OnePlus was launched as a mid-range smartphone brand. OnePlus rose to fame with their OnePlus 3T device. Since, then they steadily increased the price point of each subsequent device and the latest OnePlus 7 Pro is right up there among the flagships of the world.
The goal is to provide high-end specs at a fairly low price point. With the OnePlus 7 Pro, they were able to give triple camera setup, 90 Hz screen refresh rate, rising selfie camera, 8 GB RAM, and Snapdragon 855 at a reasonable price point of around INR 50,000. If Samsung or Apple created a phone with similar specs, its price would be around INR 85,000.
OnePlus phones provide value which is why they fly off the shelves like hot cakes. According to a report, OnePlus has reportedly achieved the highest ever shipment rate in the history of the company. 43% is the shipment rate in Q2 for OnePlus which is better than Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo. OnePlus no longer competes with Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo as people hardly buy premium phones of these companies.
They used to sell mid-range devices but now it has classified itself as a leader in the premium smartphone category (INR 40,000 and above). A large majority of this surge in the shipment rate is because of the good reception of the device from the users and critics. Their market share also rose to 26% after the launch of OnePlus 7 Pro.
Indians are slowly inclining towards premium smartphones. Currently, 33% of Indians use premium smartphones with OnePlus leading the pack. Samsung’s share stands at 22% whereas Apple’s share has gone below 20% for the first time in many years.
A large majority of Apple’s revenue in India comes from iPhone XR. Apple is planning to open a manufacturing plant in India which would help them to produce iPhones locally. Also, Apple will no longer be required to pay 20% import duties.
Samsung launched 3 devices in the S series; S10, S10+, and S10E. S10+ was the most expensive whereas S10E was the least expensive but sales figures show that S10+ is the highest-selling device of the three. This goes on to prove that Indians are now ready to pay more for a better experience.
Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus are dominating the smartphone market in India with a combined market share of 85%. Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and Huawei form the remaining 15%.
