India is one of the largest emerging smartphone markets in recent years (China of course being the other), so it stands to reason that many smartphone manufacturers are vying for the attentions of the Indian population. While the global market distribution of devices seems to be relatively stable in its rankings, the story is not as simple in India; While Samsung is predictably first in market share, if you asked the question ‘who is the number two smartphone manufacturer in India’, you might be surprised to hear the answer is actually Sony.
Driven by sales of the Sony Xperia M Dual and the Sony Xperia C, Sony achieved a market share of 9.1% (by sales) to end 2013, which was particular impressive as they leapfrogged Apple, who had 7% in the same quarter, for second place. Seeing as Sony generally has a lackadaisical showing in Western markets, it is probably Sony’s intention to try and secure their position in this growing and lucrative market before fully committing to the more competitive markets. The road isn’t going to be easy, however, as Apple has re-launched the iPhone 4 at an entry-level price point of $375, and Nokia’s super-budget device, the Nokia X, is likely to make waves in this budget smartphone arena.
What do you think about Sony’s fortunes in India? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: XperiaBlog via Phone Arena
