What happened: Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has topped the Indian premium smartphone market for a second successive quarter with a 30% share in shipment, the latest data from research institute Counterpoint shows. This success owed mostly due to the sales of the company’s OnePlus 6 smartphone, which is sold at INR34,999 (around RMB 3,000). OnePlus was followed narrowly by Apple and Samsung, which recorded 28% and 25% share respectively.
Why it’s important: India is becoming one of the most important overseas markets for Chinese smartphone makers, which are trying to expand beyond a slowing domestic market. The entry of new players like Vivo, Oppo, Huawei, Asus, and LG put Indian’s premium market to a peak in Q3 2018. During the same reporting period, Xiaomi leads India’s overall smartphone shipment with a 27% market share.
