The VoLTE-enabled Jio phone[1] will slow down the shift from feature phones to smartphones[2], according to Counterpoint Research. The shift from 2G/ 3G phones to 4G handsets, however, will not be impeded as consumers on 2G feature phones and 3G smartphones are both expected to upgrade to newer 4G-capable models, such as Jio phone. The report says that over 150 million units of LTE handsets now exist in India, which makes it the world's third-largest country in terms of LTE handsets.
Counterpoint data also said Chinese smartphone brands continue to dominate the Indian market with a market share of over 50 percent. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4[3], Redmi 4[4], Samsung Galaxy J2[5], Oppo A37[6], and Samsung Galaxy J7[7] were the top five smartphones in India in terms of sales[8]. Samsung[9] (26.6 percent), Itel (15.7 percent), Micromax[10] (8.6 percent), Lava[11] (7.5 percent), and Intex[12] (6.3 percent) account for the most feature phones sold in India, according to the same report. We'd love to see sales numbers of the Jio phone once it starts shipping. Its low price is likely to help it sell in large volumes. While the price tag may appear to be too tempting to resist, there are a lot of questions around the JioPhone which still need to be answered. On this week's episode of Orbital[13] podcast, we point out the catch for all those who want to buy the JioPhone[14].
While Counterpoint claims the Indian mobile phone market grew just 4 percent in the previous quarter, Canalys says the smartphone market, in fact, contracted for the first time[15]. Compared to the same quarter a year ago, the...