Apple's (AAPL 0.20%) newest iPhone 5 saw a good sign in India recently, selling out of initial inventories after the device launched in the country. However, it was estimated to be only 10,000 to 15,000 units, which isn't a lot overall. India remains a very tough market for Apple to crack due to local regulations that affect retail distribution as well as the lack of carrier subsidies. Google (GOOG 0.78%) Android's ability to tap low price points has propelled it to a 50% market share. Nokia's (NOK 0.74%) Symbian platform had previously done well, but its market share is dwindling as Nokia adopts Microsoft (MSFT +1.37%) Windows Phone. Research In Motion (RIMM 0.92%) is also declining. Apple still faces some challenges in India, but it's a good sign that demand is starting to grow.
1 Good Sign for the iPhone in India
By Evan Niu, CFA – Nov 7, 2012 at 7:02PM
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Is it good enough?
About the Author
Evan is a Senior Technology Analyst at The Motley Fool. He was previously a Senior Trading Specialist at Charles Schwab, and worked briefly at Tesla. Evan graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, and is a CFA charterholder.