Apple iPhones dominate India's pre-owned smartphone market: OLX report

Apple is the most dominant brand in India’s pre-owned smartphone market, a study by India's leading retail platform for pre-owned phones OLX says. According to the report, Apple iPhones are the most preferred smartphones in the pre-owned market, followed by Xiaomi and Samsung, respectively.

The data shared by OLX states that the demand for mobile phones continued unabated even after the second COVID-19 wave hit the country this year. Tier 3 cities saw the highest demand for pre-owned smartphones at 43 percent, followed by Tier 2 cities at 30 percent and Tier 1 cities at 27 percent.

OLX noted that the surge in internet usage for education, entertainment, work from home, and the basic need for connectivity, fueled by COVID-19 drove a mobile revolution, led by Tier 3 cities as consumers look for value-for-money smartphones with the latest technology. The supply and demand for mobile phones have been steady to high respectively in 2021.

The report noted: “The year started with 100 percent demand for mobile phones and experienced a high of 115 percent in the months of June and July. While in 2020, the overall demand for pre-owned phones increased by 61 percent during lockdown 1 and post the unlock. Demand had jumped by 44 percent post unlock vs pre-Covid lockdown period.”

OLX noted that the demand for Apple iPhones was the highest in Tier 1 cities at 34 percent. Additionally, BBK Electronics brands including OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, and Realme were the most popular among consumers in Tier 2 and 3 cities accounting for 63 percent of the total smartphone demand. The most competitive price bands are below Rs. 10,000 and between Rs. 10,000 - 20,000, fulfilling nearly 80 percent of the total demand for mobile phones on OLX.