iPhone sales in India reached a milestone during the first week of festive sales, crossing 1.5 million units. This marks a 25% increase in sales compared to the previous year, according to a report released on Friday.
The overall smartphone sales during the festive season also grew by 25% in terms of value, driven by strong demand for Samsung, Apple, and Xiaomi devices. Interestingly, online channels experienced a surge in demand, prompting them to raise prices from the third day of the sales week.
During the first 48 hours of the sales, around 80% of phones sold on Amazon and Flipkart were 5G capable. Flipkart witnessed almost 50% year-on-year growth in the premium segment, driven by the iPhone 14 and Galaxy S21 FE, while Amazon saw a segment growth of almost 200% with the iPhone 13 and Galaxy S23 FE.
This year, all three iPhone models – iPhone 14, iPhone 13, and iPhone 12 – experienced high demand, unlike the previous year when the iPhone 13 was the major driver. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE also witnessed strong sales, with the model being sold out on Flipkart within two days of the sale.
The price segment of Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000 saw faster 5G upgrades, as OEMs launched several devices ahead of the festive season. On Amazon, the top sellers in this segment were the realme Narzo 60x 5G, Galaxy M14 5G, and M34 5G, while on Flipkart, the vivo T2x emerged as the top seller.
According to the report, the strong demand for premium devices is expected to continue even after the first week of sales. This is attributed to the availability of financing and credit schemes, including per-day EMIs.
Offline sales are also expected to benefit from the strong consumer sentiment, as there is parity between offline and online discounts. The report predicts a 7% year-on-year growth in smartphone sales volume during the festive season, with a 15% year-on-year increase in the average selling price.
In other news, Google has introduced new credit offerings on Google Pay in India, aiming to provide sachet loans and credit on UPI. Furthermore, Elon Musk has announced that X will soon launch a premium subscription plan to remove ads. Additionally, OnePlus has launched the OnePlus Open foldable in India as an affordable alternative to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Source:
– Business Insider India: [link to the source article]
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