Xiaomi didn't win the second largest smartphone brand tag in India by chance. The company has a successful line-up of premium and affordable smartphones that give tough competition to existing players in the market. In the latest achievement, the company announced that its ultra-affordable Redmi 3S has become the highest selling smartphone in the online market, and we are not surprised.
Xiaomi announced on social media channels on Saturday that it managed to sell four million units of Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime in a matter of just nine months. The handset was launched in August last year, and has been favoured by many for its affordable Rs. 6,999 price tag and premium specifications.
The combination of top-notch features in an affordable package has worked wonders for Xiaomi. With this strategy, the company is further expanding its product portfolio in India with the launch of its Redmi 4 smartphone.
Xiaomi has picked May 16 as the date to launch the Redmi 4 in India. The handset's specs are already out, as it was launched in China last year. The pricing of the Redmi 4 will determine the success of the phone in India, which rumours have pegged it under Rs. 10,000.
The sub-Rs. 10,000 is the most competitive price category for smartphones in India. Xiaomi has managed to flood this category with its handsets like Redmi 3S, Redmi 4A and others. The company's Redmi 4A has also been quite successful so far. The company said it sold 250,000 units of the Rs. 5,999 smartphone in March 2017.
Xiaomi's growth in India has been consistent. From 3 million smartphone shipments in the final quarter of 2016, the company scaled up to 3.8 million units in the first quarter of 2017. The company now has a staggering 14 percent market share as of January-March 2017 quarter. Comparatively, Samsung stands at 22 percent share during the same period, Canalys survey revealed.
With new smartphone launches lined up for this year, Xiaomi is on the path to set new records. But it remains to be seen how the upcoming Redmi 4 sits in the competitive budget smartphone segment with new players such as Nokia hitting the market soon.
