While the race between smartphones and tablets continues unabated, it is the phablet domain which seems to be winning with a massive rise in the market share.
According to reports from IDC, the phablet segment, which consists of devices with screen sizes ranging from 5 to 6.99 inches, grew rapidly 17 times over the year and now accounts for 30 percent of the smartphones sold in India in the second quarter of 2013, despite the fact that the smartphone market almost tripled its shipments in comparison with Q2 of 2012, with 9.3 million units.
Samsung managed to retain the position of the largest smartphone vendor in India by grabbing a 26 percent market share. Interestingly, Micromax has moved up to the second spot with a 22 percent market share. The third place was held by Karbonn, followed by Nokia and Sony
Speaking about the smartphone market in India, Senior Market Analyst, IDC’s Client Devices group, Kiranjeet Kaur, said, “The key for growth in India, like in other emerging markets, is a low-priced phone equipped with a large screen and dual SIM slots. Topped with an attractive sub-US $200 price tag, these smartphones are highly attractive.”
