5G Smartphones Dominate 79% of India’s Shipments in 2024

The proportion of 5G smartphones in India's overall shipments hit 79% in the calendar year 2024, driven by increased accessibility of budget-friendly options from brands like China's Vivo and Korea's Samsung,  according to CyberMedia Research (CMR). According to its latest report, the market researcher indicated that Vivo had a 19% volume share, closely trailed by Samsung with 18%.

In a different report, Counterpoint Research previously estimated that India's 5G smartphone adoption would reach 78% by 2024, supported by the presence of 5G chipsets in budget smartphones. The increasing number of 5G smartphones aligns with the broader 5G network coverage in India, as leading telecom operators Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have extended the next-generation mobile network to numerous regions across the nation.

Experts anticipate that the installed base of 5G phones will grow quickly, as Vodafone Idea is projected to begin 5G launches by the end of March. According to market analysts, the increase in 5G smartphone shipments correlates with the decrease in 2G and 4G feature phone sales, alongside a resurgence in the growth of budget-friendly smartphones.

"In the fourth quarter of 2024, the 2G feature phone market dropped by 22% compared to the previous year, whereas the 4G feature phone market experienced a notable 59% decline year over year." CMR stated.