Top five smartphones of Q2 2018: From Redmi 5A to Galaxy J6, here are the five phones that Counterpoint has identified as the most popular devices in India.
Xiaomi’s Redmi 5A was the best-selling smartphone in India in the second-quarter of 2018, while the Redmi Note 5 Pro was ranked second. According to the latest estimates from Counterpoint Research, Xiaomi had as many as three smartphones among the top five in the last quarter. Thanks to its aggressive pricing strategy, Xiaomi continues to flourish in the Indian market, although it had to face a tough challenge from Samsung which emerged as India’s top-selling smartphone company in Q2 2018.
The Xiaomi Redmi 5A is available in two variants – 2GB of RAM and 3GB of RAM.
Counterpoint Research estimates the Redmi 5A was the top smartphone in India in Q2 2018 with 9 per cent market share. Xiaomi’s low-end Redmi 5A released nearly eight months ago, and still it continues to be among the hot favourites among budget shoppers. The affordability factor plays a huge role in deciding the fate of a smartphone in India, and Xiaomi understood this well. Xiaomi’s decision to market the Redmi 5A as “Desh ka smartphone” had a powerful narrative which eventually grabbed the attention of first-time smartphone buyers. Xiaomi Redmi 5A can be purchased in two variants, the 2GB RAM variant is priced at Rs 5,999 and the 3GB RAM variant sells for Rs 6,999.
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Redmi Note 5 Pro held the number two spot with a market share of six per cent. This isn’t a cheap phone – but it has been targeted at right consumers. Xiaomi knows how to engage with consumers in their own language and the success of Redmi Note 5 Pro proves it. The handset offers everything a consumer expects from a mid-end phone: a big screen, metal body, dual rear cameras, improved selfie shooter, and a reliable battery life. Redmi Note 5 Pro was presented as “the most advanced Redmi Note yet” and this simplistic tone of advertising hit a chord with prospective consumers. Ever since it made its debut in February, Redmi Note 5 Pro continues to be the top seller in its price segment. Redmi Note 5 Pro is priced at Rs. 14,999 for the 4GB RAM variant, and Rs. 16,999 for 6GB RAM option.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro starts at Rs 14,999 in India.
Next on the list is the Samsung Galaxy J6 with a market share of five per cent. It was intended to do fairly well in the market due to its offline availability, but no one had thought it would achieve a blockbuster status in less than two months. The question is, did anyone see the Galaxy J6 topping the charts with underwhelming specs, or was the phone really exceptional? Whichever way you look at it, the success of the Galaxy J6 gave Samsung a reason to celebrate, at least, in the short run. Samsung Galaxy J6 can be purchased for Rs 13,990 for the base variant and it goes up to Rs 16,490 for the top-end model.
Only two months have passed since the launch of the Samsung Galaxy J6, and it already has become a huge hit.
At number four spot is the Redmi Note 5, a phone that has earned its place simply on the basis of great specs and affordable price. No, it neither had a glass back nor quad cameras like the Honor 9 Lite, still the Redmi Note 5 did exceptionally well. Whether you may notice it or not, Redmi Note 5 has been the most visible phone in the offline market in India. This type of visibility is needed when the phone is aimed at the mass market and that’s what Xiaomi did with the Redmi Note 5. Redmi Note 5 is priced at Rs 9,999 for the 3GB RAM model, and Rs 11,999 for the 4GB RAM option.
The Xiaomi Note 5 starts at Rs 9,999 in the Indian market.
Vivo Y71 is the least visible name in a list of top five smartphones in India in the second quarter of 2018. The phone had a muted launch in April and was made available though the company’s own e-store, Flipkart, Amazon and Paytm Mall. The acceptance of Vivo Y71 shows that consumers are looking for two things in a phone: a bigger display and price.
The Vivo Y71 is powered by the Snapdragon 425 processor paired with the Adreno 308.
Even though the device packs a low-end Snapdragon 425 processor, Vivo tried to sweeten the offering by adding a 6-inch HD+ display and a 3360mAh battery. Plus, Vivo Y71’s Rs 10,990 further helped the company to target a greater section of population.
Anuj Bhatia is a personal technology writer at indianexpress.com who has been covering smartphones, personal computers, gaming, apps, and lifestyle tech actively since 2011. He specialises in writing longer-form feature articles and explainers on trending tech topics. His unique interests encompass delving into vintage tech, retro gaming and composing in-depth narratives on the intersection of history, technology, and popular culture. He covers major international tech conferences and product launches from the world's biggest and most valuable tech brands including Apple, Google and others. At the same time, he also extensively covers indie, home-grown tech startups. Prior to joining The Indian Express in late 2016, he served as a senior tech writer at My Mobile magazine and previously held roles as a reviewer and tech writer at Gizbot. Anuj holds a postgraduate degree from Banaras Hindu University. You can find Anuj on Linkedin.
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