India’s smartphone market registered its highest-ever shipments at 169 million units in 2021, according to a report by Counterpoint Research.

Preliminary data from Counterpoint Research’s Market Monitor service said India’s smartphone shipments crossed 169 million units in 2021 to register 11% year-on-year growth from about 152 million units in 2020.

Apple posted its best year in India in 2021, shipping a record 5.4-6 million units, as the US smartphone major expanded its local manufacturing and backed that up by aggressive marketing in the world’s second largest market to tap into strong demand, said market trackers.

The increased adoption and demand for 5G smartphones was one of the key factors for high shipments in 2021, the report said.

The report added that 5G smartphones contributed to about 17% of the overall shipments in 2021, registering 6x growth compared to 2020.

Intense competition among OEMs, availability of cheaper 5G chipsets and declining prices of 5G devices will enable brands to push more 5G devices into the market, the report said.

The hype over 5G smartphones comes ahead of the rollout of 5G services in India by the end of 2022. Select cities will get the first taste, such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Gurugram, Ahmedabad and Pune.