India smartphone shipments hit 152m as premium demand rises

India's smartphone market reached 152 million units in 2025, according to IDC, though the research firm expects volumes to decline in 2026.

Annual shipments rose 0.5% from the previous year after a weak start, a rebound in the middle quarters and another slowdown at the end of the year. In the fourth quarter, shipments fell 5% year on year to 34 million units as retailers adjusted inventories after the festive period and consumer spending stayed restrained.

Average selling prices rose through the year, increasing 8% year on year to a record USD $282 in 2025. In the fourth quarter, prices rose 4% to USD $279.

"Contrary to the typical post-festive pattern of extended discounting and inventory clearance, the fourth quarter of 2025 recorded a notable increase in average selling prices (ASPs), which rose 4% year-over-year to US$279. This upward pressure on pricing, impacting both new and existing models, was driven by rising memory costs and a depreciating rupee. Together, these factors dampened consumer demand," said Aditya Rampal, Senior Research Analyst, Devices Research, IDC Asia Pacific.

Apple gains

India remained Apple's fourth-largest market globally, after the United States, China and Japan. Apple shipped a record 14 million units in India in 2025, up 16% from a year earlier, and ranked fifth in the country's smartphone market with a 10% volume share.

By market value, Apple held a 29% share, helped by demand for the iPhone 16, which alone accounted for 4% of total smartphone shipments in India during the year.

Price bands moved in different directions. The entry-level segment, covering devices priced below USD $100, grew 18%, with its market share rising to 16% from 14%. Xiaomi and vivo accounted for more than 40% of shipments in that category, while Motorola posted the fastest growth, with shipments rising nearly 2.4 times.

The mass-budget segment, covering devices priced from USD $100 to USD $200, declined 8%, and its market share fell to 41% from 44%. vivo, OPPO and Motorola gained share among the top five brands, while the vivo T4X and OPPO A5 were the most-shipped models in that bracket.

Shipments in the entry-premium segment, priced between USD $200 and USD $400, fell 5%, cutting its share to 26% from 28%. Even so, vivo, Samsung and Motorola recorded growth, and the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion was the top-shipped model in the segment.

Premium shift

Higher-priced bands expanded faster. The mid-premium segment, priced at USD $400 to USD $600, grew 23% and reached a 5% share, led by Apple, followed by Samsung and OPPO. Key models in that range included the OPPO Reno 13 Pro, iPhone 13, and Samsung Galaxy A56 and S24.

The premium segment, covering devices priced from USD $600 to USD $800, recorded the fastest growth at 37%, lifting its share to 5% from 4%. Apple held a 74% share in that category, driven by the iPhone 16, iPhone 15 and iPhone 17.

In the super-premium segment of USD $800 and above, shipments rose 7% and the segment's market share held steady at 7%. Apple led with a 63% share, while Samsung increased shipments 1.8 times to reach a 34% share.

Chipset trends also shifted. Qualcomm-based smartphone shipments rose 23% year on year, giving it a 30% market share, while MediaTek's share fell to 46% from 54% after a 15% decline in shipments.

Channel changes

Offline retail recorded its highest shipment levels in six years. Offline shipments rose 12% and the channel's market share increased to 57% from 51% in 2024, while online shipments fell 12% and online share dropped to 43% from 49%.

The ranking of the top three vendors was unchanged. vivo extended its lead, Samsung stayed second and OPPO remained third. realme, Motorola and iQOO improved their positions, while Xiaomi lost share. Nothing was the fastest-growing brand in 2025, with shipments up 45% year on year.

The market's value grew faster than volumes. "Despite stagnant shipments in a challenging 2025, India's smartphone market delivered a strong 9% year-over-year value growth, driven by continued premiumization across both new and older flagship models. Looking ahead, IDC expects volumes to contract in 2026 amid an unprecedented global memory shortage. However, sustained premium demand and finance-led purchasing are likely to support value growth even as shipments soften. Recent price increases in the Android ecosystem also point toward market consolidation, where scale will be critical for vendors to secure supply and manage pricing," said Upasana Joshi, Senior Research Manager, Devices Research, IDC Asia Pacific.