India’s 5G smartphone sales share tops 50% mark in April

The sales share of 5G smartphones in India crossed 50% mark for the first time in April with brands like Samsung and OnePlus capturing a third of the share, according to data by Counterpoint Research. The reasons for growth can be attributed to the increased rollout of 5G networks and people’s preference for 5G phones over 4G ones while upgrading their handsets, according to analysts.

“There’s still a long way to go, especially in terms of network coverage. But this is a milestone for sure,” said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint.While the research firm notes that 5G services are still patchy across most parts of the country, there has been a trend of fall in the sales share of 4G phones from November 2022 to April 2023.In November last year, the share of 4G smartphones was at 64% in sales, compared to 5G smartphones’ 36%. In April 2023, the sales share of 4G smartphones fell to 50%, whereas 5G smartphones’ share rose to 50%, according to Counterpoint.