Chinese smartphone major Vivo is stepping up its play in India's premium market with the expansion of its X-series line-up, which now includes the X Fold 5 and X200 FE, aiming to take on global rivals like Samsung and Apple.
The move is part of Vivo's broader strategy to boost its value market share after securing the top spot in shipment volumes for several quarters.
“There was a 40 percent increase in volume for the X200 series smartphone in the first six months of its launch compared to the X100 series. Premium is a journey for Vivo… we want to focus on the mainline channel along with after-sales service to cater to premium users,” a Vivo India spokesperson told Moneycontrol.
India’s premiumisation trend is expected to continue gaining momentum. “The next decade is crucial for Vivo in India. We want to localise as much as we can in terms of software and camera features,” the spokersperson said.
Vivo has emerged as a dominant player in India's smartphone market. In the March quarter, it led the industry with a 22 percent volume share and ranked third in value with a 16 percent share, according to Counterpoint.
IDC also placed Vivo at the top, with a 23 percent market share during the period.
Premiumisation play
The company now wants to ride the premiumisation wave, as consumers seek more sophisticated, feature-rich devices.
“We have a strong X series portfolio with three smartphones under the X200 series. In the future, there will be more action in terms of expanding this segment,” the spokesperson said.
Despite its push into higher-end smartphones, IDC data shows that about 95 percent of Vivo’s shipments still fall in the sub-$400 segment, and 75 percent of its portfolio is concentrated in the sub-$250 range, categories that have helped maintain its leadership position in volume.
“The mid-premium segment of $400–600 accounts for almost 4 percent of its portfolio, where it competes with Apple and Samsung, and drives a share of 15 percent at the third slot,” said Upasana Joshi, Senior Research Manager at IDC. This is a considerable share in the market in which the previous generation devices of Samsung and Apple occupy the lion's share, she said.
Folding risk?
Currently, Vivo’s V series targets the $400–$600 range, while the X and Fold series compete in the $600+ premium tier, directly rivalling Apple and Samsung.
“Product placement across price segments has been a key differentiator for Vivo, and premium offerings like the X200 and X Fold5 elevate the brand’s image in terms of offering superior technology,” Joshi added.
Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint, said Vivo has been gaining market share in India with its localised product strategy, backed by a solid channel hold. It is also gaining market share in the premium segment by diffusing features such as Zeiss lense tech from the flagship to entry-level premium.
Apart from this, the brand has good after-sales service. "It is now the third brand in the premium segment, replacing OnePlus in India," Pathak said.
In the growing foldable segment, Vivo says it's focusing on consumer needs such as durability, camera performance and productivity tools. “We have a close co-operation with Google for Gemini on enabling several AI features in the phone,” the spokesperson added.
The foldable smartphone category accounts for less than 0.5 percent of the overall Indian smartphone market, with a decline of substantial double-digit numbers. Samsung maintained its leadership position with a 75 percent share.
Overall, the market is expected to decline by 3-4 percent in 2025, while foldables are projected to decline by double digits, Joshi said.
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