Micromax beats Samsung to become India’s largest smartphone vendor: Canalys

Samsung is no longer the largest smartphone vendor in India. As per the latest stats provided by research analyst group Canalys, Indian smartphone brand Micromax has surpassed the South Korean technology company to claim the top spot based on their performance in Q4 2014.

Canalys reports that Micromax now captures 22 percent of market share compared to Samsung’s 20 percent. This is the first time an Indian smartphone brand has taken the top spot.

Indian smartphone manufacturers Karbonn Mobiles and Lava have bagged the position for third and fourth largest smartphone manufacturers respectively.

This is the first time in years when Samsung has lost the top position in the country. Canalys notes that this is mostly because of Micromax’s relatively cheap-priced offerings in the Canvas range. The company also sells a wide range of affordable handsets.

While Micromax has lured customers with its cheap-priced handsets, Samsung, on the other hand, has been constantly criticized for over-pricing its flagship and premium handsets in the country.

“Micromax has been quicker than its competitors to improve the appeal of devices, for example, by including a wide variety of local languages on its Unite phones,” Canalys Analyst Rushabh Doshi said in a statement. “Lava, another domestic vendor, has launched devices that cater to the preference for greater battery life – in this case a couple of days. But vital to success is selling these handsets at low price points to appeal to the bulging mid-level income market in India.”

This is the second blow to Samsung this year. Last month, the smartphone manufacturer reportedly lost the spot for the world’s largest smartphone shipment to Apple, which reported a record-setting earnings and shipment numbers last month.

IMPORT:-BGRindia