The dynamic Indian smartphone market gives every brand a fair chance. But it takes a lot of potential to take on the big guns such as Apple and Samsung. While Xiaomi made its presence worthwhile, OnePlus made quite a name for itself – and both these companies did so at the expense of Apple and Samsung's growth in India.
Now, OnePlus is adding another feather to its cap. The young Chinese smartphone company dared to target the premium smartphone segment, which has been widely dominated by Apple and Samsung and managed to succeed when many brands failed at their attempts. Following the release of OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T this year alone, the company has grown favourite among many.
In just four years, OnePlus has managed to outshine giants like Samsung and Apple in the industry. The company's community-first approach paired with value-for-money phones has contributed its success in India, which is only second after Chine in terms of global market share. According to the latest YouGov BrandIndex report for Aug-Oct quarter, there's evidence showing OnePlus' growing popularity in the country.
The data shows that OnePlus is more popular than the iPhones and Samsung Galaxy smartphones among the urban youth aged between 16 and 29 years. Interestingly, the report pointed out that OnePlus is more favourable among males than females, who still prefer iPhones over OnePlus smartphones.
"It is interesting to see these ever-changing trends within the dynamic smartphones category. Although OnePlus is relatively newer in the premium phones category, it has definitely made an impact on the market. YouGov BrandIndex helps to track a brand's performance and the impact of any promotional campaign across different target groups. The youth is a very important target segment and brands should watch out for the latest trends within this age set," Deepa Bhatia, General Manager, YouGov India, said in a statement.
The report further added that OnePlus' Index score, which combines an average of Buzz, Impression, Quality, Value, Satisfaction, Reputation, and Recommend scores, grew steadily between mid-August and October end. Additionally, OnePlus led the charts in the consideration score for brands, which shows whether someone would consider purchasing a brand.
After a brief dip in September end, OnePlus picked up the consideration score towards the end of October while Apple and Samsung came in at second and third positions, respectively. It's worth noting that Samsung's dip was significant in the last quarter.
