Samsung steals top spot from OnePlus for premium smartphone shipments in Q1 2019

While OnePlus stayed on top of the pile for three consecutive quarters, Korean giant Samsung has now regained top spot in the premium smartphone segment in the first quarter of 2019. As per Counterpoint’s latest report, it’s been the success of Samsung’s Galaxy S10 series that pushed Samsung into the lead in Q1. But this isn’t really bad news for OnePlus fans. OnePlus came second as it underwent its seasonal cycle. However, the **OnePlus 6T (review)** remained the best-selling premium smartphone in Q1 2019, a title it has managed to impressively hold on to since its launch. [caption id=“attachment_6372311” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] The Samsung Galaxy S10e. Image: Tech2/Omkar Patne[/caption] As per the report, the top three brands in this segment — Samsung, OnePlus and Apple accounted for 90 percent of the shipments this quarter as compared to an even higher 95 percent in Q1 last year. Counterpoint Research Analyst for Mobile Devices, Karn Chauhan said, “The success of Galaxy S10 series and OnePlus 6T highlights the trend of an expanding premium segment in India.” [caption id=“attachment_6607221” align=“alignnone” width=“1131”] Image: Counterpoint Research[/caption] “Users who are buying their second or third smartphone are already considering an upgrade into the premium segment. Another reason for the growth in the premium segment is a plethora of offers and installment plans available,” he added. Huawei, meanwhile, shares the remaining 10 percent of the segment volumes. But given the fact that Huawei launched its flagship — the **Huawei P30 Pro (review)** only recently, we should see their number rise come Q2. [caption id=“attachment_6607231” align=“alignnone” width=“1145”] Image: Counterpoint Research[/caption] Apple, however, is still struggling to arrest its decline because of its excessive pricing. “It (Apple) is likely to start mass production of iPhones in India, which will eventually help the company save 20 percent import duty on its devices,” Chauhan said, hinting that Apple may see a change in fortune later this year. The report also notes that Google, having launched the Pixel 3a and **Pixel 3a XL (review)** , also has a chance to start things from scratch in a market which remains fairly small still but continues to grow at a rapid scale.