Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro Most Shipped Smartphone In Q1 2019: Counterpoint

According to a new report by research firm Counterpoint, smartphone shipments from the online channel reached its highest ever share of 43 percent during Q1 2019.

The report said that online channel shipments grew 17 percent year-on-year (YoY) in Q1 2019 driven by new launches, sales events, and lucrative offers.

"Price cuts of popular devices and more launches drove online channel shipments to the highest ever level in Q1 2019. Xiaomi's Redmi 6A ₹ 5,999, Note 6 and 7 series, Samsung's online exclusive M series, Realme 3 Rs. 9,999, Honor 10 Lite ₹ 10,999, and Asus ZenFone Max Pro series were the major contributors for the growth," Anshika Jain, Research Analyst, Counterpoint Research, said.

However, the offline segment of smartphones declined by 4 percent.

Tarun Pathak, Associate Director, stated, "Key brands like Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus have started expanding offline, which reduced some of the dependency of these brands on online channels. Meanwhile, Samsung, traditionally strong in offline channels, focused on expanding in the online market with its M series on Amazon. Offline expansion is a key strategy for the growth of these players. Having said that we believe that the online channel will continue to hold significant importance in a price-conscious market like India."

Xiaomi Alone Captured Around 43%

Counterpoint also pointed out that the top five brands captured 85 percent of the total online market and Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi alone captured around 43 percent of the total online market during the same quarter

Its Redmi 6A, Redmi Note 6 Pro and Redmi Note 7 series drove volumes, contributing to almost two-thirds of Xiaomi's total online sales.

The firm noted that six out of the top ten models were from Xiaomi and Redmi 6A was the best-selling device in Q1 2019. It received multiple price cuts on online channels during the quarter.

Rs. 15,000- Rs. 20,000 was the fastest growing price segment in the online market in Q1 2019, driven by Xiaomi and Huawei.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro was the best performing model in this price band followed by HONOR 10 Lite.

Flipkart Led Overall Online Market

Furthermore, Xiaomi, Realme, ASUS, and Huawei contributed most for Flipkart and accounted for more than four-fifths of its total smartphone shipments.

Flipkart Mobile Bonanza and Women's Day Sale drove shipments of Xiaomi, Realme, and ASUS on its platform.

Though Flipkart led the overall online market with a 53 percent share, Amazon grew faster in Q1 2019 with 38 percent YoY growth.

The research firm said Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, and OnePlus drove Amazon's growth. Amazon witnessed high sales of Redmi 6A, Samsung's online exclusive M series, and OnePlus 6T on its Xplatform.