Did you know that there are 68 different brands in India currently selling mobile phones? Of those, nearly 48 are homegrown, and they account for 70 percent of all mobile phones launched in the country. How about the fact that there were a total of 957 mobile phone launches in India in the year 2013, and this number is up a whopping 85 percent as compared to the previous year? Or that the so-called ‘phablet’ segment saw a 10x increase in 2013 when compared to 2012? These are just a few of the highlights from our comprehensive report on the state of the mobile industry in India. Powered by 91mobiles’ extensive catalogue that lists all launches in the mobile segment, including handsets and tablets, and using research data derived from 125 million page views on 91mobiles.com by over 25 million people, this report encapsulates and charts how this industry in moving in India.

1. The #1 Gadget Research Website in India
Mobile phone landscape: India 2013
Launch and search trends
Nitansh Rastogi, Correspondent

2. About 91mobiles and this report
91mobiles is a leading research and
comparison website for mobile phones in
India
The 91mobiles catalogue contains over
15,000 devices launched since the
website’s inception in 2010; includes
practically every mobile phone launched in
India over the last 2-3 years
Over 25 million people visited 91mobiles
in 2013 and browsed over 125 million
pages to research mobile phones & tablets
This report provides insights pertaining to mobile phone launches in 2013, their
specifications, search trends seen on 91mobiles, and an outlook for 2014
2

3. Report Outline
1
2
Specifications we saw in 2013 in mobile phones
Devices evolved in (almost) all aspects, but some trends stood out. Indian brands
managed to catch-up with international brands in hardware specs, barring a few high-end
features
3
User choices revealed!
The most popular devices and brands based on user searches on 91mobiles.com
4
The tablet landscape in 2013
Thriving market, but only in some segments
5
Looking ahead to 2014
A sneak peek at the brands, trends, and technologies to look forward to in 2014
6
3
Mobile phone launch trends in 2013
A year that saw a high growth in phone launches, the growing role of Indian brands, and
an upward shift in the value chain by users and vendors alike
Methodology and disclaimers

4. PHONE
LAUNCHES
A few surprising,
and some not-so surprising findings >

5. Phone launches nearly doubled in 2013 as
compared to 2012
957
85%
Total phone
launches in
2013
growth
515
Total phone
launches in
2012
68 brands in India
48 Indian brands
5
|
20 International brands

6. Indian brands account for almost 70% of mobile
devices launched in 2013
Relative share of mobile phones launched by Indian & international brands in 2012 and 2013
100%
90%
40%
32%
60%
68%
2012
80%
2013
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Indian brands
6
International brands

7. Affordable segment (Rs 5k-15k) saw the most
action in 2013 in terms of phone launches
Mobile phone launches by price segment in 2012 vs 2013
100%
90%
5%
5%
80%
21%
High-end phones (> Rs 25k)
Mid-range phones (15k-25k)
40%
70%
5%
6%
32%
Affordable phones
(Rs 5k-15k)
38%
60%
50%
29% 60%
Feature phones
(Rs 2k-5k)
68%
22%
40%
30%
20%
40%
Basic phones
(below Rs 2k)
29%
10%
0%
2012
Below Rs 2k
7
2013
Rs 2k-5k
Rs 5k-15k
Rs 15k-25k
Above Rs 25k

8. Indian brands are shifting towards higher price
segments in 2013
Price-wise distribution of phone launches by Indian brands in 2012 vs 2013
151
Below Rs 2k
207
40%
32%
90
Rs 2k-5k
62% growth
146
60%
49
Rs 5k-15k
68%
212
1
17
Rs 15k-25k
0
37% growth
333% growth
1600% growth
50
100
2012
150
200
250
2013
Note: Data represented for 582 launches in 2013 and 291 launches in 2012 by Indian brands, for which pricing details are avai lable
8

9. How key brands distribute their launches across
price categories – differing focus areas
Price-wise distribution of phone launches by key brands in 2013
80%
•
69%
70%
60%
50%
•
40% •
•
Samsung - Present across segments, but large # of launches
in the popular Rs 5k-15k segment.
Nokia - Distributed across segments.
Sony- All eggs in the premium basket.
32%
Micromax - Dominates the low-end, but moving upwards fast.
46%
42%
40%
39%
60%
36%
68%
33%
30%
20%
25% 25%
25%
19%
15%
10%
0%
6%
0%
< Rs 5k
0%
Rs 5k-15k
Samsung
9
23%
19%
Nokia
Rs 15k-25k
Sony
Micromax
Above Rs 25k

10. Indian brands dominate in number of phone launches
- Samsung is the only international brand to find a spot in the top 10
Top 10 brands with highest number of launches in 2013
65
65
63
59
57
54
36
INTEX
KARBONN
LAVA +
XOLO
MICROMAX
CELKON
MAXX
VIDEOCON
34
33
33
LEMON
MOBILES
SAMSUNG
SPICE
Indian brands’ domination in total phone launches driven by large number of under Rs 2k devices, as
well as due to the fact that Android is a great leveller in the affordable smartphone segment
10

11. International brands are kings of the Rs 15,000+
price band; no Indian brand in the top 10
Top 10 brands with highest number of launches above Rs 15,000 (In 2013)
12
11
7
6
6
6
5
3
SAMSUNG
11
HTC
SONY
LG
NOKIA
LENOVO
3
APPLE BLACKBERRY GIONEE
3
HUAWEI

12. Brands with the maximum growth in launches in
the year 2013: Lava is the biggest gainer
Launches by brands in year 2012 vs 2013
8
LAVA + XOLO
Lava: 6, XOLO: 2
63 Lava: 38, XOLO: 25
6
LENOVO
19
18
MAXX
54
23
CELKON
57
27
INTEX
65
0
10
20
30
2012
40
50
60
70
2013
Lava seems to be doing well with its dual brand strategy, with the mid-range segment under the ‘XOLO’
brand, and feature phones under the Lava brand
Note: Graph features brands with highest % growth in launches from 2012 to 2013, among brands with at least 5 launches in 2012
12

13. Brands with fewer number of launches in 2013 as
compared to 2012
Launches by brands in year 2012 vs 2013
30
25
24
20
18
16
16
15
12
11
9
10
5
1
0
WYNCOMM
AKAI
SONY
2012
HTC
2013
While fall in number of launches may be an indicator of competitive pressures, fewer launches from Sony may
be due to a conscious change in the company’s strategy after breaking its partnership with Ericsson in 2012.
13

14. SPEC-TALK
Specs we saw in mobile phones in 2013 >

15. Age of giants – 10x growth in phablet launches
(We define ‘Phablets’ as devices with screen sizes more than 5-inches and lower than 7-inches)
Phablet launches in 2012 vs 2013
Phablet launches by price segment, in 2013
60
53
6
BELOW RS 15K
50
24
40
9
30
>10x
increase
RS 15K-25K
5
20
9
10
ABOVE RS 25K
5
0
0
NUMBER OF DEVICES
2012
2013
0
5
10
International brands
15
20
25
30
Indian brands
Interestingly, while Samsung kickstarted the large screen trend, Indian brands have taken them to the
masses with a wider and more affordable range on offer
15

16. Phones became more powerful thanks to
quad-core processors
Quad-core devices launched
7 in 2012
|
129 in 2013
Quad-core phone launches in 2012 vs 2013
0
INDIAN BRANDS
60
7
INTERNATIONAL BRANDS
69
0
2012
16
20
2013
40
60
80
Chinese company
MediaTek’s
affordable quad-core
processor is leveling the
playing field and allowing
Indian brands to offer
budget quad-core
devices

17. Smartphone meets camera - the megapixel wars
continued and 8-13MP cameras became the norm
# of phone launches by camera resolution in 2012 vs 2013
61
> 2.5x
growth
5-8MP
158
43
8-13MP
166
5
13MP AND ABOVE
43
0
20
40
> 4x
growth
> 8x
growth
60
80
2012
100
120
140
160
180
2013
Indian brands kept pace with International brands in the camera resolution department
17

18. Dual-SIM phenomenon growing, but at a slower
pace; Indian brands continue to dominate
Dual-SIM devices in 2012 vs 2013
600
534
500
400
300
96
362
64
438
200
298
100
0
2012
Indian brands
2013
International brands
In 2012, 70% of devices launched were dual-SIM, vs. 55% in 2013
18

19. 3G adoption on the rise: 3G device launches
increase by 2.5x, lead by Indian brands
3G-enabled devices launched in 2012 and 2013
155
385
61%
41%
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
59%
50%
40%
30%
Cheapest 3G device
in 2013 –
Micromax A30 Smarty
3.0
(Rs 3,999)
Cheapest 3G device
in 2012 –
39%
20%
Celkon A95
(Rs 5,999)
10%
0%
2012
Indian brands
2013
International brands
In 2013, 40% of all the devices launched were 3G capable, up from 30% in the year 2012
19

20. International brands score high on innovation and
premium features: full HD displays & svelte design
Full HD devices launched in 2013
‘Thin’ devices launched in 2013
Indian
brands
Indian
brands
36%
33%
International
brands
64%
Total - 39
39 smartphones with full HD resolution in 2013 vs
only one (HTC Butterfly) in 2012
20
International
brands
67%
Total - 24
24 smartphones with ‘ultra-thin’ casings (8mm or
less) in 2013, as against just four in 2012

21. Android still on warpath, being the only smartphone OS in
use by Indian brands
Mobile phone launches in 2013 segregated by OS
39%
Others
59%
Android
Windows
Phone
iOS
BlackBerry
OS
‘Others’ includes basic phones and feature phones (proprietary OS, Nokia Asha OS, Java platform, etc.)
21

22. Spec milestones:
Devices that set new benchmarks
RAM 3GB
Samsung Galaxy
Note 3
LARGEST DISPLAY
THINNEST SMARTPHONE
6.44-inches
Sony Xperia Z Ultra
6.18mm
Huawei Ascend P6
LARGEST BATTERY
4,050mAh battery
Huawei Ascend Mate
PROCESSOR
Octa-core Exynos
Samsung Galaxy
S4 and
Note 3
PROCESSOR
64-bit computing
Apple iPhone 5S
CAMERA
41-megapixels
Nokia Lumia 1020
22

23. Feature milestones
MOTION SENSING
M7 co-processor Apple iPhone 5S
SECURITY
Fingerprint sensor (Touch ID)
Apple iPhone 5S
MULTIMEDIA
Boom Sound
HTC One
MOTION SENSING
Step Counter
Google Nexus 5
23

24. USER’S
CHOICES
2013
Based on over 125 million page views on
91mobiles.com >

25. Most popular brands in 2013 – the usual suspects
Brand
Total # of models
in the market
% of page views in
2013
SAMSUNG
160
20.9%
MICROMAX
170
12.0%
SONY
55
8.3%
NOKIA
120
8.0%
KARBONN
148
6.2%
APPLE
20
4.0%
LAVA
75
3.5%
Note: Popularity by page views in 2013 for all devices of a brand, including prior launches
25

26. The mid-range / value-for-money 5k-15k segment
most popular with users
Page views for devices based on different price segments
> Rs 35k
Rs 25- Rs 35k
< Rs 2k
3% 7%
4%
Rs 2k-5k
11%
Rs 15k-25k
50%
Rs 5k-15k
26
25%

27. Most searched phones in the budget range
(Rs 5k-15k): Micromax and Samsung rule the segment
#1
#2
Samsung
Galaxy S
Duos
Launched in: Sept 2012
Micromax
A110
Superfone
Canvas 2
Launched in: Nov 2012
#4
Launched in: Mar 2013
Samsung
Galaxy
Core
Launched in: Jun 2013
27
Micromax
A116
Canvas HD
Launched in: Feb 2013
#5
Nokia
Lumia 520
#3

28. Most searched phones in the mid-range segment
(Rs 15k-25k): a mixed lot spanning different brands
#1
#2
Samsung
Galaxy
Grand Duos
Launched in: Jan 2013
#3
Sony
Xperia C
Launched in: Oct 2013
Micromax
Canvas 4
Launched in: July 2013
#4
Sony
Xperia L
Launched in: May 2013
#5
Nokia
Lumia 720
Launched in: Mar 2013
28

29. Most searched phones in the high-end segment
(Rs 25k-35k): price reduction sweetened the deals
#1
#2
Samsung
Galaxy
Note 2
Sony
Xperia Z
Launched in: March 2013
#3
Samsung
Galaxy S3
Launched in: May 2012
Launched in: Sept 2012
#4
Nokia
Lumia 920
Launched in: January 2013
#5
BlackBerry
Z10
Launched in: Feb 2013
Most devices in this list are former flagship devices that retained, or even further grew in popularity long
after their launch, by virtue of price drops
29

30. Most searched phones in the premium segment
(above Rs 35k): Samsung and Apple rule the roost
#1
#2
Samsung
Galaxy
S4
Launched in: Apr 2013
#3
Apple
iPhone
5S
Launched in: Nov 2013
30
Samsung
Galaxy
Note 3
Launched in: Sept
2013
#4
#5
Apple
iPhone
5C
HTC One
Launched in: Nov 2013
Launched in: Apr 2013

31. Editor’s picks: the game changers
Micromax A116 Canvas HD
Consolidated Micromax's
stronghold in the above Rs. 10k
price band, and challenged higher
priced phones like the Samsung
Galaxy Grand, by virtue of the
specs it packed.
31
Nokia Lumia 520
With affordable pricing, the Lumia 520
became Nokia’s best bet against the
onslaught of Android smartphones,
making it the most popular windows
phone. It also bolstered Microsoft’s
WP8 market share.

32. Editor’s picks: the game changers
Google Nexus 5
Moto G
Soon to be launched in
India, the Moto G is
expected to raise the bar
for specs & quality
budget smartphones are
expected to offer
32
Continued the legacy of
providing superb hardware
and stock Android at an
affordable price tag. At Rs.
28,999, the specs offered
in the device are only
matched by the devices in
the Rs 35k price range
Gionee Elife E6
The Gionee Elife E6
changed the negative
image of Chinese
brands. Reasonably high
specs and a distinctive
design made it quite
noteworthy

33. TABLETS:
Still a lot of
ground to cover
Notable observations >

34. Tablet launches increased in 2013, but not at the
same pace as mobiles
194
172
Total tablet
launches in
2013
13%
growth
Total tablet
launches in
2012
61 brands in India
50 Indian brands
34
|
11 International brands

35. Indian brands dominate in launches, but not
growing as much as international brands
Number of tablets launched in India in 2013 vs 2012
3% growth
140
120
125
129
100
Greater move
towards ‘phablets’
also a possible
reason for the
relative lack of
vibrancy in the
tablets market.
80
60
40
65
47
20
0
International brands
2012
35
Indian brands
2013

36. Budget tablets occupy a large chunk of the overall
launches, with Indian brands dominating the segment
Tablet launches by price segment (2013)
Tablet launches in 2013
6%
Below Rs 10k
94%
22%
Rs 10k-20k
58%
20%
Rs 10k-20k
63%
Below Rs 10k
Above Rs 20k
68%
32%
100%
Above Rs 20k
0%
20%
Indian brands
36
37%
40%
60%
80%
100%
International brands

37. The small-screen tablet segment is growing in
terms of launches
Number of tablets launched, segregated by screen size
160
140
151
While there is an
increase in the
number of tablets
launched with 7-8
inch screen size,
larger tablets
actually witnessed
negative growth in
2013
120
124
100
80
60
40
48
43
20
0
Small screen size (7-8 inch)
2012
37
Large screen size (Above 8-inch)
2013

38. Limited diversity in high-end tablets: Apple killed
the above Rs 20k segment
Apple has raised the bar very high
 Has sustained first-mover advantage.
 Better ecosystem for tablet-optimised
apps and accessories.
 The iPad Air is thinner (7.5mm) and
lighter (469g) compared to peers.
Limited Competition
Samsung Galaxy
Note 10.1
38
Sony Xperia
Tablet Z

39. A look at the most popular tablets in 2013 in the
under Rs 15k segment
SAMSUNG GALAXY
TAB 2 7.0
Launched in April 2013
GOOGLE NEXUS 7
Launched in Nov 2012
#1
#3
HCL ME U1
#2
Launched in Aug 2012
MICROMAX
FUNBOOK TALK
Launched in Oct 2012
39
#4
#5
MICROMAX
FUNBOOK INFINITY
Launched in Sept 2012

40. LOOKING
AHEAD TO
2014
What this year holds for us >
Deepak Dhingra, Editor

41. Mobile devices from 2013 that set the trend for
what’s to come in 2014
Octa-core
processors
High-resolution
cameras
Nokia Lumia 1020
Samsung
Galaxy
Note 3
Apple
iPhone 5s
64-bit SoC
Samsung
Galaxy Gear
Flexible
displays
LG G Flex
Wearable
devices
High-resolution
displays
Vivo Xplay 3s
These device were launched in the year 2013, but have paved the way for devices of this year.
Read more about what trends these devices have set.
41

42. The way you interact with your smartphone could
change in 2014
Gesture controls
Voice commands
Contextual computing
Fingerprint sensors
Touchscreens might become passé, as device manufacturers are devising innovative ways of interacting
with devices. Click here to know more.
42

43. Top 5 mobile phone brands to look out for in 2014
Trailing numero uno brand Samsung, Micromax offers a wide range
of devices at affordable price points, and now the company is also
going global.
Within an year of its entry into the Indian market, the company has
launched a slew of quality devices across different segments at
attractive prices.
Oppo is planning to enter India soon and its devices are getting a
lot of praise for innovative features coupled with superb
configurations.
Xolo never shies away from taking risks. From partnering with Intel
to Nvidia and Broadcom, the manufacturer continues to innovate.
Xiaomi has confirmed that it’s planning to go global and its powerful
devices and economical pricing will surely give it huge boost in
price-sensitive markets like India.
Read our take on these manufacturers.
43

44. Editor’s comments
Curved displays and
wearables
In the high-end segment,
innovations like curved / flexible
screens, wearables and super
high-resolution displays will make
news
44
Redefining value for money
Upcoming devices like Motorola’s
Moto G, Nokia’s rumoured Android
phone (Normandy) and the Nexus
series may re-define ‘value-formoney’ in a price sensitive market
like India

45. Editor’s comments
Rise of Windows
After Android, many Indian
brands (Micromax and XOLO)
are contemplating devices
running Microsoft’s Windows. In
the mobile space, Windows
Phone 8 will cement its position
as a strong third alternative to
Android and iOS.
45
Octa-core processors will go
mainstream
MediaTek’s MT6592 SoC will be the
platform of choice for quite a few
brands, especially those from India
and will help bring octa-core chips
to the masses.

46. Editor’s comments
Newer form factors, hybrids
and dual-boot devices will
grow further
People prefer flexibility and
devices that can adapt to
different situations & lifestyles,
and the kind of devices we’ll
see in 2014 will offer exactly
that.
46
Software as a means to
differentiate
Indian brands like already
offering innovative software
features, and XOLO is also
working on a custom UI for its
devices. Going forward, more
Indian brands will try and use
software to differentiate their
products.
Colour and
customisation options
Many brands now offer
their products in different
colours, and with Apple
jumping on the bandwagon
with the iPhone 5c, more
vendors will follow suit.

47. METHODOLOGY
AND DISCLAIMERS
Some ifs and buts >

48. Methodology and Disclaimers
This report considers both feature phones and smartphones.
Source of data is 91mobiles’ database and user behavior on 91mobiles.com.
All devices made available for sale by an online store are considered as devices ‘launched’ in the
Indian market, for the purpose of this report, and first available online price is used to determine
the ‘price segment’ of the device
Different storage variants of the same device are considered as separate products for the purpose
of this report.
Popularity of devices with respect to page views on 91mobiles is indicative, may differ from other
platforms.
While we have tried to capture all mobile phone and tablet launches, a few may have been
missed; though this should not alter the overall trends identified in this report
48

49. List of phone brands
48 Indian Brands
20
International Brands
Adcom
Maxx
Salora
Akai
K-Touch
Airtyme
Iball
Micromax
Sansui
Apple
Lenovo
Arise
Iberry
Mitashi
Smartnamo
BlackBerry
LG
Bsnl
Icon
Mts
Spice
Fly
Motorola
Byond Tech Idea
Mvl Mobiles
Swingtel
Gfive
Nokia
Celkon
Intex
Nxg
Swipe
Gionee
NUGen
Champion
Jivi
Olive
Tvc
Google Nexus
Panasonic
Croma
Josh
Onida
Videocon
HTC
Samsung
Cubit
Karbonn
Optimasmart
Wammy
Huawei
Sony
Datawind
Lava
Penta
Wynncom
Konka
Yxtel
Devante
Lemon Mobiles Rage
Zen Mobiles
Domo
49
Hi-Tech Mobile
Magicon
Zync
Reconnect

50. List of tablet brands
50
11 International Brands
Indian Brands
Adcom
Micromax
Swingtel
Ainol
Go Tech
Milagrow
Swipe
Acer Mobile
AirTyme
HT Impex
Mitashi
Teracom
Amazon
Arise
HCL
NXG
Videocon
Apple
BaSlate
Hi-Tech Mobile
Olive
VOX
Asus
BSNL
iBall
Optima Smart
Wespro
Fly
Byond Tech
IBerry
Penta
Wishtel
Google Nexus
Celkon
ICEX
Reconnect
Winknet
Huawei
Champion
Intex
Reliance
Xelectron
Lenovo
Colors Mobile Karbonn
Redd
Zebronics
Samsung
Croma
Lava
Salora
Zen Mobiles
Sony
Datawind
Lemon Mobiles
Scomp
Zync
Yxtel
Devante
Maxx
Simmtronics
Domo
50
Fujezone
Mercury
Spice