models of 4G-enabled handsets were sold in Indian market during January-March 2015. Of them, Lenovo was the leader by selling maximum number of units of its flagship model A6000. Though the 4G-enabled data card contributed only 2.64% of the total devices sold in India, the segment registered an increase of 287% quarter-on-quarter. The data card market was led by ZTE with 77% of shares followed by Alcatel 17% and Huawei 5%, the report said.    

May 19, 2015 | 3:26 pm IST.