CMR: India's 5G smartphone shipments to reach 11 million units in 2021

While the timeline for the launch of 5G services in India is unclear, supply and demand are playing out in the highly competitive smartphone market.

According to a consumer survey conducted by CMR in India, Indians have strong interest and optimism about 5G phones. Among users of premium smartphones (greater than INR 25,000) in India, 5G support has become one of the top three considerations for purchasing smartphones.

Among millennials, 5G capabilities are also a key consideration.

Since Realme launched its first 5G mobile phone in India in the first quarter of 2020, 5G has developed significantly in India.

Since the second quarter of 2020, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Motorola and OPPO have all released competitive 5G smartphone products.

In the INR 7,000-25,000 segment, the OnePlus Nord series accounts for almost half of 5G shipments.

In the high-end smartphone market of INR 26,000-50,000, OnePlus accounts for 8/10 of the shipments, followed by Vivo.

In 2020, high-end smartphones accounted for half of 5G smartphone shipments.

In the super premium segment (INR 51,000-100,000), Apple won 54% market share with its iPhone 12 series, followed by OnePlus and OPPO.

In the above INR 100,000 segment, Samsung dominated with the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (2/3 of shipments), followed by Apple.

Boosted by strong consumer demand during the festive season, India's 5G smartphone shipments reached 2.2 million to 2.5 million units in 2020. At least 11 million 5G phones will be shipped in 2021.