India

Xiaomi, OPPO could import phones to India amid production woes

Unable to meet the demand, locally

Published

June 13, 2020

Shivam Vahia

The demand for phones in India has risen after the Coronavirus-lockdown started easing. Sources report that two of the major brands in India — Xiaomi and OPPO — are importing smartphones directly from China instead of depending on local assembly.

India imposed a complete lockdown from March 22 and gradually lifted the restrictions from May. Amid the lockdown, everything was closed and only the supply of essential goods was permitted. This also meant that factories remain shuttered along with stores.

After the lockdown restrictions were eased, factories started getting back on track, slowly. Demand for smartphones skyrocketed and brands found it difficult to bridge the immediate gap in supply and demand. Adding to their woes, the OPPO factory in Noida was closed down soon after starting operations because the staff tested positive for Coronavirus.

The demand is higher than usual for affordable phones and brands are finding it impossible to fulfill the demand. OnePlus announced the OnePlus 8 series long back, but the OnePlus 8 Pro is yet to go on sale. That’s because it isn’t able to make the phone due to OPPO’s factory closure.

India is the world’s second-largest smartphone market and has developed assembly clusters across states to fulfill domestic demand. But with inconsistent assembly lines and lagging supply chains, the brands are left with no option.

The two brands have declined to comment right now. It’ll be interesting to see how they’re able to manage the price of the phones. Bringing phones from China will incur an import duty of 20 percent. In the affordable space, this can completely destroy their competitive advantage.

Adding to their plight, the anti-China sentiment is at an all-time high in India because the pandemic originated in Wuhan, China. The two countries are also involved in a border skirmish that has further fueled the anti-China narrative.

Related Topics:China Import Duty Make in India OPPO Xiaomi

India

Samsung overtakes Xiaomi as top phone brand in India

As of Q4 2022

Published

March 17, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Attacking a huge smartphone market is difficult. With preferences constantly evolving, it can get tricky to figure out the best lineup to capture most of a market. Samsung, however, has just done it. In the last quarter of 2022, Samsung has taken the crown from Xiaomi as the bestselling smartphone brand in India.

India is an important market for most smartphone brands. It’s one of the largest markets in the world. However, despite its size, the biggest players are often those who offer more affordable devices for consumers. Budget is the name of the game if a brand wants to make it big in the country.

Things are changing, though. According to new market data (via Reuters), Samsung has nabbed the throne from the former leader, Xiaomi. In the last quarter of 2022, the Korean brand grabbed 20 percent of the market, while the latter only got 18 percent.

In a trend dubbed as premiumization, Indian consumers are reportedly enjoying more disposable income, resulting in more willingness to buy pricier products. Additionally, the report hints that consumers have started equating lower prices with inferior quality.

With the market trending towards more premium products, Samsung took the lead with a lineup that consists more of midrange to premium devices. It will also be interesting to see if Apple, an even more premium brand, can also make a dent in the Indian market.

Enterprise

Apple is preparing to open its first stores in India

Based on new job listings

Published

January 10, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

For one of the largest smartphone markets in the world, India is one of the rarer countries where Apple does not outright dominate. Undoubtedly, the company is trying to change that. Ongoing job listings in India are suggesting that Apple is ready to open its first brick-and-mortar store in the country.

First reported by Financial Times, Apple has posted job openings in India for several retail roles including for the iconic Genius Bar. Another clue even indicates that some spots have already been filled ahead of time. A few employees in the country have reportedly posted about their new jobs on LinkedIn.

Unfortunately, none of the job listings show how many stores are planned and where they will be. Narrowing things down by a bit, a few of the confirmed employees are from Mumbai and New Delhi. The report also does not indicate when the stores will open. However, since a few have already been hired, a grand opening might be coming soon.

Apple has a lot to gain by strengthening its foothold in India. The country is an important stronghold for smartphone companies. However, the company might find things harder as time goes by. The country recently dictated that brands must switch to USB-C if they want to sell their devices in India. All over the world, Apple remains the last stalwart against adopting the more universal standard.

India

India to enforce USB-C on all phones by 2024

Smartphones and wearables affected

Published

January 3, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Last year, the European Union made a lot of waves by announcing the impending enforcement of USB-C across all devices sold in the region. Other countries, such as Brazil, joined in by pondering its own version of the same policy. Then, as 2022 wound to a definitive close, India, skipping a more deliberative phase, has announced a sweeping enforcement of USB-C coming in 2025.

In approximately two years’ time, most devices sold within India must use USB-C ports (via Business Standard). More specifically, Indian lawmakers have included smartphones and wearables as part of the new policy. Like policies in other countries, India’s policy revolves around the drive to reduce e-waste from devices.

Naturally, as is the case in other countries, Apple is the brand most affected by the ruling. While most Android-based smartphones already use USB-C across the board, Apple’s device still rely on the proprietary Lightning cable, severing a significant chunk of the populating from the more universal standard.

The country is nothing to shrug off, either. India is one of the largest smartphone markets in the world. Though Android is much more prevalent than Apple, India’s new policy is certainly a significant speed bump for the iPhone maker.

Though Apple has publicly protested against the new policies, the company has also confirmed that it will comply with the new rules. While it has a slightly lengthier timeframe in India, the brand has to comply in the European Union by the end of 2024.