India’s smartphone market closed 2025 with marginal growth, according to the Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker released by International Data Corporation (IDC). Shipments rose 0.5% year-over-year to 152 million units. After a subdued start, volumes recovered during the middle of the year before weakening again in the final quarter.
Fourth-quarter shipments declined 5% YoY to 34 million units in 4Q25. IDC attributed the drop to post-festive inventory normalization and cautious consumer spending, which limited replacement and upgrade demand.
Apple and pricing trends
Apple shipped a record 14 million iPhones in India in 2025, growing 16% YoY, making India its fourth-largest market globally after the US, China, and Japan. Apple ranked fifth overall in India by volume with a 10% share, while leading the market by value with a 29% share. The iPhone 16 accounted for 4% of total smartphone shipments in India during the year.
Pricing trends in late 2025 deviated from typical post-festive patterns. Fourth-quarter average selling prices (ASPs) increased 4% YoY to US$279 instead of declining. According to Aditya Rampal, Senior Research Analyst, Devices Research, IDC Asia Pacific, higher memory costs and a depreciating rupee pushed prices higher across both new and existing models, dampening consumer demand. For the full year, smartphone ASPs rose 8% YoY to a record US$282.
Price-segment performance in 2025
Entry-level (sub-US$100)
The entry-level segment grew 18% YoY, expanding its share to 16% from 14%. Xiaomi and vivo together accounted for over 40% of shipments. Motorola Mobility recorded the fastest growth, with shipments rising nearly 2.4×.
Mass-budget (US$100–US$200)
Shipments declined 8% YoY, reducing market share from 44% to 41%. Among the top five brands, vivo, OPPO, and Motorola gained share. The vivo T4X and OPPO A5 were the highest-shipped models in this band.
Entry-premium (US$200–US$400)
Shipments fell 5% YoY, lowering share from 28% to 26%. Despite the contraction, vivo, Samsung Electronics, and Motorola recorded growth. The Motorola Edge 60 Fusion was the highest-shipped model in this segment.
Mid-premium (US$400–US$600)
The segment expanded 23% YoY, increasing its share from 4% to 5%. Apple led shipments, followed by Samsung and OPPO. Key contributors included OPPO Reno 13 Pro, iPhone 13, and Samsung Galaxy A56/S24 models.
Premium (US$600–US$800)
This segment recorded the fastest growth at 37% YoY, with share rising from 4% to 5%. Apple dominated with a 74% share, driven mainly by iPhone 16, iPhone 15, and iPhone 17 shipments, which together accounted for over 65% of volumes.
Super-premium (US$800 and above)
Shipments increased 7% YoY, with share steady at 7%. Apple maintained leadership with a 63% share. Samsung’s shipments rose 1.8×, lifting its share to 34%, driven primarily by iPhone 16 and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra/S25 Ultra models.
Chipset, channel, and vendor landscape
Qualcomm-based smartphone shipments grew 23% YoY in 2025, increasing market share to 30%, largely driven by Xiaomi, POCO, OPPO, and Nothing devices. In contrast, MediaTek shipments declined 15% YoY, reducing its share to 46% from 54% a year earlier.
Offline retail channels recorded their highest shipment levels in six years, growing 12% YoY and expanding share to 57% from 51% in 2024. Online shipments declined 12%, lowering share to 43% from 49%. IDC noted that balanced omnichannel pricing, trade margins, and premium-focused festive promotions supported offline growth, while entry-level and lower mid-range Android devices faced weaker upgrade demand.
Vendor rankings at the top remained unchanged. Vivo retained leadership through a diversified portfolio and omnichannel reach, followed by Samsung and OPPO. As Xiaomi’s share declined, realme, Motorola, and iQOO improved their positions. Nothing was the fastest-growing brand, posting 45% YoY growth.
Outlook
According to Upasana Joshi, Senior Research Manager, Devices Research, IDC Asia Pacific, smartphone shipments in India are expected to contract in 2026 due to an unprecedented global memory shortage. While volumes are projected to decline, IDC expects continued premium demand and finance-led purchasing to support value growth. Recent price increases across Android devices also point to market consolidation, with vendor scale becoming increasingly important.