Apple’s India business almost doubled in Oct-Dec quarter, made in India iPhone 12 soon

Backing on the 5G wave and the launch of iPhone 12, Apple has managed to post a record quarter in India. According to the market research firm, Counterpoint iPhone shipments crossed 1.5 million for the first time in the October-December period, doubling its market share to 4 per cent.

The same report pegs that the global smartphone market declined 1 per cent YoY in Q4 2020. However, the market rose 8 per cent QoQ in Q4 2020, recovering from the global impact of COVID-19. The quarter experienced a subdued recovery from the pandemic especially in areas like Western Europe and LATAM due to the emergence of new strains of the virus coupled with a spike in new infections.

 Commenting on the market dynamics, Research Analyst, Aman Chaudhary from Counterpoint said, “The market declined 10 per cent YoY in CY 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19 and the resulting lockdowns, which impacted performance in the first half of the year.  With the easing of lockdowns, the market rebounded in the second half thanks to pent-up demand being fulfilled by the streamlined supply chain. It is interesting to note that the market also made a distinct migration from feature phones to smartphones as the devices became a medium for education, work and entertainment. A strong 5G push by the industry through reduced device prices and operator tariffs further boosted the market’s recovery process.”

Commenting on the 5G scenario, Senior Research Analyst, Harmeet Singh Walia said, “5G shipments continued to accelerate registering a 120 per cent QoQ jump in Q4. The overall 5G smartphone penetration increased to 33 per cent of total smartphone shipments compared to 17 per cent in the previous quarter. The growth was driven by the launch of the iPhone 12 and a strong portfolio of products from brands like OnePlus, OPPO, Xiaomi and Vivo in the sub-$300 price band.”

While Apple's sales are surging in India, it is also planning to ramp up production in India. According to a news report by Nikkei Asia, Apple is planning to move its production away from China and will switch to plants in India and Vietnam. The reason for this move is said to be US-China tensions in the past few months. It is also being touted that the first made in India iPhone 12 may be ready as early as this quarter.