Research group Strategy Analytics released a report on the Indian smartphone market titled India Android Smartphone Replacement Dynamics which said that over 40 percent of the users are likely to switch their Android handsets in the next 6 months.
The report by author David Kerr reveals that the $16 billion Indian smartphone market has over 800 models from 11 major retailers. As online shopping becomes stronger as a trend, it has become the preferred mode of next smartphone purchase by two-thirds of consumers.
The report finds that battery is the first priority for 45 percent of Indian replacement buyers, followed by camera quality, but also noted that Indian smartphone models significantly underperform their global peers in terms of battery life and camera quality.
From the infographic made available, it can be seen that Micromax and LG are the most vulnerable to potential replacements by users. The chart below measures the probability of current users switching to different brands in the next six months on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the least likely and 5 being the most likely.
Among the consumers who were not at all likely to change their handsets were Motorola and Xiaomi users, beating the market leader Samsung. Only 16 percent of Xiaomi users said that they would replace their handsets, which was the lowest among all the brands. Sony users were the most undecided ones as 53 percent were not sure if they would make a change.
David Kerr, Senior Vice President at Strategy Analytics and author of this report, commented “Micromax, currently the number two vendor in India, is under intense pressure as its customers look to upgrade their devices. Stronger offerings from Chinese vendors Oppo, Vivo, LeEco, and Lenovo, along with upcoming local players such as Reliance Jio, will make the Android smartphone market even more volatile in the second half of 2016.”
