Why are domestic mobile phones failing in the high-end mobile phone market in India?

According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, in October, Apple successfully captured 66% of India's high-end smartphone market. In the proportion of high-end smart machines, Chinese manufacturers are divided into "other manufacturers" with a total proportion of 1%. It can be seen that in the field of high-end smart phones in India, domestic manufacturers almost handed in blanks.

In fact, this is not surprising, because most domestic mobile phone manufacturers have always advertised high cost performance, and then analyze the current status of the Indian smart phone market is not difficult to see, the low-end smart phones are still the mainstream. The proportion of high-end smart phones in India is quietly increasing, and domestic manufacturers are unlikely to be willing to let the lucrative high-end market be handed down.

Domestic mobile phones "absent" India's high-end market

The latest data released by Counterpoint Research shows that in India's high-end mobile phone market, Samsung's share has shrunk to 23%, Apple's share has increased to two-thirds, Google has become a dark horse, relying on new phones such as Pixel to get 10% Share, other manufacturers' share in high-end machines is only 1%, and this 1% share includes Chinese mobile phone manufacturers.

Apple's iPhone can occupy nearly 2/3 of the high-end market, which is not unrelated to Apple's emphasis on the Indian market. Apple CEO Cook said that Apple's iPhone sales in India in the 2016 fiscal year increased by nearly 50% year-on-year, and this is only the beginning. According to Counterpoint Research, Google sold 33,000 Pixel series phones in October. Google is able to capture 10% of India's high-end machine market, mainly because Note 7 is discontinued, and Pixel's new machine discounts, cash back and other policies are positive.

Obviously, the domestic mobile phone manufacturers in India's high-end market is almost blank. Although millet, Huawei, Lenovo and other manufacturers can make certain achievements in the low-end market in India, the results in the high-end market can be described as bleak. However, before this, India's high-end market is not the main target of domestic manufacturers, because of the level of consumption, mobile phones selling for $100 to $200 are more popular.

Chinese manufacturers are more concerned about market share nowadays.

What is the reason for domestic manufacturers to give up the high-end market that looks more like "fat"? It is not difficult to understand the road to making a home in the Chinese market through domestic smartphones. Like the Chinese market, the domestic smartphone sales strategy in India is “urban encircling the city”, and the current situation in the Indian market is more suitable for the rapid spread of low-end and mid-range mobile phones.

It is not difficult to see the style of domestic manufacturers in the Chinese market. In the stage of the rise of smart phones in China, it is not wise to fight with the apples and Samsung in the high-end field. First of all, there is a big gap in the brand's heritage. As we all know, Apple has always been a high-profile, from the first generation of the iPhone to the present, has been a leader in the high-end market. Secondly, its independent technical system can truly differentiate, which is in line with the taste of high-end people. Therefore, in every emerging market, it is difficult to shake Apple's position in the high-end field. Similarly, Samsung's global popularity is much higher than that of domestic manufacturers, so domestic manufacturers' marketing strategies in India are also well understood.

In addition, India's own economic situation is the main basis for domestic manufacturers' strategies. The country's average daily income is only $3.1, and its high-end smartphone market has not yet formed a climate. Last year, 70% of smartphones sold in the market sold for less than $150. However, the sales growth of high-end machines is not to be underestimated. Cook also mentioned that half of India's population is less than 25 years old and the economy is developing rapidly.

The future high-end market is a battleground

As more and more users change their phones or upgrade to 4G phones, the smartphone market has a lot of room for growth, especially in emerging markets that are underdeveloped.

In addition, research firm CMR CyberMedia Research released a report saying that sales growth of high-end mobile phones in India is expected to increase from 15% in 2015 to 19% in 2016. Qi Wang, president of Qikuo, also believes that India also has high-end consumers and is also in contact with some high-end products. This market may lag behind China for 3-5 years, but the Indian market is growing very fast. The development potential of high-end smart phones in India is huge, and domestic mobile phones should be laid out as early as possible.

For domestic mobile phones, the high-end market is profitable at the lower end, which is also conducive to the development of the brand in the future. So how do domestic mobile phones compete with them? First of all, brand promotion is of course the first. Samsung, Apple, etc. are able to monopolize India's high-end smartphone market, which is directly related to their brand. Like other manufacturers, Samsung has a layout in the low, medium and high-end markets, but in the high-end market, Samsung can open the gap with other manufacturers. This has to let users know: we not only have low-end goods! Second, the importance of the channel is self-evident. Innovations in carrier channels and online and offline channels can make a big contribution to opening the market. Finally, all high-end users value service. Vikas Agarwal, head of India and Canada, said: "Of course, users above 15,000 rupees are very focused on after-sales service."