Apple, Samsung gain ground in India's slowing smartphone mkt

Even as India's $45-billion smartphone economy is in the throes of a long-drawn slowdown, Apple and Samsung logged over 20% year-on-year (y-o-y) sales growth in the June quarter—compared to 7% y-o-y for the overall smartphone industry—powered by rising demand for the most expensive premium devices in the country that are priced three to four times the market average.

- Shouvik Das

The secret sauce appears to be an expansion of brick-and-mortar stores—swanky setups, 'immersive' experiences, premium hi-tech smartphones (think foldable), advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-led features that ask for physical touch and feel, and brand-trained consultants—to pull away from the slump.

This week, Apple opened two new flagship outlets in Bengaluru and Pune—only its third and fourth stores in the country—drawing thousands of walk-ins and, potentially, multimillion-dollar first-day sales. Samsung, meanwhile, is leaning on its vast retail footprint that goes deep into India's smallest towns, to showcase its latest foldable phones and AI-driven features.

"Experiential marketing is changing everything, especially as we're trying to convince buyers to look at the full portfolio of our gadgets, which also feature artificial intelligence," said Raju Pullan, senior vice-president and head of Samsung's mobile business in India.