Online smartphone sales may get hit by these factors

Online sales of smartphones are expected to fall sharply in the January-March quarter after restrictions on discounts, among other curbs, kicked in on February 1, leading handset companies to increase their focus on forming more tie-ups with brick-and-mortar stores.
The share of online smartphone sales may drop to 26-27% in the current quarter as norms prescribed in the rules on foreign direct investment in ecommerce take effect, according to research firms IDC and Counterpoint Technology Market Research.