Vivo is the top smartphone seller in a major global market, while Samsung's sales have declined and Apple's have increased.

Despite initial impressions, Apple has strong reasons to be pleased with its recent performance in India compared to other companies in the market.

The tech company is among the top performers according to Omdia's latest report on the Indian smartphone market.

A key indicator of success is year-over-year growth, where iPhones are performing better than Galaxy phones, specifically in India.

Apple's Q3 sales in the region increased by 47 percent from 3.3 million units last year, while Samsung's decreased by 9 percent from 7.5 million during the same period.

Samsung remains ahead of Apple, Xiaomi, and Oppo, second only to Vivo, which leads the market with a 19 percent year-over-year increase.

While 19 percent is solid, Motorola and Nothing saw surges of 53 percent and 66 percent respectively, placing them outside the top five vendors.

While Apple's global performance is strong, in India, Vivo, Xiaomi, Samsung, and Oppo outperformed Apple in Q4 2024, and surpassing all four brands seems difficult.

Apple barely broke into India's top five between October and December of last year, and followed up with a record high Q3 this year.

IPhones are succeeding in a market that was once difficult for the company to enter, largely due to more affordable iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models.

The base iPhone 17 is off to a good start in India, China, and the US, with higher-end Pro models gaining popularity. Samsung is seeing success with devices like the Galaxy S24 FE and S25 FE, but less so with entry-level A-series phones or Galaxy S25 flagships.

Vivo's strength lies in its balanced portfolio and retail programs, though its growth, along with Motorola and Nothing's surges, wasn't enough to boost the overall market.

Indian smartphone shipments are up just 3 percent from Q3 2024, and analysts anticipate less impressive Q4 numbers, potentially leading to a modest decline in full-year results after a weak first quarter and a better Q2.

The key takeaway from the Omdia report is that success depends on a broad and balanced product lineup, as demonstrated by Vivo.

Motorola, which broke its quarterly sales record in the region thanks to the Moto G series and Edge 60, and Apple, which is growing due to its diverse iPhone lineup, also exemplify this.

This principle applies to other markets as well, including China, Western Europe, and even the US to some extent.