Samsung loses its position as India’s top smartphone vendor

Just a few days after market research firm Counterpoint noted that Samsung actually lost its title of the world’s leading smartphone vendor in Q4, 2014, it is being reported that the South Korean company has been dethroned in the Indian smartphone market, too.

According to a report from market research firm Canalys, with 22% of the market share in Q4 last year, local budget brand Micromax has now become the top smartphone vendor in the country, ahead of Samsung at 20%. The Indian company already overtook the South Korean firm as the leading brand in all types of mobile phones last year.

"This incredible performance is partly due to Micromax’s continuing appeal to mobile phone users upgrading to smart phones," the report said. "Its flagship line of products has also very effectively targeted the US$150 to US$200 (INR9,000 to INR12,000) segment, with products such as the Canvas Nitro and Canvas Hue."

The third and the fourth spots were also claimed by Indian companies, namely Karbonn Mobiles and Lava, respectively. Overall, the Indian smartphone market, which is the third largest in the world, experienced a strong annual growth of 90%, with a total of 21.6 million units shipping in the quarter, the report notes.