EXCLUSIVE: New iPhone SE to account for 25% of iPhone shipments in India in 2022

The newly refreshed 4.7-inch iPhone SE 2022 priced at Rs 43,900 will help Apple clock yet another record year in India. Apple shipped 5.4 million iPhones in India in calendar year 2021 and is expected to cross around 7.5 million-mark in CY2022. Apple closed CY 2021 with a 4.4 per cent market share of the Indian smartphone market, a significant jump of 2.4 per cent share in CY 2020, and is anticipated to capture a 5.5 per cent market share in CY 2022, as per data from industry intelligence firm CyberMedia Research (CMR).

“With the new iPhone SE 2022, Apple will seek to further build on its recent growth momentum in India. We anticipate the new iPhone SE 2022 shipments to post strong growth in the first quarter of launch, recording a 224 per cent YoY growth, when compared to the earlier generation iPhone SE 2020,” Prabhu Ram, Head – Industry Intelligence Group at CMR told Business Today.

In the world where smartphones with 6-inch plus have become a norm, Apple has yet again refreshed the 4.7-inch iPhone SE. The new 2022 model continues to have a sleek iconic design with a TouchID home button. For Rs 43,900, this is the most affordable iPhone featuring A15 Bionic, 5G, and a new camera system.

While Indians are increasingly spending on iPhones, yet the popular models continue to be the previous generation models post price cut. For instance, the top-selling iPhone model in India was the iPhone 12 with a 40 per cent market share of the total iPhone market, followed by iPhone 11 with 26 per cent share and iPhone SE (2020) with 14 per cent. The latest iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Max were on the fourth and fifth position managing 13 and 4 per cent, respectively.

“The addition of 5G capability in the new iPhone SE 2022 will entice older generation iPhone users to upgrade with the intent of future-proofing themselves. In CY2022, the new iPhone SE 2022 will potentially account for one in every four iPhones shipped in India,” said CMR's Ram.

Despite supply chain challenges, Apple has been able to manage its supply chains through the course of the pandemic. In India, Apple has been diversifying its supplier base, working with multiple ODMs to produce its flagship iPhone models. Apple has gained market share on the back of its strong Make-in-India initiatives, coupled with aggressive retail and marketing initiatives.