India's smartphone sales set a record for the January-to-March quarter this year, but a massive second wave of Covid-19 infections will hit future sales in the world's No.2 smartphone market, a research report showed on Monday.
Indians bought more smartphones during the period due to pent-up demand after a pandemic-ravaged 2020, sending phone shipments up 23 per cent year-over-year to more than 38 million units, the best sales for any first quarter, research firm Counterpoint said.
"These numbers should be taken with caution... consumer demand will take a hit due to the ongoing Covid-19 wave and subsequent lockdowns," Counterpoint analyst Prachir Singh said.
The research comes as India battles a massive surge in Covid-19 infections, which has spurred lockdowns in many regions and pressured the country's health system.
China's Xiaomi Corp continued to be the top brand favoured by Indian buyers with a 26 per cent market share, followed by South Korea's Samsung, Counterpoint said.
Overall, Chinese brands controlled 75 per cent of the Indian smartphone market, the research showed.
Meanwhile, Apple tripled its Indian sales in the first quarter of 2021, maintaining a leading position in the premium smartphone segment thanks to strong demand for the iPhone 11 and discounts on the iPhone SE.
Apple sold more than 1 million iPhones in India - the world's biggest smartphone market after the United States - for two straight quarters for the first time, Counterpoint added.
(Published 26 April 2021, 15:09 IST)
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