India, the world's second-largest 5G smartphone market, witnesses frequent market shifts nearly every quarter. Tales of underdogs surpassing and giants fluctuating are abundant. Yet, amidst this dynamic landscape, vivo has solidified its position.

According to the latest report by research firm Canalys, vivo reclaimed the top spot in the fiercely competitive second quarter of this year, shipping 8.1 million units—a remarkable 31% increase from the same period last year.

Image source: Canalys

Having led the charts for four consecutive quarters, what is vivo's winning formula?

The V series, targeting the 2-3K price range, serves as vivo's cornerstone. According to analysts, the V50 series, launched earlier this year, has gained popularity in tier-one and tier-two markets through strategic promotions. Additionally, vivo's new T4 model has further bolstered its online market share.

Samsung, ranking second, secured orders for over 6.2 million units with its A36 and A56 models. However, its sales growth was modest, with a year-on-year increase of just 2%.

While vivo and Samsung dominated the top two spots, OPPO emerged as a new contender in the top three. Although Xiaomi maintained the same market share as OPPO, it experienced a year-on-year decline of 25%.

Examining sales trends, Xiaomi has consistently ranked among the top three since the first quarter of 2022. Why did it experience a growth slowdown in the second quarter, allowing OPPO to catch up?

Blogger @experience_more analyzed that Xiaomi's focus is shifting away from India towards Latin America and Southeast Asia. Moreover, competition in entry-level models is intense, and importing flagship models as complete units incurs higher tariffs. Hence, this transformation will require time.

Notably, among the "Others" category, a newcomer shines—Nothing. Founded by former OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, this mobile phone brand has achieved a stunning 229% growth rate this year, reminiscent of Honor's solo debut in the European market years ago.