Taking over! Google's Android powers 97% smartphones in India

NEW DELHI: Apple iPhone shipments fell 35% annually at 0.8 million smartphones in India in the second quarter of 2016, according to a report by Strategy Analytics. Apple shipped 1.2 million iPhones in and year earlier period.

Apple's smartphone marketshare halved from 4.5% to just 2.4% in India during the past year. "Apple iOS will need to reduce iPhone pricing to cheaper levels, attract more operator subsidies and enlarge its retail presence through Apple stores or online channels if it wants to regrow significantly in the future," Woody Oh, Director at Strategy Analytics, said.

Google's Android maintained first position across India with a record 97 percent OS share for the quarter, up from 90 percent a year ago. Android shipped 29.8 million smartphones in India in Q2 2016, growing an impressive 28 percent annually from 23.2 million units in Q2 2015.

"Android dominates the India smartphone market and looks unbeatable right now, due to its deep portfolio of hardware partners, extensive distribution channels, and a wide range of low-cost apps like Gmail," Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added.

The report said smartphone shipments grew 19% annually from 25.8 million units in Q2 2015 to 30.7 million in India during the second quarter of 2016.

"India is currently the world's third largest smartphone market, after China and the US. India is growing quickly due to low smartphone penetration rates, an expanding middle class with more disposable income, and intense competition among major vendors, retailers and operators," Rajeev Nair, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, in a statement.