iPhone takes second place in Indian smartphone market
updated 02:35 pm EDT, Wed March 13, 2013
Credit given to 'mom-and-pop' retail sales
The iPhone is now the second-most popular smartphone in India, having achieved a 15.6 percent share in Q4, according to IDC data reported by CNN. The shift is attributed to Apple finally accommodating the "mom-and-pop" stores that dominate the Indian electronics market, instead of depending solely on carriers and major resellers. Samsung remained on top of the local smartphone market in Q4 at 38.8 percent, while Sony was in third at 9.4 percent. CNN notes that in the previous quarter, the iPhone wasn't even in the top five.
That situation was blamed on the iPhone previously costing up to 30 percent more in India than in the US, and sometimes taking as long as a year to deliver, by which time a new model was likely available. In general the iPhone is still more expensive than most Indians can afford, creating a disadvantage for Apple versus Android phone makers like Samsung.
