Two-thirds of India's Smartphone Market, the Second Largest in the World, is Now Run by Chinese Handset Makers (venturebeat.com) 83
India's smartphone market, which is the second largest in the world (and one of the few markets that continues to show strong growth each quarter), is currently a key battleground for a number of phone makers from China, Taiwan, and South Korea. And increasingly, Chinese phone makers are winning. From a report: Leading the charge is Xiaomi, which last year ended Samsung's five-year-streak as the top phone vendor in the nation. The period between April and June of this year was the fourth consecutive quarter for Xiaomi as the top vendor in India, according to IDC. Xiaomi (29.7 percent market share as of Q2) has aggressively undercut the offerings of its rivals by selling inexpensive but high-quality smartphones in India. A spokesperson for the company said that India is currently its most important market.
In the second quarter of this year, four of the top five smartphone makers were Chinese, according to IDC. In addition to Xiaomi, that number includes Oppo (7.6 percent market share), Vivo (12.6 percent), and Transsion (5 percent). Together with other Chinese phone makers such as Lenovo, the group held two-thirds of the local smartphone market in the second quarter, IDC said in a report published last month. Less than three years ago, the aggregate market share of these companies was under 15 percent in India. [...] Indian smartphone makers Micromax, Karbonn Mobile, Lava, and others together held about 46 percent of the market in early 2016. Per the report, Chinese players were originally the design and hardware (ODM) partners of Indian smartphone vendors. They saw an opportunity in India, and cut the middlemen -- Indian vendors -- and started selling phones themselves. Their offerings were better and more cost-effective. Interestingly, even in the premium smartphone segment -- phones priced at $400 or higher -- OnePlus, a Chinese phone manufacturer, outperformed Samsung and Apple in India in the most recent quarter.
In the second quarter of this year, four of the top five smartphone makers were Chinese, according to IDC. In addition to Xiaomi, that number includes Oppo (7.6 percent market share), Vivo (12.6 percent), and Transsion (5 percent). Together with other Chinese phone makers such as Lenovo, the group held two-thirds of the local smartphone market in the second quarter, IDC said in a report published last month. Less than three years ago, the aggregate market share of these companies was under 15 percent in India. [...] Indian smartphone makers Micromax, Karbonn Mobile, Lava, and others together held about 46 percent of the market in early 2016. Per the report, Chinese players were originally the design and hardware (ODM) partners of Indian smartphone vendors. They saw an opportunity in India, and cut the middlemen -- Indian vendors -- and started selling phones themselves. Their offerings were better and more cost-effective. Interestingly, even in the premium smartphone segment -- phones priced at $400 or higher -- OnePlus, a Chinese phone manufacturer, outperformed Samsung and Apple in India in the most recent quarter.
So, essentially (Score:5, Insightful)
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it's how the chinese government keeps tabs on its greatest threats..
No it isn't [vice.com]. I don't think India will let them do that though.
Re:So, essentially (Score:5, Interesting)
No cases of malware or spyware has ever been discovered in the large Chinese manufacturer's phones, like Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo. There have only been accusations, nothing backed up.
On the other hand, it's been repeatedly shown, and admitted, that American telecom equipment contains back doors. Give that a good think.
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Exactly. I'd trust Chinese phones before I'd trust apple.
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Native spyware was found by the US government in multiple brands of Chinese smartphones. The brands included OnePlus, Xiaomi, and ZTE.
I had a ZTE and I can attest, in my (and others') attempt to root it, it was found to be solidly locked down so the spyware could not be uninstalled.
Certain models of ZTE, and OnePlus, and Xiaomi "call home" which happens to be in China, and report on your activities. (Hey... Google does it too.)
The affected models were banned for use by mili
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>_ Chinese smartphone makers now rule the world's largest and the second largest smartphone markets? That is incredible to say the least.
No, it's far worse than that (or better, depending how you look at it).
I'm in South America and we got two cars which were introduced in India first over here. They're sub-compacts in the American terminology, they start simple and are progressively improved, migrating to more expensive tiers as electronics and features are added.
What's important is that India is an exc
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Chinese smartphone makers now rule the world's largest and the second largest smartphone markets? That is incredible to say the least.
I hate to say it, but it is a sad statement wrt to India (considering the enormous amount of talent in that country) that it could/would not develop a hardware manufacturing base capable of competing with their Chinese counterparts.
Small surprise, considering the price/performance (Score:4, Insightful)
I had a Xiaomi 3S for two years, it is still a great phone, I've strapped it to the dog harness for GPS and telemetry when we're in the woods. I moved on to Note 5, also a great phone. Bonus: both are completely open handsets, no hackery to unlock and root, all kinds of roms available.
Why would I ever look at a walled-garden or a locked phone where I'm getting a lot less but it costs three times more?
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I don't know about "subtext", but the text is actually saying something a bit different, that is, that the Chinese makers have made smart partnerships that allowed them to win market share, and that includes making the smartphones in India:
In addition to expanding their retail presence in the nation, they have made major investments in local manufacturing and assembly, helping to create new jobs for Indians and opportunities for small and medium businesses... Currently over 95 percent of Xiaomi smartphones
What about Apple (Score:3)
What about Apple? Apple’s marketshare in India continues to fall as it hits 1% in Q2 [9to5mac.com]
Whoops, that's not good, in the soon-to-be world's most populous nation.
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Wait, what? Are you an Apple employee?
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Not exactly the kind of customers Apple is interested in
But the Chinese Android manufacturers are very interested. Though it may be obvious, let me spell it out: in technology, market disruption always starts at the low end.
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Though it may be obvious, let me spell it out: in technology, market disruption always starts at the low end.
Weird how that's a truism yet the iPod and iPhone were decried for their cost when they were released.
Clearly Different (Score:2)
Weird how that's a truism yet the iPod and iPhone were decried for their cost when they were released.
Except the Mp3 model was a disruptive product, that was significantly better than anything before, well executed against smaller competitors, copying their established interface in a market of fanatics with Media backing, and had a great store in itunes, with amazing marketing; they are a Trillion Dollar company because of its evolution. Snartphones are an established market where smartphones have better value, more innovative products, without the fanatics and Media backing. They have a worse store, runni
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Going much higher than 1% would require slashing their profits, and selling at a lower price in India. If they did this, the phones would be exported to Europe en-masse to undercut the ones sold there at a higher price. Carrier-unlocked iPhones aren't otherwise region-locked, so there's little they could do to stop that.
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Apple isn't doing well in China either. [businessinsider.com]
Not sure about if that is true (Score:1)
Apple isn't doing well in China either.
Having looked at the figures. I was surprised Apple is doing so well at 8%...clearly pandering to the Chinese Government is still profitable. Samsung are being demolished...and are desperate for a new strategy. Unlike Apple they are not a Chinese manufacturer. If there is news with China and Apple its they are not kicking butts and taking names. Apple only produce phones once a year, and that will hurt them the rest of the year. The fact it is only .3 percent of total market share and less than .1 to them s
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Stop thinking China, internally, is anything like a "Western-style" free market. It's not even close.
It sometimes resembles a free market to those outside the country. But that's merely illusion created for international traders. Internally, it is very tightly government controlled. And there is no "intellectual property" at all... in fact other countries keep having to remind China -- sternly -- that it promised to honor
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Since the 1860 end of the opium wars. Back then, competition meant they were forced to import everything from Europe with military intervention if sales dropped.
No Donation Necessary (Score:1)
iPhones are too expensive in India (Score:2)
iPhones are too expensive for the mass market in India, due to huge tariffs.
When you start with a higher price (Score:2)
When you start with a higher price the price moves even higher.
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Sadly the Apple's of the world would rather meet their margins then make a cheaper phone. They loose in countries where the people make wiser decisions on buying technology based on what their needs and wallet can afford. Not because it has a fruit on the back of them. People in India are rather agnostic to what brand they buy, just as long as it works.
Better value phones with compelling reasons to buy, real innovation and Government's/ Media that is not pro-Apple. Actual average costs of phones is being driven upwards, by great value high end phones like the Pocophone F1, and an exciting mid-range market that does more. Apple is fighting back with an LCD model that I suspect gives good margins to vendors, but worryingly for them Chinese companies other than Apple are increasingly cutting these middle men out. I don't believe that they are agnostic about
Marketshare != profits (Score:2)
Chinese smartphone makers are succeeding because they are focusing on marketshare only. While component makers understand this an extract profits from the underlying tech these devices are based on. That's the reason why Samsung and Sony make a lot more in semiconductors and sensors than smartphones.
Huawei is the only Chinese company that can put up a fight in that sense.
Xiaomi Launching in the US (Score:1)
So why not dump them on to 1.324 billion customers nation?! Huawei and Xiaomi must be raking in tons of money while trumpeting their noses at Washington and Pentagon.
Senior veep Wang Xiang said it was developing US-specific smartphone models with a 2019 launch in mind. It is currently flush with Money from its IPO. The phone in my pocket is a Mi Max 2.
ChiComm evil by Google (Score:1)
Google does lots and lots of evil. And China is the Evil Empire. The two are made for each other.
Except Google left China (Score:1)
Google does lots and lots of evil. And China is the Evil Empire. The two are made for each other.
Ironically Google effectively shut down its Chinese operations after it discovered a cyberattack from within the country that targeted it and dozens of other companies. And while investigating the attack, Google found that the Gmail accounts of a number of Chinese human-rights activists had been hacked. It expected Microsoft and Apple to follow suit...but well money. At least Apple/Microsoft is there to actively censoring for the Chinese Government...because blood money.
Apple Sympathizer (Score:1)
Are crafted by Chinese sympathizers. This story is designed to convince folks to get Chinese phones because it seems like theyâ(TM)ll be the clear winners and no one wants a loser phone.
Apple is working on the India issue, where do you think those used iPhones you sell back to apple go? They are going to start producing in India.
I don't think you realise that Apple are a Chinese Manufacture. Ironically you failed to read the article; 95% of phones sold in India by Xiaomi are manufactured in India. India has made it clear they do not want to be a dumping ground for Apples old phones...and at 1% who wants Apple's Loser Phone.
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