New Delhi, Nov 4 (IANS): Apple led the premium segment in India with 40 per cent share, followed by Samsung and OnePlus, with registering highest ever shipment share in the country in the September quarter.

Apple reached its highest ever share of 5 per cent in India's smartphone market during the quarter driven by a strong channel push ahead of the festive season.

For the first time ever, an iPhone (iPhone 13) topped the overall India smartphone quarterly shipment rankings, according to Counterpoint Research.

"In terms of price bands, the premium segment (Rs 30,000 and above) reached its highest ever share of 12 per cent during this quarter," said research analyst Shilpi Jain.

"The iPhone 13 became the top smartphone model in Q3 2022, a first for Apple in India," she noted.

According to data from business intelligence platform Tofler, Apple India logged a net profit of Rs 1,263 crore, a growth of 3 per cent (year-on-year) in the fiscal year, as sales were up a massive 45 per cent.

In India, not just high-end new-generation Apple phones are flying off the shelves, older generation models like iPhone XR, 11, 12 and 13 are now popular among those who cannot afford the new handsets, thanks to attractive offers and schemes.

Samsung held the second spot in the premium segment, and even led the handset (feature phone + smartphone) market with an 18 per cent share.

It also remained the top-selling 5G smartphone brand in India.

OnePlus grew 35 per cent YoY in Q3 driven by the Nord CE 2 series and Nord 2T.

The brand remained at the third spot in the premium segment.

OnePlus led the Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000 price band driven by its Nord portfolio.

The company also captured the second spot in India's 5G smartphone shipments in Q3 2022, said the report.