- Saurabh Sharma, Country Manager, Spire Research and Consulting
India can easily be considered as an Android country since 91% of its market share belongs to devices using Google’s mobile operating system. It is an open-source, Linux-based operating system designed specifically for smartphones and computer tablets. This facilitates easy accessibility for programmers to provide enhanced services as well as improve the core functionality of the device. According to statistics, the Android platform has breached 80% market share globally in the third quarter of 2013.
With 40 million smartphones in the country, Indian users have an easy access to smartphones to stay connected online. With more consumers wanting to get their hands on smartphones and computer tablets, this has unsurprisingly pushed for the dominance of Androids across markets. Moreover, Androids is adopted by all major smartphone players in India – local players such as Karbonn and Micromax, as well as Chinese players such as Huawei and ZTE have jumped on the bandwagon. It is plain to see that this strong adoption from industry players is the main driver in Androids dominating the Indian smartphones market in 2013.
One of the biggest smartphone players, Samsung, has singlehandedly contributed to approximately 40% of the total 211.6 million smartphone shipments worldwide in 2013. It is currently holding on to 79.3% share in the global smartphone market. However, it also faces stiff competition from Apple in the USD450 segment, where both giants are vying over 80% volume share. Besides, the local Indian players are also creating a competitive environment in the low and mid-tiers segments.
The rise of Androids
The Android market is most popular with users under 25 years of age (50%). The rise of Androids in India can be attributed to the accessibility of low-priced smartphones that are equipped with a wide range of features, as well as the availability of cheaper data plans offered by service providers. The price of Android smartphones typically fall between the range of INR3,000 and INR45,000; propelling their reach to a wide audience. Besides, the increasing comfort level in using the open-source operating system amongst programmers has also led to Androids’ growth.
Another factor contributing to its escalating popularity is the rise IN THE AVAILABILITY AND DIVERSITY OF Android-based applications. According to research, games is the most popular category among paid apps, with nearly 3 out of 5 users (58%) paying for games. Other popular paid apps categories include chat/instant messaging apps (53%) and streaming music apps (45%).
What lies ahead?
India and China will add over 400 million smartphone users by 2014 – comprising half of the total that will emerge in 47 countries across the globe. It is predicted that India will gain 200 million smartphone users and surge ahead of the US; making it the second country with the highest smartphone penetration in the world.
With these developments, marketers have to arm themselves with technologically advanced devices that offer value-added features to lure the 200 million potential smartphones users in India. As consumers become more tech-savvy by the day, there is a compelling need for industry players to understand the market and be innovative in their product offering to secure their share in the smartphone market.
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