Apple Inc.’s iPhone 5S, 5C pose tough challenge to market leader Samsung Electronics
After a much hyped November 1 launch, Apple Inc.’s iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C have captured the imagination of smartphone lovers in India. The new Apple buyback offer as well as lucrative deals from telecom operators like Reliance Communications, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone have added to the sales. On the other hand, Samsung Electronics’ new Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Gear combo does not seem to have caught the Indian buyer’s fancy.
An executive at Apple Inc. reseller Imagine in a South Delhi mall said, “We usually keep around 100 units for seven days. But since the launch of iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, we have to update stocks every two days. “And sales increase three times over the weekend,” he said, adding that the buyback and EMI offers were doing great.
The new Samsung S4 seems to be losing out in this new fight between the two smartphone giants. The manager at Samsung owned store was not comfortable in sharing the figures, but he confirmed that the Galaxy S4 was not doing as well as the Galaxy S3. However, when it comes to overall smartphone sales, Apple is still a challenger when compared to market leader Samsung.
“Samsung Electronics banks on its display and compatibility, while Apple believes in quality and not quantity,” says Rajesh Kumar, manager at multi-brand electronic store. “This month we had 10 units of both Galaxy Note S4 and iPhone 5C. Surprisingly, I have no iPhone 5C or iPhone 5S left, while there are three Galaxy S4 smartphones still available. Now, you can judge on your own.”