Samsung, Lenovo, Xiaomi crowned top 4G handset brands in India in 2015: Report

Samsung is the leading brand for 4G smartphones in India, having acquired 35 percent market share in 2015, CyberMedia Research (CMR) revealed in its latest market analysis report Thursday. As per the findings, Lenovo and Xiaomi followed Samsung with 21 percent and 10 percent market share in the 4G LTE segment, respectively.

CMR's latest report on LTE devices' adoption trends in India in 2015 said overall 4G device shipments grew 17 times to 33 million units, most of which came from smartphones. The data was compiled from shipments of 4G-enabled smartphones, tablets and data cards, which contributed 98 percent, 0.9 percent and 1 percent, respectively.

"We have now over 35 million users equipped with 4G-capable devices," Faisal Kawoosa, lead analyst at CMR Telecoms Practice, said in a statement. "4G has come at a very opportune time to give impetus to the growth of the devices market, resulting in such high number growths."

Apple and Micromax were among the top five brands for India's LTE devices shipments last year, having acquired 5 percent and 8 percent market share, respectively. CMR noted India's 4G devices' shipments were driven mainly by international players while Indian brands made up just 14 percent of the entire market share.

The overall 4G market in India is on a path of rapid growth. Important players like Reliance Jio and Airtel in the mobile carrier ecosystem are emphasising on 4G rollout across the country.

"The Indian market is heading towards what can be called the 4G era," Krishna Mukherjee, another analyst at CMR Telecoms Practice, said. "The ecosystem is only expected to further catalyse the growth."

India is seen as one of the fastest-growing markets for smartphones around the world. It recently surpassed the United States to become the world's second-largest smartphone market after China. Manufacturers are closely monitoring and reevaluating their presence in the country to gain optimum success.

A recent report by Assocham, India's apex trade body, estimated a smartphone shipment growth from 100 million units in 2016 to 160 million units next year. Another report by the Department of Technology said mobile phone production in India is expected to reach 500 million in the next two years.