India’s Smartphone Market Sees Modest Uptick in 2025
The smartphone sector in India witnessed slight growth in 2025, as reported by the Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker from the International Data Corporation (IDC).
Shipments surged by a mere 0.5% year-on-year, totaling 152 million units. After a sluggish beginning, sales rebounded in the mid-year period, only to falter again in the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, shipments fell by 5% year-on-year, amounting to 34 million units. The IDC attributed this decline to a normalization of inventory post-festivity and a hesitancy among consumers, which curtailed both replacement and upgrade purchases.
Apple’s Entry and Pricing Dynamics
Apple achieved a remarkable milestone by shipping 14 million iPhones in India during 2025, marking a 16% annual growth rate. This development positioned India as Apple’s fourth-largest market globally, following the United States, China, and Japan.
By volume, Apple ranked fifth in India, securing a 10% market share, while it emerged as the market leader by value with a 29% share. Notably, the iPhone 16 represented 4% of total smartphone shipments in India for the year.
During the latter part of 2025, pricing trends deviated from conventional post-festival patterns. The average selling prices (ASPs) in the fourth quarter escalated by 4% year-on-year, reaching US$279, contrary to typical declines.
As elucidated by Aditya Rampal, Senior Research Analyst for Devices Research at IDC Asia Pacific, ascending memory costs and a depreciating rupee catalyzed the increase in prices across both new and existing models, subsequently dampening consumer demand.
Over the entire year, smartphone ASPs exhibited an 8% year-on-year rise, achieving a historic high of US$282.
Segment Performance in 2025
Entry-Level Segment (Sub-US$100)
In the entry-level category, growth surged by 18% on a yearly basis, amplifying its share from 14% to 16%. Notably, Xiaomi and vivo collectively claimed over 40% of the total shipments, with Motorola Mobility achieving impressive growth, nearly doubling its shipment figures.
Mass-Budget Segment (US$100–US$200)
Shipments in this bracket declined by 8% year-on-year, causing a reduction in market share from 44% to 41%. Among the leading five brands, both Vivo, OPPO, and Motorola saw an increase in their shares. The vivo T4X and OPPO A5 dominated in terms of shipments within this category.
Entry-Premium Segment (US$200–US$400)
Shipments experienced a downturn of 5% year-on-year, resulting in a decrease in market share from 28% to 26%. Nevertheless, brands such as vivo, Samsung Electronics, and Motorola manifested growth, with the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion emerging as the most shipped model in this category.
Mid-Premium Segment (US$400–US$600)
This segment expanded by 23% year-on-year, increasing its share from 4% to 5%. Apple led the way in shipments, trailed by Samsung and OPPO. Key contributors included the OPPO Reno 13 Pro, iPhone 13, and Samsung Galaxy A56/S24 models.
Premium Segment (US$600–US$800)
The premium segment exhibited the most rapid growth, soaring by 37% year-on-year, with market share rising from 4% to 5%. Apple claimed a dominant 74% share, bolstered by the iPhone 16, iPhone 15, and iPhone 17, which collectively constituted over 65% of the volumes.
Super-Premium Segment (US$800 and above)
Shipments within this category rose by 7% year-on-year, maintaining a steady share of 7%. Apple led this segment with a commanding 63% share, while Samsung’s shipments increased by 1.8 times, elevating its share to 34%, primarily driven by the iPhone 16 and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra/S25 Ultra models.
Chipset, Distribution, and Vendor Landscape
Shipments of Qualcomm-based smartphones surged by 23% year-on-year in 2025, enhancing market share to 30%, greatly attributed to Xiaomi, POCO, OPPO, and Nothing devices. Conversely, MediaTek shipments plummeted by 15% year-on-year, reducing its share from 54% to 46%.
Offline retail channels achieved their highest shipment volumes in six years, experiencing a growth of 12% year-on-year and expanding their share from 51% to 57%. In contrast, online shipments fell by 12%, shrinking their share from 49% to 43%.
IDC indicated that balanced omnichannel pricing, trade margins, and premium-oriented festive promotions bolstered offline growth, while entry-level and lower mid-range Android devices suffered from diminished upgrade demand.
Vendor rankings at the pinnacle remained consistent, with Vivo maintaining its leadership through a well-rounded portfolio and extensive reach. Samsung and OPPO followed closely.
As Xiaomi’s share dwindled, realme, Motorola, and iQOO improved their standings, while Nothing emerged as the fastest-growing brand, boasting a remarkable 45% year-on-year growth.
Forecast
As per Upasana Joshi, Senior Research Manager for Devices Research at IDC Asia Pacific, smartphone shipments in India are anticipated to contract in 2026 due to a remarkable worldwide memory scarcity.
Although volumes are expected to diminish, IDC projects sustained premium demand, and finance-driven acquisitions will support value growth. Recent pricing escalations across Android devices also indicate market consolidation, emphasizing the rising significance of vendor scale.
Source link: Fonearena.com.
