According to a report by Counterpoint Research, India’s smartphone market recorded a modest 1 per cent year-on-year growth in shipment volumes in 2025, while market value rose a sharper 8 per cent, as brands such as Apple and Samsung continued to benefit from strong consumer demand for premium devices.
Shipments, however, fell 4 per cent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2025, largely due to a post-festive seasonal slowdown, compounded by price increases linked to rising memory costs.
Counterpoint’s research director said India’s macroeconomic environment remained stable through 2025, supported by robust domestic demand, controlled inflation and repo rate cuts that improved financial conditions and discretionary spending. Smartphone makers capitalised on this by strengthening their premium portfolios, focusing on flagship-grade experiences, advanced camera capabilities and easier financing options to encourage faster upgrades.
The report mentioned that in value terms, Apple’s market share climbed from 23 per cent in 2024 to 28 per cent in 2025, marking its highest-ever annual share. Samsung followed with a steady 22 per cent share. Third-ranked Vivo saw its value share dip from 15 per cent to 14 per cent, while Oppo held the fourth position with 9 per cent. Realme ranked fifth, with its value share easing from 7 per cent to 6 per cent.
The report highlighted that brands with a stronger premium mix showed greater resilience, supported by higher margins, selective pricing strategies and steady demand for flagship and near-flagship models. Rising costs of memory components, including NAND storage and DRAM, have pushed up device prices, with manufacturers passing on higher costs to consumers.
As per the report, Samsung, Oppo, Xiaomi and Poco have raised prices on select smartphones and tablets by 2 per cent to 11 per cent so far this year, including in entry-level segments, amid currency fluctuations and memory-led cost pressures. Analysts expect staggered price hikes to continue until April 2026.
The report noted that average smartphone DRAM prices rose 5 per cent in 2025, driven by the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled applications and on-device intelligence features that require higher memory capacity.
On the chipset front, MediaTek led India’s smartphone processor market with a 47 per cent shipment share in 2025, followed by Qualcomm with 29 per cent.
In volume terms, Vivo retained market leadership, with its share rising from 17 per cent in 2024 to 20 per cent in 2025. Oppo’s share edged up from 12 per cent to 13 per cent, while Samsung’s slipped from 16 per cent to 15 per cent. Xiaomi recorded the steepest decline, with its volume share falling from 12 per cent to 8 per cent, while Realme saw a marginal drop from 11 per cent to 10 per cent.
Looking ahead, Counterpoint expected India’s smartphone market to post a single-digit volume decline in 2026 as higher component and memory costs dampen demand, particularly in the sub-₹15,000 segment. At the same time, continued price hikes and a stronger premium focus are likely to push average selling prices up by 5 per cent to 7 per cent year-on-year, further shifting the market toward higher-end devices.
