India’s smartphone market is one of the largest globally, rivaling China in size. Despite a recent slowdown in consumer demand, the market continues to grow due to its expanding customer base. To stay updated on changing consumer preferences, it is important to monitor the top 10 smartphone brands in India regularly. Take a look at the most popular phone brands in India in the first half of 2023, based on user searches on 91mobiles.com. This data offers a glimpse into the evolving consumer trends and provides an indication of what to expect in the second half of the year.
Realme – 17.2 percent
Realme, surprisingly, emerged as the most popular phone brand in the first half of 2023, despite facing a decline in industry rankings during the last two quarters. Recent market share reports showed Realme dropping to the fifth position, trailing behind Samsung, Vivo, and Xiaomi. This setback prompted the company to reevaluate its market strategy, focusing more on the under Rs 30,000 segment. However, despite these challenges, Realme’s popularity has not waned.
The driving force behind the brand’s popularity is likely the Realme 10 Pro+ and Realme 11 Pro devices. These smartphones introduced curved displays and the latest camera technology in the under Rs 30,000 category, which has seen intense competition and numerous launches this year. Additionally, Realme has been aggressively targeting the under Rs 20,000 market with its C series and Narzo series products.
Popular Realme smartphones launched recently:
Samsung – 15.4 percent
Samsung secured the second position with a significant 15.4% share in the popularity meter. Throughout the first half of 2023, the company adopted an aggressive approach, unveiling a plethora of devices across its entire portfolio, encompassing the Galaxy F, M, A, and S series. Notable smartphones that garnered attention during this period included the Galaxy F14, M54, A34, M34, A54, and the flagship Galaxy S23 series.
Popular Samsung smartphones launched recently:
OnePlus – 13.5 percent
OnePlus rightfully earned its place among the top three brands, considering its impressive product lineup for 2023. After facing challenges and criticism from their loyal customer base last year, the company made a strong comeback. Since January, OnePlus has introduced five new models, and almost all of them have achieved best-seller status in their respective segments. The OnePlus 11 5G, OnePlus 11R, OnePlus Nord 3, and OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite have all received critical acclaim.
Popular OnePlus smartphones launched recently:
Xiaomi – 11.4 percent
Securing the fourth spot on both the smartphone shipment market shares and popularity charts is Xiaomi, holding an 11.4 percent share. This Chinese brand, which once dominated the Indian smartphone market as the top-selling brand, has experienced a decline in market share over the past 2-4 quarters. The drop can be attributed to the company’s excessive number of new launches in 2022.
To address this, Xiaomi has taken a more measured approach for 2023, focusing primarily on its Redmi Note series devices and introducing its flagship Xiaomi 13 Pro handset. The Redmi Note 12 series devices were marketed as all-rounders, boasting impressive design, display, and camera specifications in their respective segments.
Popular Xiaomi smartphones launched recently:
Vivo – 10.8 percent
Securing the fifth position among the top 10 popular smartphone brands in India during H1, Vivo attracted a diverse customer base with its offerings spread across three distinct lineups. Firstly, there is the newly launched V27 series, which serves as their all-rounder lineup in the upper mid-range segment. Following that, Vivo offers its flagship X90 series, showcasing the company’s collaboration with Zeiss to enhance the camera capabilities. Additionally, Vivo has also ventured into the foldable phone market.
The Vivo V27 series, introduced in Q1, has emerged as one of the most reliable and well-equipped mid-premium range smartphones available in the country. Comprising models like V27 and V27 Pro, this lineup caters to consumers looking for a balance of performance and features. The Vivo X90 flagship series takes the company’s partnership with Zeiss to the forefront, emphasizing advanced photography capabilities for photography enthusiasts.
Popular Vivo smartphones launched recently:
iQOO – 5.7 percent
Taking the sixth position with a 5.7 percent share, iQOO, Vivo’s sub-brand, has a unique standing in the Indian smartphone market. iQOO has consistently focused on catering to the gaming community in the country, positioning its devices to appeal to GenZ audiences. Nevertheless, the brand is now exploring opportunities in other market segments as well. For instance, they have introduced devices like the iQOO 11 5G and the recently launched iQOO Neo 7 Pro, which can be perceived as all-around products suitable for various user needs. Additionally, iQOO has also entered the under Rs 20,000 market with its Z series devices.
Popular iQOO smartphones launched recently:
OPPO – 5.1 percent
OPPO has maintained a dominant position in the offline smartphone market in India, much like Samsung. The company strategically relies on an extensive product lineup to cater to diverse consumer needs. Among its offerings, the Reno series stands out as a mass-market product. Recently, OPPO ventured into the foldable phone market by introducing its very first foldable device, the OPPO Find N2 Flip, in the country. This clamshell-style folder draws inspiration from Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip line, featuring several significant enhancements to the narrow folding design, resulting in a visually appealing device with notable aesthetics.
Popular OPPO smartphones launched recently:
POCO – 5.0 percent
The Xiaomi subsidiary, POCO, has successfully established itself as a robust brand with a series of impressive launches in the first half of the year. Notable among them are the POCO F5, POCO X5 Pro, and the budget-friendly POCO C55 smartphone. Through these releases, POCO has been steadily building its reputation in the market, and the brand’s efforts have been further strengthened by its association with the Indian men’s cricket team player, Hardik Pandya, who now serves as a brand ambassador.
Popular POCO smartphones launched recently:
Motorola – 3.4 percent
Motorola is gradually reclaiming its appeal in the Indian market and has established a notable presence in the budget segment. While the company was actively introducing new models in its G series last year, it has taken a more measured approach in updating the lineup this year. Instead, Motorola has shifted its focus towards delivering compelling mid-range devices. The Motorola Edge 40, in particular, has captured considerable interest from buyers, showcasing the brand’s commitment to offering competitive smartphones in this segment. Furthermore, Motorola recently unveiled its foldable offerings, the Moto Razr 40 and Razr 40 Ultra, which have further bolstered its product portfolio.
Popular Motorola smartphones launched recently:
Infinix – 2.6 percent
In H1 of this year, Infinix experienced significant progress with the introduction of two new laptops under its brand, a notable step towards diversification for a brand still establishing its presence in the Indian smartphone market. Alongside these laptop launches, Infinix also made its mark with several smartphone releases, including the Infinix Note 12i, Zero 5G, and Smart 7, showcasing the brand’s commitment to expanding its smartphone lineup. In the laptop segment, the ZeroBook Ultra and InBook Y1 Plus were introduced, further solidifying Infinix’s position in the computing space.
Popular Infinix smartphones launched recently:
