JioPhone leads feature phone market: Counterpoint

According to a new report by research firm Counterpoint, with a 30 percent market share, Reliance JioPhone became the leading feature phone brand in India in the first quarter of 2019.

While overall smartphone shipments grew 4 percent YoY. The market started off to a slow start post record festive season, but demand started picking up later in the quarter.

Xiaomi remained the smartphone market leader in Q1 2019 with a 29 percent share, though its shipments declined by 2 percent YoY.

Its aggressive offline expansion and a strong focus on product build helped to retain its top position in the Indian smartphone market. Its newly launched Redmi Note 7 series (Note 7 and Note 7 Pro) crossed the one million mark within the first quarter of its launch. Xiaomi's offline contribution was highest in March.

Samsung's A-series shipments surpassed two million units. The newly launched online-only M series started well too, but it will need a strong follow-up device to continue its momentum on the online platforms. Meanwhile, Huawei's ASP reached the highest-ever level driven by recently launched HONOR 10 Lite, HONOR View 20 and end of life for its entry-level segment.

Other brands which did well during the quarter include ASUS, Tecno and Nokia HMD. ASUS' lean portfolio with a focus on battery life and design in a competitive ₹8,000- ₹ 15,000 segment helped it to differentiate from the competition.