The iPhone manufacturer increased its market share in the super-premium pricing range — phones costing more than Rs 45,000 — to 70% from 50% the previous year, edging out competitors Samsung and OnePlus.

Overall, India’s smartphone shipments reached around 170 million in 2021, with Apple accounting for 3.75 percent of overall shipments, according to Counterpoint Research.

Apple is increasing domestic manufacture of iPhones, iPads, and Macs in India and Vietnam to minimize its reliance on China. It is already producing its popular iPhone 12, iPhone 11, and XR models, as well as others, in India. With the iPhone SE, Apple began manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017.

SEE ALSO: World’s First Reverse-Engineered, Waterproof iPhone To Go On Auction Soon And You Can Buy It

According to Times Of India report, Apple continued to gain market share throughout the year, owing to a higher amount of domestic manufacture, aggressive retail activities, and strong customer demand during the major Deepavali sale.

“The fact that Apple was able to manage and diversify its supply chains during the epidemic is the key to its market performance. Apple, for example, collaborates with several ODMs in India to build its premium iPhone models” Prabhu Ram, Head-Intelligence Group, CMR said.

In India, the iPhone 12 (which had a 40% market share in Q4) was the most popular model, followed by the iPhone 11, SE (2020), iPhone 13, and iPhone 13 Pro Max models. In the third quarter (Q3), Apple shipped approximately 1.53 million iPhones in the United States.

“With the possible release of the iPhone SE 2022 edition in the first half of 2022, as well as enhanced accessibility and affordability on its older-generation iPhones, Apple will be well-positioned to turbocharge its India growth narrative,” he shared with Gadgets Now.

Apple has for the first time doubled its smartphone market share in India to over 4% in the Christmas quarter of 2020, thanks to the outstanding performance of the iPhone 11 and XR. As the tech giant prepares to manufacture/assemble its top-of-the-line handsets in India, Apple has begun constructing its new flagship iPhone 13.

Cover Image: Unsplash