India smartphone sales set record, but COVID-19 surge to hit demand: Report

BENGALURU: India’s smartphone sales set a record for the January-to-March quarter this year, but a massive second wave of COVID-19 infections will hit future sales in the world’s No.2 smartphone market, a research report showed on Monday.

Indians bought more smartphones during the period due to pent up demand after a pandemic-ravaged 2020, sending phone shipments up 23% year-over-year to more than 38 million units, the best sales for any first quarter, research firm Counterpoint said.

“These numbers should be taken with caution… consumer demand will take a hit due to the ongoing COVID-19 wave and subsequent lockdowns,” Counterpoint analyst Prachir Singh said.