One plus claims top slot in premium smartphones leaving behind Apple and Samsung

At the back of OnePlus 6 success, OnePlus has become the number one smartphone seller in the premium segment in India, according to IDC latest report.

With its community-building activities and high decibel promotional activities on social media platforms, it has in the Rs 29,000 plus (USD 500) price segment clocked highest ever shipments surpassing giants like Apple and Samsung in 3Q18.

Apple's iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max were unable to create much demand in the opening quarter due to its high pricing in the India market, said Upasana Joshi, Associate Research Manager, Channel Research, IDC India.

For the first time, the quarter also witnesses the smartphone market coming at par with the feature phone market. With a 2.1 per cent YoY growth, the feature phone market registered shipments of 43.1 million units.

Overall smartphone market reached an all-time high of 42.6 million-unit shipments, registering 9.1% year-on-year (YOY) growth, added Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker report. Xiaomi grew to a new high by selling 11.7 million units on the back of its successful Redmi 5A and Redmi Note 5 Pro series and refreshed Redmi 6/A/Pro.

In terms of market share, Xiaomi and Samsung still rule the market with 27 and 22 per cent respectively. The rise in shipments was driven by e-tailers sale events and cashbacks in the festive season.

Despite the online channels aggressive push, the offline channel still continues to dominate with around 60% of the India smartphone market, added the report.