New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS): Smartphone sales grew 11 per cent (year-over-year) in the first wave of the festive season sales in India between September 26-October 6, a report said on Tuesday.

According to latest estimates from TechInsights, South Korean electronics major Samsung led the smartphone sales volume with a 20 per cent market share.

This was led by top-selling models such as Galaxy M35, Galaxy S23, Galaxy A14 and Galaxy S23 FE, etc., according to the report.

The first wave of the festive season this year was 11 days, compared to 7-8 days in the past couple of years.

“Samsung sales in unit terms grew 17 per cent YoY in 2024’s first wave compared to 2023’s first wave,” the report mentioned.

Abhilash Kumar, industry analyst at TechInsights, said that Samsung had sound numbers in the first wave of festive season sales in the country.

“This was driven by attractive deals and price cuts on products across price bands pertaining to Galaxy A, M and S series. Also, Samsung was the main sponsor for sales events on Flipkart and Amazon which gave it an additional push,” he said.

The Indian smartphone market shipped 69 million smartphones in the first half of 2024, with 7.2 per cent growth YoY.

In the second quarter of 2024, the market shipped 35 million smartphones, with growth of 3.2 per cent YoY.

Samsung led the market in terms of value with a 24 per cent share, followed by vivo and Apple.

According to an International Data Corporation (IDC) report, the latter half of the second quarter in the country is a prelude to the crucial second half of the year with festive sale period going up till November.