5G services were launched in India in October last year. Since then, various companies have been launching 5G smartphones in the country one after the other. But till now 4G connectivity phones were ahead in terms of sales. But a recent Counterpoint Research report claimed that 5G smartphone sales in India crossed 50% for the first time in April this year.
Tarun Pathak, director of the research firm, said India still has a long way to go, especially in terms of network coverage, but it is definitely a milestone. He said that 5G service is not available all over India at the moment but it is expected that this service will be spread all over the country very soon. The report also claimed that while Samsung was the first to bring 5G devices to the country, OnePlus emerged as the “real winner” in this regard.
While Samsung has brought 5G phones to the masses, OnePlus is the real winner, said Shilpi Jain, senior analyst. Because they have captured a third of all 5G smartphone sales in the last few months.
5G Phones Contribution to Increase Smartphone Sales
In an earlier report, the research firm said that while India’s smartphone shipments declined by 19 percent year-on-year (YoY) in the first quarter of 2023 (Q1-2023), it increased in the quarter due to 5G smartphones.
The report also said that the sales rate of 5G smartphones crossed 40 percent for the first time and reached 43 percent. Consumers are rapidly upgrading to 5G devices.
Samsung emerged as India’s top brand with a 24 percent share in the first quarter. The South Korean company was the leading brand in terms of 5G shipments in the last two quarters as well. However, OnePlus Nord CE2 Lite was the best selling phone on a model basis.
