In the world's second-largest smartphone market, iPhone shipments soared 70% during Q2
India is a very important country for Apple and there are several reasons why. First of all, India is the second largest smartphone market in the world after China and ahead of the United States. And Apple is expanding the assembly of iPhone units in India as it reportedly seeks to move as much as 50% of iPhone production out of China and into India by 2027. Unfortunately, India's status as a developing country means that consumers in India are more sensitive to the price of certain products like smartphones.
Because of the additional pricing flexibility seen on Android phones, that operating system has a stranglehold in India with a market share of close to 95%. Building more units in India helps eliminate an import tax that would be charged on units shipped into India. This could lower iPhone pricing for cost-conscious Indian phone buyers, and Apple hopes that building more iPhone units domestically might help to increase its market share in the country. And with its current share so low, there is almost nowhere to go but up.
And up Apple's market share in India did go during the second quarter of 2023 according to CyberMedia Research (CMR) (via the India Times). The report said that during the April-June period, iPhone shipments in the country soared 70% year-over-year. Menka Kumari, an analyst with CyberMedia said, "In Q2 2023, Apple witnessed robust growth in India. iPhone shipments surged by 70% year-on-year, with the iPhone 14 series and iPhone 13 series driving a significant portions of the shipments."
Apple hopes to move as much as 50% of iPhone production out of China and into India by 2027
52% of the iPhone models delivered during the quarter belonged to the 2021 iPhone 13 series. 45% of the shipments were phones belonging to last year's iPhone 14 line while iPhone 11 models from 2019 were responsible for 2% of the shipments. The last 1% of iPhone units delivered during the second quarter came from 2020's iPhone 12 series.
During the second-quarter, iPad shipments in the country rose 6% year-over-year. Kumari, the CMR analyst, said Apple's tablets were being used by Indian consumers for work, leisure, and education. The ninth-generation iPad from 2021 led the way with a 42% market share among Q2 iPad shipments in the country. Last year's tenth-generation iPad accounted for 22% of second quarter iPad shipments in India followed by the iPad Air (2022) and the iPad Pro (2022) series with shipments for the quarter up 18% and 16% respectively.
CMR expects Apple's strong momentum to continue during the second half of the year. It now forecasts that Apple will end the year with a 7% share of the country's smartphone market. As for the iPad, CMR expects the device to finish the year with a 25% share of the tablet market in India.
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